Muslim world outraged after photo surfaces showing Jewish student forced to kiss Muslim’s feet

The vile incident, which was photographed and filmed in a public park in Melbourne before being shared on social media platforms, was slammed by Islamic scholars who said the act was contrary to teachings of Islam.

The Muslim World League and the International Organisation of Muslim Scholars issued a joint statement signed by more than 1200 Islamic scholars stressing the importance of respecting followers of other religions. 

"Muslims prostrate and bow only to God," Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League said, adding that Muslims should be committed to their faiths. 

The Daily Mail reported on Friday that the Jewish boy was instructed by a group of 12 and 13-year-olds to kneel, kiss, and pose for the photograph, while being threatened with violence and assaulted with anti-semitic insults. 

The image sparked a flurry of anger on the internet, with people expressing outrage at the incident and empathy for the boy and his family. 

The mother of the schoolboy told the Australian Jewish News: "He literally fell down on the floor and said, '’Mummy, you shouldn't love me. I'm a worthless, Jewish rodent. I'm vermin.’''

She reached out immediately to the Muslim boy’s parents: "We sat down, his parents, the two boys and myself, around the table and explained the velocity of [the bullying] and what it meant to us as parents as far as building bridges between Jews and Muslims in society and not creating division like that photo does."

She added that she was extremely disturbed to hear that the insults flung at her son resembled the type of anti-semitic language used during the Holocaust.

This story has been edited and updated to make editorial and stylistic improvements.

Follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab