Mumbai Police to investigate Dr Zakir Naik’s speeches – Maha CM Fadnavis

Mumbai – A day after union minister of state for home said that Dr Zakir Naik’s speeches are a matter of concern, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday ordered Mumbai Police to investigate them.

Meanwhile to avoid any law and order problem, police have deployed security outside Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) office in Dongri.

Bangladeshi newspaper ‘Daily Star’ had reported that militant Rohan Imtiaz, son of an Awami League leader, ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik.

Last week, Islamist gunmen stormed a popular restaurant in Dhaka’s diplomatic enclave and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners from Italy, Japan, India and the US in an attack claimed by the Islamic State.

Naik is currently on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and expected to return to Mumbai on July 11. He will also hold press conference to ‘clear’ his views.

“I totally disagree that I inspired this act of killing innocent people. There is not a single talk of mine where I encouraged anyone to kill another person – Muslim or non-Muslim,” said Naik, who has been banned in some countries.

On Thursday, BJP MP Maheish Girri from East Delhi constituency had also written to Maharashtra CM seeking action against him for ‘instigating people to follow path of terrorism’.

Naik, in his lecture aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel co-produced by him, had reportedly “urged all Muslims to be terrorists”.

Naik’s preaching often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects.

Naik, an MBBS doctor, had founded the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in Mumbai in February 1991. It claims to promote Islamic Da’wah – the proper presentation, understanding and appreciation of Islam, as well as removing misconceptions about Islam – amongst less aware Muslims and non-Muslims.

IRF uses modern technology for its activities, where ever feasible. Its presentation of Islam reach millions of people worldwide through international satellite T.V. channels, cable T.V. networks, internet and the print media.

The IRF website states, “Its activities and facilities provide the much needed understanding about the truth and excellence of Islamic teachings – based on the glorious Qur’an and authentic Hadith, as well as adhering to reasons, logic and scientific facts.”

However many terrorists across the globe have been found to be inspired by his rabid speeches.

Dr Zakir Naik is the ideologue and driving force behind Peace TV Network. He launched Peace TV English, in January 2006, it being the largest watched ‘Islamic’ as well as ‘any Religious’ Satellite TV channel presently in the world, with over 100 million viewership, of which 25% are Non-Muslims. In its footsteps he launched Peace TV Urdu in June 2009, Peace TV Bangla in April 2011, Peace TV Chinese in 2015.

He has over 14 million Facebook page likes and over one lakh followers on Twitter.