Failure to prove Zakir Naik's 'terror links' has left police looking foolish

[Zarvan]

POLITICS
| 5-minute read | 19-07-2016

SAHIL JOSHI
@sahiljoshii

Islamic televangelist Zakir Naik has become a headache for the investigating agencies. Because the police simply don't know how to pin him down.

It has been a week and the Mumbai Police is yet to submit its report on the investigation ordered by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after the media went all-out against Naik for his allegedly inspiring the terrorists who attacked a Dhaka cafe earlier this month.

Naik is not unfamiliar to the people of Mumbai, who have been seeing full-page ads of his peace conferences in Mumbai newspapers since many years.

Also read: Key takeaways from Zakir Naik's press conference

The 50-year-old Naik is an Islamic orator and founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation. He runs a channel for Islamic teachings called Peace TV which is banned in India as it doesn't have down linking licence from the ministry of information and broadcasting.

He is a qualified medical practitioner whose studies include the Shrutis and Smritis, Bible and Quran.

Sources in the ATS say that they couldn't get any evidence or clues which could prove Naik's role in tutoring terrorists.
He speaks English fluently and dresses in a three-piece suit with a tie. He had shot to fame with his videos of debates with Hindu spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and with talks on the similarities between Hinduism and Islam. Naik courted controversy when he reportedly said that every Muslim should be a terrorist.

He had also argued that any religion other than Islam was not worth practising. Some of these extremely offensive quotes can be found on the Peace TV website. Naik is banned from the UK and Canada for his hate speeches against religions other than Islam.

Also read: Don't go by what Arnab says, labelling Zakir Naik a 'terror mastermind' is ridiculous

When cornered by the media, Naik said that he was quoted out of context. However, his statements have landed him in trouble earlier and Mumbai Police had booked him for hurting the public sentiment.

What's worse, his statements have not only earned him the wrath of people from religions other than Islam, but those from various sects of Islam have also been annoyed by his views, especially those on Karbala.

But all said and done, the police and investigating agencies haven't been able to find a terror angle in his speeches, nor have they been able to establish that Naik has links with terrorist organisations.

Also read: Why even Islamic clerics love to hate Zakir Naik

Only twice have the investigating agencies raised eyebrows on him on the terror front - first when one of the men working for the Islamic Research Foundation was arrested in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case but then later let off by the ATS, and then when Feroz Abdul Latif Ghaswala, arrested by the Delhi special cell in April 2006 with RDX, told the Mumbai Police that he had attended Naik's programme at Srinagar and then searched for militant contacts which would help him in joining militancy.

But sources in the ATS say that they couldn't get any evidence or clues which could prove Naik's role in tutoring terrorists.

"There are three stages through which fresh terror recruits goes through," said a senior ATS officer, "first he meets radical preachers who makes the young man sensitive towards religion, then the peers make the youngster an extremist and when he gets in touch with crime he becomes a terrorist or joins a terrorist organisation."

The officer felt that Naik's speeches had the potential to radicalise young minds but for any agency it's very difficult to pinpoint how his speeches or preaching can turn the person into a terrorist.

Naik himself in his press conference has tried to challenge the media on this front saying, "I challenge the media to give me proof that I am supporting violence. The Quran says if you kill one man you kill the world."

His action-packed press conference last week suits his style of presenting himself. Rather than coming to Mumbai amidst the controversy he chose to speak via Skype from Medina. He wanted to play a victim of media campaign against him as he knew that this would earn him a few thousand more followers.

He bashed the media saying that it is making a terrorist out of him. It has been a few days now but investigating agencies are yet to find anything against him which will link him to terrorism.

The Mumbai Police have been studying his speeches and some officers have also questioned the funding of Peace TV and the Union home ministry has already begun an investigation into this.

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Satyapal Singh has alleged that he had submitted his report on Naik to the then Congress-NCP government but it didn't act on the report.

However, he is silent on no action being taken by the new government against Naik even after ten days and on why despite his old report, chief minister Fadnavis has had to come up with new investigation orders.

Those sects among the Muslims who oppose Naik and his preaching think that this controversy will find him new followers.

Despite so many allegations in the media, Naik has clearly said that he had no plans to come to India at least for the next one year as he was an NRI and operated from the Middle East.

