The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs officials alleged Zakir Naik’s had encouraged followers to harbour hatred between different religious denominations in an announcement for the public.
PTI reported that the Centre extended the ban imposed on Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s non-government organization Islamic Research Foundation for five years.
Islamic Research Foundation has declared a group engaged in illegal tasks in November 2016 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for five years. A ban on Islamic Research Foundation was to end on Tuesday.
The Indian government has been monitoring Naik, a Malaysian national, ever since allegations surfaced that he inspired one of the terror attackers who attacked a restaurant in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, in July 2016. Despite the accusations, Naik has repeatedly denied them.
This week, it was announced that the Centre will extend its ban on the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years, headed by Zakir Naik, an Indian born preacher who now lives in Malaysia.
On November 17, 2016, the central government declared the IRF an illegal and criminal institution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967).
According to a notification issued by the Union Home Ministry, the IRF has been engaging in activities detrimental to the country’s security and potentially harm peace, communal harmony and disrupt the nation’s secular fabric.
The central government believes that the IRF and its members, especially its founder and chairman, Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, known under the pseudonym Zakir Naik, fostered or helped followers create or promote a discord of religious motives. The fact that hostility, hatred or malice between different religious communities and groups is detrimental to the integrity and security of the country.
In its statement, the Indian Ministry said that Naik’s statements and speeches were objectionable and subversive. He had promoted enmity and hatred among religious followers and inspired youths of a particular religion to commit terrorist activities in India and abroad.
In addition to preaching radical statements and speeches through satellite TV networks, the Internet, print, and social media, the website reported that Naik also preaches them through satellite television networks and social media.
In addition, the central government said that if the unlawful activities of the IRF are not curbed and controlled immediately, the IRF will take the opportunity to regain control of its subversive activities and reorganize the activists who are still absconding.
According to the Indian ministry, Naik’s activities will disrupt the country’s secular fabric by provoking communal discord, propagating anti-national sentiments, supporting militancy, and causing some to undertake actions that undermine the country’s sovereignty, integrity, and security.
Additionally, the notification stated that the central government believes it is necessary to declare the IRF an unlawful association with immediate effect due to their activities.
As a result, Naik has made “radical statements” to millions of people worldwide through various platforms, according to the Indian ministry.
According to the home ministry, Zakir Naik gave speeches and made statements that promoted hatred between religious groups and led youths of a particular religion who live in India and abroad to commit crimes, including terrorism.
Naik’s organization is feared to continue its illegal activities if the government doesn’t stop it. The ministry also believes the active members will reorganize themselves if the government does not work.
Furthermore, it warned that Islamic Research Foundation would try to disrupt the country’s secular fabric by creating communal disharmony among civilians and propagating anti-national sentiments, in addition to engaging in activities that would endanger the country’s sovereignty, integrity, and security.
Incident Of The Chennai Girl
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has booked Zakir Naik for an alleged Chennai kidnapping case. We saw him facing charges after a Chennai girl was kidnapped during the year 2020. As per NIA, the girl has been abducted by a group against whom an FIR has been filed.
As part of the kidnapping of a girl from Chennai, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed an FIR with the police against a gang led by Bangladeshis. The girl who went to London to study higher education is suspected of being captured and kidnapped by a gang member. In a complaint made by the girl’s father, he claimed that she was radicalized and forced to convert to Islam.
An alleged kidnapping case has named Nafees, the son of a politician from Bangladesh, as the main suspect. Moreover, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has also been named an accused, now living in exile in Malaysia. NIA is also investigating Zakir Naik, who is allegedly suspected of participating in the crime. It is also trying to determine whether any terrorist organization is behind this crime.
IRF should be banned
In August 2016, IRF, which has a base in Mumbai’s Dongri neighbourhood, made headlines when two terrorists arrested in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in connection with a blast, told investigators that Zakir Naik’s speeches had influenced them. This explosion had caused the deaths of 22 people.
Those who allege he was promoting hatred between different religious groups and inciting Muslims to commit terrorism claimed he was enmity and hatred. They ordered an investigation, and a report was produced by the particular branch of the Mumbai Police and the National Investigation Agency. A preliminary investigation by the agencies resulted in a recommendation that Zakir Naik and IRF be banned.
The report also mentioned that IRF had been involved in converting 400 to 500 men and women. Several police stations in Maharashtra registered FIRs against Zakir Naik and the Indian Revenue Force.
According to the IRF, it has also received funding from foreign countries and connections with Pakistan and terrorist organizations based in Pakistan.
Zakir Naik and the India Revenue Force are current targets of NIA investigations and Enforcement Directorate investigations.
Home Ministry officials explained that they decided to extend the UAPA ban imposed on the IRF for another five years after considering all the factors.
Article Proofread and Edited by Shreedatri Banerjee
