Source:
https://scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3023644/malaysia-bans-controversial-indian-muslim-preacher-zakir
Asia/ Southeast Asia

Indian Muslim preacher Zakir Naik banned from public speaking in Malaysia

  • Police received more than 100 complaints over his remarks questioning loyalty of minority Hindus and saying ethnic Chinese are guests in Malaysia
  • Naik says his words were taken out of context by detractors
Preacher Zakir Naik arrives at police headquarters for questioning in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Photo: AP

Police said on Tuesday that an Indian Muslim preacher, wanted in India for alleged money laundering and hate speech, has been banned from public activities after racial slurs in his recent speeches sparked outrage in Malaysia.

Zakir Naik was grilled a second time by police on Monday for 10 hours after they received more than 100 complaints over remarks he made questioning the loyalty of minority Hindus and saying that ethnic Chinese are guests in Malaysia.

Police spokesman Asmawati Ahmad said all public activities involving Naik are banned to “avoid any controversy and hostility and the potential to cause a tense atmosphere” in the multi-ethnic country.

She said police will advise all parties organising public talks involving Naik to halt the events.

A man looks at a Zakir Naik video on YouTube in Jakarta in February. Photo: Agoes Rudianto
A man looks at a Zakir Naik video on YouTube in Jakarta in February. Photo: Agoes Rudianto

Race is a sensitive issue in Malaysia, where ethnic Malay Muslims make up about two-thirds of its 32 million people, with large Chinese and Indian minorities.

The government has been reluctant to deport Naik, citing concerns for his safety, but Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said over the weekend that Zakir overstepped his boundaries and action will be taken based on police investigations.

Naik, 53, is an Islamic evangelist who has lived in Malaysia since he was granted permanent residency status in 2016. He has previously been banned from speaking in Britain, Canada and Bangladesh for his hard-line religious views.

He founded a satellite television channel, Peace TV, in 2006 that is broadcast from Dubai and claims to have more than 200 million viewers worldwide.

The channel was banned in India and Bangladesh in 2016 for allegedly inspiring a terror attack in Dhaka that killed 22 people.

Naik said on Tuesday that his words had been taken out of context by his detractors and apologised for the misunderstanding. He said he was against racism, calling it “evil”.