Zakir Naik: 'Never promoted terror in my 25 years of lecturing on Islam and peace'

Zakir Naik said "some sections" of the media have attacked him for his supposed ‘incitement to terror’, and it would be naive not to assume that this was done with a broader objective of demonizing Islam and Muslims.

In Photo: Zakir Naik lectures on the topic 'Is Islam a solution for humanity' duing an international conference organised by his organisation IRF in 2007, in Sion, Mumbai.

NEW DELHI: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is currently staying in Malaysia, said the media was unable to find any "evidence" against him and resorted to "doctored video clips, out-of-context quotations and a host of dishonest schemes" to accuse him of terrorism, hate speech and even money laundering. Hitting out at the "some sections" of the media, the Mumbai-born televangelist said they have attacked him for his supposed ‘incitement to terror’, and it would be naive not to assume that this was done with a broader objective of demonizing Islam and Muslims. "Over the last few years, thousands of ‘news’ articles, YouTube videos and social media posts have attributed to me appalling statements that I did not make. Often these lies come in the form of images displaying a message alongside a photograph of me. To anybody who does not want Islam to be presented as a religion of peace, this is a quick and dirty way to discredit the faith," Naik said. "I implore anybody who comes across such material to verify it before jumping to conclusions. Because the simple truth is that any statement ascribed to me that is against humanity is a fabricated statement. Time and time again, I have reiterated that a Muslim cannot be a good Muslim unless he is a good human being." He said in his 25 years of lecturing on "Islam and peace", he has never promoted terror in the name of Islam or otherwise. Naik reiterated his assertions that none of his speeches was objected to by non-Muslims in India until 2012. "In fact, not a single lecture out of the thousands that I have delivered has ever received objections from non-Muslims in India until in September 2012, when a group of religious fanatics sought to tarnish my image," Naik said. He said his aim has always been to foster communal peace and harmony, the exact opposite of the accusations hurled at him. The preacher also expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian government for not deporting him home to India where he is wanted for alleged terror activities and money laundering charges. 52-year-old Naik, who has been granted permanent residency status in Malaysia, also thanked Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for allowing him to stay there. "I thank the Malaysian government for examining the issue from an unbiased perspective, and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his decision to allow me to stay here, as long as I continue to abide by the law and support the peace and harmony of this country. "This decision reaffirms my faith in Malaysia’s justice and communal harmony, and is a testimony to the success of the multiracial diversity of this country. I am humbled to be a part of this diversity, and I also acknowledge the sensitivities it entails. I would never wish to disrupt or jeopardize this balance in any way, or to break the rule of law of this country, because it is my primary concern to foster the social harmony currently enjoyed by its citizens." Mahathir had ruled out Naik's deportation to India as long as he does not create problems in Malaysia. Naik said while he hopes that "justice and peace" will return to his homeland, India, he remains indebted to Malaysia not just as one seeking fair treatment, but as an individual with a love of humanity. Naik is facing various cases, including for hate speech and money laundering, in India and has been staying abroad to evade arrest.