But his last statement before ending the five-hour-long press conference has a direct question for the Mumbai Police and those who want him to be pinned down as a preacher of terrorism.

"I am proud to be an Indian Muslim... I believe in the Indian Constitution. If the agencies are saying I am a terrorist, then why are they not arresting me?"

Surely, the agencies are trying their best to answer him through their investigation report.


#Mumbai Police, #Terrorism, #Zakir Naik


http://www.dailyo.in/politics/zakir...dra-fadnavis-mumbai-police/story/1/11859.html

@Water Car Engineer @MilSpec @nair @SarthakGanguly @hinduguy @Hindustani78 @OrionHunter

 

[Nilgiri]

And right on time:

https://defence.pk/threads/zakir-naiks-aide-arrested-for-recruiting-youths-for-is.440485/

Zakir Naik's 'aide' arrested for recruiting youths for IS!

 

[JanjaWeed]

Looks like section of #presstitutes are in bit of a hurry to give clean chit to this Zakir Nalayak!
Picture abhi bhi baaki hai dost..aage aage dekho hota hai kya...

Maharashtra, Kerala cops arrest Zakir Naik's 'aide' for recruiting youths for IS!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...uiting-youths-for-IS/articleshow/53328648.cms

 

[DesiGuy1403]

This mad guy is not coming back to India - Anyone wants to bet on this fact?

Next step is to confiscate all his and his organizations property.

 

[Crixus]

He is an innocent muslim preacher who is harassed by Hindu Baniyas

Why not Pakistan offer him honorary citizenship like Dawood Ibrahim

 

[Pandora]

I dare India to hang him considering that he has die hard followers it will in return incite more terrorism. Take a hint from Hassena and how Bangladesh is boiling bcz of her witch hunt. I doubt they will ever be able to link him to any terror activity in the first place. This entire facade is to stop his message of Islam to people and considering how many he converted hindus might be having a inferiority complex.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

To be honest, there are more radical preachers in Kerala than Naik. But the governments over there, bend on all fours to appease them. Law and order is a state problem and central agencies can do nothing about it.

This guy twists facts of other religion to give Islam a good name. His example of Krishna is an fine example of bigotry. He argues for a pure strain of Islam. Most of the muslim orgs in the North are against him cos he gets the funds intended for them. He knows his words can get him in jail. He does uses multi meaning words.

 

[ito]

I dare India to hang him considering that he has die hard followers it will in return incite more terrorism. Take a hint from Hassena and how Bangladesh is boiling bcz of her witch hunt. I doubt they will ever be able to link him to any terror activity in the first place. This entire facade is to stop his message of Islam to people and considering how many he converted hindus might be having a inferiority complex.

India don't hang people like Pakistan or Saudi Arabia just like that. Even people who are on death row, never get hanged. In last 5 years there were only three death sentences carried out.

On topic, it will be hard to prove terror links to Zakir Naik. He is not a terrorist but a terror evangelist. But one think for sure he is never going to set foot in India again. If he sets foot he is for lots and lots of trouble.

 

[Pandora]

India don't hang people like Pakistan or Saudi Arabia just like that. Even people who are on death row, never get hanged. In last 5 years there were only three death sentences carried out.

On topic, it will be hard to prove terror links to Zakir Naik. He is not a terrorist but a terror evangelist. But one think for sure he is never going to set foot in India again. If he sets foot he is for lots and lots of trouble.

Peace TV will still be watched by those want to watch it. From my own personal experience i know that more people try to bury something the more prominent it becomes in future. No one force people to watch Peace TV as it is a personal choice of people who admire it. Putting a ban on Peace TV will not stop it from being watched across the globe. People will try to access on internet you tube and many other sources. Nowadays no one can stop flow of information unless people themselves reject it but that is definitely not the case here.

 

[Crixus]

Take him in last fortress of Islam he belongs to Pakistan more then India ..... such Jokers are required for entertainmen ...better India give him to Bangladesh and they will hang him like they are hanging Jamatis

Its best India can do to him gift him to Bangladesh ...he is a big disgrace to Indian muslims

I dare India to hang him considering that he has die hard followers it will in return incite more terrorism. Take a hint from Hassena and how Bangladesh is boiling bcz of her witch hunt. I doubt they will ever be able to link him to any terror activity in the first place. This entire facade is to stop his message of Islam to people and considering how many he converted hindus might be having a inferiority complex.

