The Mumbai-born Muslim cleric and televangelist Zakir Naik’s old clip supporting Taliban men have landed him in a new controversy. This old video clip is seen as a dangerous trend of terming the cruelties, crimes, and violence of the Taliban regime as a hoax. Using an example of a doctor Malaysian couple who told him about the hearsay stories of how the world was being duped by the untrue stories of Taliban-looking men who couldn’t tie the “turban” properly as violent terrorists.
This video has been criticized by various Muslim groups across the country and has urged the banned cleric not to mess up with the minds of people who follow him or listen to his preachings. Currently, efforts are being made by the MEA in getting back Naik to India so that he can be prosecuted for the various cases registered against him.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that it will take all the necessary actions required to bring back radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and have him face justice in India.
Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, 57, currently residing in Malaysia, fled India in 2016 after his organization Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) was banned and he was named in an FIR. In 2019, he was also banned from delivering public speeches in Malaysia. Besides India, his Peace TV network is also banned in Bangladesh, Canada, Sri Lanka, and the UK.
He landed in a major controversy after it was revealed that one of the accused in the 2016 Dhaka cafe attack was inspired by his speeches.
In the same year, IRF was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.
