In what is seen as a major diplomatic victory to the Narendra Modi government, Malaysia has denied permanent asylum to Zakir Naik as suggested by various reports. However, the muddled response of the Southeast Asian country over his asylum indicates that the rabid Islamic preacher has become a liability to the country.
Couple of days ago it was reported that Malaysia had refused asylum to Zakir Naik and had asked him to leave the country after the Indian government provided evidence against him over his involvement in terror attacks and financial frauds committed in India. The report also said that both the Arabian countries UAE and Saudi Arabia had also refused to accommodate Zakir in their land.
Cant leave him, cant have him!
While Malaysian Home Ministry issued a statement that it was not true that he was asked to leave the country, PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s response to a query on Zakir Naik shows that he has become a liability to their country. Speaking to a Turkish news channel, the Malaysian PM said that Malaysia is not keen for Zakir Naik to be in their country but is hard-pressed to deport him elsewhere as “many countries” will not accept the controversial Islamic preacher either.
“We have a multi-racial, multi-religious population in Malaysia. We don’t want anybody who comes up and address extreme views about race and other religions….So to that extent, we cannot have him. But on the other hand, it is difficult to send him anywhere else because many countries don’t want to have him,” Dr Mahathir told the Turkish news channel TRT World in an interview aired on Monday.
Zakir Naik’s relationship with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is souring after India provided proof against him
Rabid preacher to financial fraudster to Fugitive
Zakir Naik was known for his hate speeches where he was seen deriding other faiths and traditions. NIA authorities and police of different states in India have found evidences to prove that Zakir Naik’s speeches have directly or indirectly influenced many terrorists to commit numerous acts of terror in India, Bangladesh and most recently in Sri Lanka. The terrorists who perpetrated the Sri Lankan blasts which killed more than 300 innocents were hugely influence by the teachings of Zakir Naik. The proof for this allegations were revealed during teh NIA raids in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. His name featured even during the investigations into the terror attack in Dhaka which killed 29 people.
Naik has been evading arrest in India since 2016, when allegations of hate speech and mone laundering were made against him. It was alleged that he used his channel Peace TV to launder money outside India. Again in 2019, Enforcement Directorate filed money-laundering charges against him following which a Mumbai court granted the agency a warrant to arrest Naik and bring him to trial.
Zakir Naik and his speeches have been banned in several countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Bangladesh, including India. His Peace TV has also been banned in India, Sri Lank and many other countries.