 

[HAIDER]

He seems the most dangerous person living on earth. He preach Islam with full authority, which is the most dangerous act of preaching.

 

[Nilgiri]

He seems the most dangerous person living on earth. He preach Islam with full authority, which is the most dangerous act of preaching.

If he kept his topics to fully within Islam, it wouldn't be such an issue....along with being careful of what he says about terrorism. Lots of his videos I actually learnt a lot about Islam just for my curiousity...so he could have definitely made a choice to make a positive uplifiting and internalised style format of program.

Instead he prefers to feed a lot out of people's emotions to feel above other human beings (while preaching equality in theory) and also their suspicions and raw hate sometimes even.

So he drags every other religion to compare in his distorted brash way full of errors and half-truths and lack of context.....so that he can degrade them to prop up Islam to his audience. Plus he loudly proclaims sympathies for terrorism as long the target is "valid". These are choices he made, and he really cannot backtrack now or disown his own earlier comments and format.

That is not a sustainable approach for Muslims living in multi-cultural environments. Hate and superiority complex begets more hate and superiority complex....and that is destructive for everyone.

Thats why several leading mainstream clerics and the Indian Shia minority in general are very much against him and their voices are becoming more prominent now.

I am not even going into the recent news that has developed that one of his organisations aides has been arrested and charged with funding ISIS. There may be more to it than meets the eye with peacetv and zakir naik.

 

[HAIDER]

If he kept his topics to fully within Islam, it wouldn't be such an issue....along with being careful of what he says about terrorism. Lots of his videos I actually learnt a lot about Islam just for my curiousity...so he could have definitely made a choice to make a positive uplifiting and internalised style format of program.

Instead he prefers to feed a lot out of people's emotions to feel above other human beings (while preaching equality in theory) and also their suspicions and raw hate sometimes even.

So he drags every other religion to compare in his distorted brash way full of errors and half-truths and lack of context.....so that he can degrade them to prop up Islam to his audience. Plus he loudly proclaims sympathies for terrorism as long the target is "valid". These are choices he made, and he really cannot backtrack now or disown his own earlier comments and format.

That is not a sustainable approach for Muslims living in multi-cultural environments. Hate and superiority complex begets more hate and superiority complex....and that is destructive for everyone.

Thats why several leading mainstream clerics and the Indian Shia minority in general are very much against him and their voices are becoming more prominent now.

I am not even going into the recent news that has developed that one of his organisations aides has been arrested and charged with funding ISIS. There may be more to it than meets the eye with peacetv and zakir naik.

He convert from Hindu to Muslim ?

 

[Zarvan]

If he kept his topics to fully within Islam, it wouldn't be such an issue....along with being careful of what he says about terrorism. Lots of his videos I actually learnt a lot about Islam just for my curiousity...so he could have definitely made a choice to make a positive uplifiting and internalised style format of program.

Instead he prefers to feed a lot out of people's emotions to feel above other human beings (while preaching equality in theory) and also their suspicions and raw hate sometimes even.

So he drags every other religion to compare in his distorted brash way full of errors and half-truths and lack of context.....so that he can degrade them to prop up Islam to his audience. Plus he loudly proclaims sympathies for terrorism as long the target is "valid". These are choices he made, and he really cannot backtrack now or disown his own earlier comments and format.

That is not a sustainable approach for Muslims living in multi-cultural environments. Hate and superiority complex begets more hate and superiority complex....and that is destructive for everyone.

Thats why several leading mainstream clerics and the Indian Shia minority in general are very much against him and their voices are becoming more prominent now.

I am not even going into the recent news that has developed that one of his organisations aides has been arrested and charged with funding ISIS. There may be more to it than meets the eye with peacetv and zakir naik.

That's is where I agree with you only thing Zakir Naik needs to stop doing is stop debating with other religions, just focus on preaching Quran and Sunnah. He needs to realize that he is not living in a Muslim majority country but a non Muslim majority country, so he needs to keep his focus on spreading teachings of Quran and Sunnah and should avoid debate with other religions.

 

[Nilgiri]

He convert from Hindu to Muslim ?

As far as I know he was born in a Mumbai to a Muslim family.