Demands are growing among a section of people in Malaysia to reimpose the ban on controversial Islamic preacher, Zakir Naik from delivering public speeches.
Naik has been in Malaysia after India launched a manhunt for him in connection with a money laundering case. The Mumbai born radical preacher was earlier banned from speaking in public in Malaysia after he had made controversial statements about Hindus during a speech in Kota Bear in 2019.
However a controversy has now erupted with Home Minister of Malaysia Saifuddin Nasution Ismail saying the there are currently no orders preventing Naik from giving public speeches. He said that there had been a temporary ban in 2019, but currently it is not in effect.
Now there are many groups which are demanding that he be banned from speaking in public. Last month Naik during a speech at the Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025, he said that Muslims will have to answer n the afterlife for their perceived lack of proselytising efforts. He also called on Muslims to intensify their efforts to spread Islam to non-Muslims while adding that Malaysians were not fully utilising laws that permit the propagation of Islam to non-Muslims.
Why Zakir Naik has to be banned
The Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) and the Hindu Rights Action Force have sought for a justification from the home minister regarding the government’s decision to lift restrictions on Zakir Naik.
They say that the ban should be reinforced in the interest of and respect for the royal institution, which governs Islamic affairs at the state level, national security and social harmony.
Zakir Naik continues to wield plenty of influence and could export his divisive views. This would not only undermine the authority of the state rulers within their respective states. Some of the state rulers who prohibit him from preaching in their territories have taken this call to preserve social stability, which Naik is capable of destroying.
More importantly, 45 per cent in Malaysia are non-Muslims. A radical like Naik has made inflammatory and divisive religious rhetoric which has deeply strained race relations.
It is argued that the non-Muslim Malaysians have never opposed the presence of thousands of foreign Muslim scholars who have been hosted by the government since independence.
However the same cannot be said about Naik as he is known for inciting division through his speeches. Due to this several Malaysian states like Malacca, Johor, Kedah, Sarawak, Penang and Perlis have banned him.
In 2019 Naik had made inflammatory comments that had led to the ban on his public speeches. He had told the Chinese Malaysians to go back to China. He even questioned the loyalty of Indian Malaysians towards Malaysia in a clear attempt to disrupt national unity.
Radical Islam
Zakir Naik is probably one of the most controversial and dangerous Islamic preachers in the world. He only believes in rabid Islam and feels that the entire world must comprise only of Muslims.
His speeches are mostly directed at India. While in India, he ran he Peace Foundation, which was found to be involved in money laundering. He also worked closely with the Popular Front of India (PFI). They began a programme by which scores of Hindus specially the women would be converted to Islam.
The name of the Peace Foundation cropped up during a probe into an Islamic State related case. When 21 people from Kerala left to join the Islamic State in Afghanistan, it was found that many had converted from either Hinduism or Christianity. The role of the Peace Foundation in this conversion racket had come to light then.
Naik was recently in Pakistan where he managed to stir controversy. It all began with him seeking to have his baggage fee waived off at the airport. During an event, the Islamic hate preacher Naik was seen leaving the stage during an event for orphans in a hurry. It later came to light that he was furious that the orphan girls were referred to as the organisers as daughters. He had said that you cannot touch them or call them your daughters. He also said that these little girls are of marriageable age and hence cannot be referred to as daughters.
Extradition in a limbo
India has been seeking his extradition for quite some time now. During a visit to India, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had said that if there is sufficient evidence presented in the case relating to in the case, Malaysia would not condone terrorism.
Naik is not just wanted in India. His Peace TV which is known for inciting violence has had its effects both in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well. The accused in the terror attacks at Dhaka and Sri Lanka had said that they were influenced by Zakir Naik, which led them to undertake acts of terror. This had led to both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka banning Peace TV.
Knowing fully well Naik’s antecedents and what a divider-in-chief he is, the decision to lift the ban on him in Malaysia is quite surprising. The very fact that some states in Malaysia have banned him only suggests how dangerous he can be.
The Malaysian government has not given any reason as to why Naik is not banned from making public speeches. They said that the ban was temporary and currently there is no ban. This could indicate that they do not see Naik as a security threat. This turn of events in Malaysia could be a spoke in the wheel where his extradition to India is concerned. The NIA has built up a strong case against Naik and would continue to pursue his extradition. Although for now, it appears to be quite hard.
