How Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, a fugitive in India, became Malaysia's guest
Aug. 20, 2024, 9:10 a.m.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in India for an official state visit on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Ibrahim with a formal welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.
Modi and Ibrahim will engage in bilateral discussions, and the Indian PM will host a luncheon in Ibrahim's honor.
The two nations initially established diplomatic relations in 1957, but the relationship was elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership during Modi's 2015 visit.
Despite India and Malaysia's efforts to strengthen ties across all areas, one issue remains unresolved – the presence of controversial preacher Zakir Naik.
Naik, a fugitive from India, has established himself in Malaysia.
But how did Naik become Malaysia’s guest?
Let’s take a closer look:
Who is he?
First, let’s take a brief look at Naik.
Naik is an influential Islamic preacher who advocates for the Salafi branch of Sunni Islam, known for its strict interpretation.
He heads the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and the popular religious channel Peace TV.
Peace TV, which has been banned in India, is based in Dubai.
It has millions of viewers across the globe.
Naik also has a medical degree. He is often seen on television wearing a suit and a traditional skullcap.
According to India Today, Naik first became well-known in the 1990s for promoting his religious beliefs.
By the 2000s, his videos were attracting widespread attention as he emphasized the superiority of Islam over other faiths.
Peace TV was launched by Zakir Naik’s Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation in 2006.
The channel expanded its reach in 2009 with an Urdu version, followed by a Bangla version in 2011. All English, Urdu, and Bangla content is broadcast from Dubai.
However, these platforms have been prohibited in several countries, including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, due to accusations of promoting hate speech.
Naik's comments about Osama Bin Laden generated significant public attention.
Osama Bin Laden. AP “If bin Laden is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him. If he is terrorizing America, the biggest terrorist, I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist," Naik reportedly said.
However, Naik claims he was misquoted.
Naik also hit headlines after demanding the death penalty for homosexuals and apostates. He argued that men have the “right” to beat their wives “gently”. He also defended the Islamic State’s practice of keeping sex slaves and destroying non-Muslim places of worship.
“How can we permit this [churches or temples in an Islamic state] when their faith is incorrect and when their worship practices are wrong,” Naik was quoted as saying, according to India Today.
Advertisement Gaining international attention
However, Naik only gained international recognition in 2016 following a deadly incident in Bangladesh.
According to DW, Naik was accused, through his speeches, of influencing one of the attackers involved in the Holey Artisan cafe incident.
Naik refuted the accusation and criticized the Bangladesh media for exaggerating the story.
As per India Today, Naik left India in 2016 just hours after the attack.
Advertisement Naik was given permanent residence in Malaysia after being denied entry visas by Britain and Canada.
Zakir Naik was accused of motivating one of the individuals who carried out the attack on the Holey Artisan cafe. AP According to DW, Naik has reportedly been receiving financial support from Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan.
“Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan are somewhat modern Islamic states, which are trying to reconcile Islam with business, science and economics. They won’t go against a preacher like Zakir Naik, who is ultimately promoting Islam,” said Atul Singh, the founder of Fair Observer, a US non-profit media organisation told DW. “He serves their interests to have cultural influence among Indian Muslims.”
“Turkey and Pakistan are trying to become soft powers to tackle Islamophobia. At the end of the day, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia are bonded by Islamic symbolism,” Hajira Maryam, a researcher with Turkey’s international broadcaster, TRT World added.
Advertisement In November 2016, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) declared the IRF an outlawed organization in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In October 2017, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed formal charges against Naik, accusing him of inciting young people to engage in terrorist activities, delivering hate speeches, and fostering animosity along religious lines.
In 2019, the Enforcement Directorate filed a complaint against Naik under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Naik's name emerged in relation to the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019, which resulted in over 250 fatalities.
Zahran Hashim, the leader of National Thowheeth Jama’ath, the group that took responsibility for the bombings, then praised Naik, as per India Today.
Naik has caused controversy in Malaysia too.
According to News18, Naik was prohibited from delivering public speeches in August 2019 after undergoing a 10-hour interrogation by law enforcement.
Kuala Lumpur asserted that the prohibition on Naik was implemented to safeguard national security.
Naik is reported to have made controversial statements about Malaysian Hindus and Malaysian Chinese during a speech in Kota Baru.
Responding for calls for him to be deported, Naik said the Malaysian Chinese should leave first as they were “old guests.”
He also claimed ethnic Hindus in Malaysia enjoyed “100 times more rights” than Muslims in India.
He asserted that Hindu ethnic groups exhibited stronger loyalty towards the Indian government than the Malaysian government.
Naik, yet again, claimed to have been misquoted.
He said his critics had added “strange fabrications” to his remarks.
“It was never my intention to upset any individual or community. It is against the basic tenets of Islam, and I would like to convey my heartfelt apologies for this misunderstanding,” Naik was quoted as saying by News18.
Mahathir, who was prime minister of Malaysia at the time, said, “He is stirring up racial feelings. The police will have to investigate whether it is causing tension; obviously, it is.”
Mahathir stated that Naik, due to his permanent residency status, was prohibited from engaging in political activities.
“You can preach (religiously). But he wasn’t doing that,” he said. “He was talking about Chinese going back to China and Indians going back to India. I have never said such things. But he did. That is politics.”
What has India been doing to get Naik back?
India has consistently sought Naik's extradition from Malaysia.
In January 2018, New Delhi submitted a provisional arrest and extradition request to Kuala Lumpur for Naik.
According to The Hindu, in 2019, Modi directly discussed the issue of Naik’s extradition with then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad on the sidelines of a conference in Russia.
However, Mahathir, who had granted Naik permanent residency, rejected New Delhi’s request.
Indian authorities, between 2017 and 2019, made attempts to secure an Interpol Red Corner notice against Naik.
However, Interpol declined India’s request, stating that there was insufficient evidence against Naik to justify such a notice.
India in 2020 yet again requested the extradition of Naik.
However, Malaysia did not accede to the request.
The MEA was told by the Malaysian government at the time that their appeal was being reviewed.
“We have requested for his extradition and time and again not only through our consultation with the Malaysian government but also through our High Commission. We have asked them to expedite the process. We have been told that it is under consultation and it is a process that will take time,” he said in response to a question.
Zakir Naik was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. He was quoted as saying by The Sta’ newspaper as saying that “Zakir in general feels that he is not going to get a fair trial (in India).”
He drew a parallel to Australia's refusal to extradite former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar, who was sentenced to death in Malaysia in 2015 for the murder of a Mongolian model.
In March 2022, the Indian government declared the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) an illegal organization and banned it for five years.
Naik’s extradition remains a sore point between the two nations.
With inputs from agencies
