Qatar Denies Inviting Zakir Naik To FIFA Opening Match After India Threatens To Cancel Vice-President's Visit

Qatar has issued a clarification, saying that it had not invited fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik to the opening Fifa World Cup game, which was attended by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Before the Fifa World Cup Began, Qatar is learnt to have clarified that it had not extended a formal invitation to fugitive Islam preacher Zakir Naik to deliver sermons. The clarification came after India conveyed its displeasure at the news of Zakir Naik being invited to the global event.

Qatar is learnt to have informed India through diplomatic channels that no official invitation was extended to Zakir Naik to attend the opening ceremony of the Fifa World Cup in Doha on November 20. “Some countries are deliberately spreading this misinformation to spoil India-Qatar bilateral relations,” Qatar officials said. They said that Zakir Naik could be on a private visit to Doha.

The Qatari government said the entire Zakir Naik controversy was a fabrication by other countries and was part of a larger propaganda campaign against Qatar.

However, Fifa presenter Faisal Aljahri had tweeted earlier: “Preacher Sheikh Zakir Naik is in Qatar during the World Cup and will give many religious lectures throughout the World Cup.”

The Government of India had categorically conveyed to Qatar that it would be forced to cancel Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's visit if Zakir Naik is invited to watch the games from the VVIP box at the grand opening ceremony of the Fifa World Cup.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar went on a visit to Qatar. Dhankhar attended the event on November 20 and left Qatar the next day. He also met Indians in Qatar who were involved in the development of the stadiums for the World Cup.

BJP spokesperson Savio Rodrigues on Tuesday called on India’s football associations and Indians travelling to Qatar for the Fifa World Cup to ban the global event after the middle eastern nation invited fugitive Islam preacher Zakir Naik to deliver religious sermons at the event.

The Centre banned Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation on November 17, 2016, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The ban was extended by another five years in November 2021.