Radical Islamist preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be deported to India from Oman. Indian Intelligence Agencies are in conversation with Oman authorities to detain him during his visit to Oman where Naik has been invited to deliver two religious lectures in the capital city Muscat on March 23 and 25 during Ramzan.
According to News 18, the Indian embassy in Muscat is in touch with agencies to detain Naik, and deport him under the laws. "There is strong possibility that local authorities oblige to their request and detain him," sources in Indian Intelligence Agencies said.
Omani Ambassador took up the matter with MEA, and similarly, the Indian Ambassador in Oman has also raised the issue with Omani MFA. Indian agencies are likely to send a legal team for follow up after detention.
The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA) of Oman has invited Naik to deliver religious lectures. The ministry issued a statement in Urdu, saying that, "The Ministry represented by the Department of Introducing Islam and Cultural Exchange in the Iftaa Office, is organising a lecture by the preacher Dr. Zakir Naik, entitled “The Holy Qur’an is a Global Necessity,” on the evening of Thursday, Ramadan 1, 1444 AH, corresponding to March 23, 2023 AD, at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (Madinat Al-Irfan Theatre)."
Earlier, in November 2022, Qatar had invited Zakir Naik to give religious sermons at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Naik faces multiple charges of money laundering and hate speech in India. He has been living in exile in Malaysia since 2017, as a runaway fugitive.
India outlawed Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) late in 2016, on the charges of encouraging and assisting the group’s followers in “promoting or attempting to promote feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different religious communities and groups.” In March, 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared IRF an unlawful association and outlawed it for five years.
Naik, who shot to fame during the 1990s over his activities of da’wah (an act of inviting or calling people to embrace Islam) through IRF, is also the founder of the ‘comparative religion’ Peace TV.
The channel reportedly has a reach of over 100 million viewers, many of whom regard him as an exponent of the Salafi (a reform moment within the Sunni community) ideology. Besides India, his Peace TV network is also banned in Bangladesh, Canada, Sri Lanka, and the UK.
To evade law, Naik relocated to Malaysia. Even though he has permanent residency in Malaysia, the country also banned Naik from giving speeches in the interests of “national security” in 2020.
(Edited by : Pradeep John)
First Published: Mar 21, 2023 5:29 PM IST
