Mumbai: Claiming that his views were being misrepresented by the media, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Wednesday claimed that he never made any call for Muslims to become terrorists.
Referring to reports that said that militants behind the Dhaka café attack, that killed 20 people including an Indian, were motivated by his speeches, the preacher said that the video of his speech ‘praising Osama Bin Laden’ was doctored and misrepresented. He added that calls from different countries for a ban on his entry and speeches were made by certain ‘Hindu fanatics’.
“No Muslim should terrorise human being. I was misquoted earlier. I only said Muslim should be terrorists to anti-social elements. Video of my speech on Osama is doctored,” Naik was reported as saying.
Wondering why the media only presented a part of his quote, Zakir said, “I have said that for a thief, a policeman is a terrorist. And people should be terrorists against anti-social elements. The media misrepresents what I said, so I stopped saying this at my lectures.”
Asked further about his comment defending Osama Bin Laden, he said, “I don’t know him… I have not done any research on him. The Quran does not allow me to speak about a third person regarding whom I have done no research or study.”
He also boasted that a quarter of his followers on Facebook and attendees at his lectures were formed by non-Muslims.
“By using the name Islamic State, we are condemning Islam… They are the anti-Islamic state of Iraq and Syria that has killed innocent foreigners. The name is given by enemies of Islam,” the Mumbai-based preacher had earlier told Indian Express.
Two of the five Bangladeshi militants who hacked to death 20 people at a restaurant in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone used to follow Nayak.
Militant Rohan Imtiaz, son of an Awami League leader, propagated on Facebook last year quoting Peace TV’s controversial preacher Nayek “urging all Muslims to be terrorists”, the Daily Star had reported.
Naik said he was not shocked to know that two of the attackers knew him but asserted that it does not mean that he approves of their ideology. According to him, he has over 14 million followers on Facebook and millions of viewers who watch his speeches on Peace TV, which is telecasted in multiple languages, including Urdu, Bengali and Chinese.
“The largest percentage of my Facebook followers are from Bangladesh. Ninety per cent of Bangladeshis would know me, including senior politicians, philanthropists, common men, students and more. Fifty per cent would be my fans. Am I shocked that the attackers knew me? No.”
Naik argues that such militants would also be ardent followers of Prophet Muhammad but that cannot mean that Islam preaches violence.
“Such a person would be a hardcore fan of Prophet Muhammad. Does that mean Prophet Muhammad told him to kill people?” Naik asked.
