New Delhi, Sep 10 : Controversial Islamic scholar Zakir Naik on Saturday said the campaign against him was an attack on Indian Muslims and a “murder of democracy”.
Amid growing calls that his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) should be banned, Naik urged the government to be “fair” in its investigation and be “truthful with facts”.
In a 2,000-word open letter, Naik said he was ready to be punished for any wrongdoing but this should be on the basis of concrete evidence and not hearsay.
“If you find any wrongdoing on my part, punish me by all means. Give me the harshest of punishments if I’ve wronged anyone.
“My appeal to the government – be fair in your investigation. Be fair in what you allege. Be truthful with facts. To my fellow citizens – Let no one and nothing dissuade you from speaking the truth,” he said.
He said he had spent 25 years promoting peace and spreading greater awareness of Islam besides talking about similarities between religions, and the last two months had been a rude shock.
“I am alarmed at the murder of democracy and strangulation of fundamental rights… I am also alarmed at how the system, media and the agencies are being used to suit a pre-meditated end result set by none other than our own governments,” he wrote.
Saying the Constitution gave him freedom to profess, practice, and propagate his religion, he claimed there was “a deeper agenda behind this vicious campaign” against him.
This, he said, was not only an attack on him “but an attack against Indian Muslims”.
In case he and IRF are banned, he said: “If you thought intolerance increased in the country recently, this action of the government will take it to an all-time high.”
Naik claimed that selective government documents were being selectively leaked to the media.
He rubbished accusations of forced conversions against him and his NGO, asking for the “converted person” and his or her statement about how he or she was forcibly converted to be made available.
Naik, whose sermons are alleged to have turned some young Muslims into radicals, said he may find shelter in other countries.
“… but this isn’t only about me. It’s about us. It’s about the morals and values of a great country.
“What will become of India if we let bigotry and injustice seep into the very fabric of our nation?” he said.
Naik has been on the radar of security agencies for long and his channel Peace TV has been banned in India for broadcasting “objectionable” content.—IANS
Let Hate mongers hate our Dr. Zakir Naik. It is not new to Islam. Whoever be in straight path, they will be attacked by evil forces. But finally Allah (swt) protects them. So be patient and depend on Allah (swt).
YES CORRECT.
ZAKIR BHAI.
YOU HAVE DONE FAULTS TOO, WHICH ARE OF SERIOUS NATURE.
SALAFI IDEOLOGY SUPPORTS ,WRONG ABOUT “AULIA ALLAH”NAMELY “SAHABAS” AND PERSONS LIKE SHIAKH ABDEL KHADER JEELANI AND KHWAJA MOINUDDIN CHISTI AND LIKES WHO SPREAD ISLAM THOUSAND YEARS AGO, THEY WERE NOT HAVING “JAMAT”SINGLE HANDED THEY DID WONDERS,
AS FOR “KARAMAT'(MIRACLES),IT NEEDS EXPERIENCE NOT BOOKS TO UNDERSTAND IT.
REGARDING PRACTICES OF SOME OF MUSLIMS AT “DURGAHS”,IT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.
DONT HURT SENTIMENTS OF PEOPLE OTHER RELIGIONS.
NEVER EVER ANSWER POLITICAL QUESTIONS,
YOU ARE STUDENT OF COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RELIGIONS,
WHEN MUSLIMS DAY AND NIGHT SEND “DARUD SHARIFF “ON PROPHET ABRAHAM AND PROPHET MOHAMMAD AND THEIR PEOPLE.YOU FOUND YAZEED SOMEWHERE, WHICH HURT MUSLIMS .
YOUR SALAFI IDEOLOGY IS ONLY 100 OR 200 YEARS OLD,SHAIKH ABDL KHADER JEELANI AND KHWAJA MOINUDDIN CHISTI AND LIKES ARE HERE SINCE THOUSAND YEARS.
WE DONT SAY EVERYBODY IS RIGHT,BUT SOMEWHERE YOU TOO WERE SERIOUSLY WRONG.AND SALAFIS.
YOUR ANSWERS TO HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS WERE WONDERFUL.AND EDUCATIONAL .
BUT NEVER EVER HURT SENTIMENTS OF OTHERS .
THERE IS MATURE WAY OF MAKING OTHERS UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN HOLY BOOKS.
MANY OF HINDUS BELIEVE IN WORSHIP OF ONE GOD MUCH BEFORE YOU MENTIONED.YOU ONLY POPULARISED IT.
HAD HINDUS PROPAGATED WORSHIP OF ONE GOD , THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ZAKIR NAIKS.
Zakir naik is a liar. He is preaching supremacy of islam over other religions in the garb of spreading peace. No truly spiritual man will say only my path is correct and yours imperfect. One can say good things about his teligion but he has no right to compare it with other religions and declare his religion is supreme. His very approach is creating a false ego among muslims and he has the gall to suggest the muslims to defy the constitution or culture of india by raising un-necessary theories of conflict with Islam. The purpose of religion is to create harmony and love for nation and community as a whole and not to create sectarian one upmanship and raise unnecessary controversy taking shelter of religion. He is poisoning gullible muslims by radicalising their minds with religion based extremism. He is accusing Govt of being undemocratic while fleeing away from law and commenting from overseas. Now he is trying to raise emotional passions by saying banning him is like banning Islam. He is a cunning and dubious person.
AJAY AREY IDIOT. You are a BIGGEST LIAR and non-sense.
You go and compare the worship of Hinduism / Islam, and see which way is BETTER????
YOU compare all religions of the World, and USE your brain WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.
He has the GALL??? or YOU??? First of all, U are ZERO in front of DR. ZAKIR.
The purpose of religion is to create harmony and love for nation and community as a whole……………………………………………………THIS IS WHAT GOD THE EXALTED gave ISLAM, you STUPID.
POISON is in your brain, go wash it by DETTOL.
YOU are either FOOL or CUNNING or HYPOCRITE.
YOU go and study ISLAM properly and come back here.
ALL THE BEST
n my view bane is not appropriate decision of govt.of India. Since, India is democratic country and freedom of speech is our fundamental rights until it doesn’t harm any one. Constitution allow us to practise and ivite the people for any faith or religion in the peaceful manner. Person following any on one social media and do any inhuman and brutal act it doesn’t mean that the action should be taken against the person who is followed. This will be injustice as per moral and constitutional background. This type of action will harm the social fabric among the deference section and religion in our society. Ther fore as a responsible and practicing citizen of india I do not agree with this decision.
REPLY
ABDULRAUF