Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is wanted in India, has said that he has not broken any law and was being targeted by the “enemies of Islam. Zakir Naik is facing charges of money laundering and hate speech in India, where authorities last year said he has been promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India through public speeches and lectures.
The preacher has been living in Malaysia, where he has permanent residency since India started investigating him, but he has kept a low profile over the past year amid criticism that he is a threat to peace in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Naik said in a late speech in Kangar, capital of the north Malaysian state of Perlis, that he had never broken any Indian law.
But because I was spreading peace, I was giving solution for humanity, all the people who don’t like peace to prevail, they don’t like me, he said, adding he was being targeted because of his work to spread Islam. This doesn’t go down (well with) the enemies of Islam. Be it western countries or the country I was born in, India.
Naik has been controversial because of his puritan brand of Islam – recommending the death penalty for homosexuals and those who abandon Islam as their faith, according to media reports.
The preacher was known to be close to officials in the previous Malaysian administration, which was unexpectedly defeated in a May general election. New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in July said as long as Naik was not creating any problems in Malaysia, he would not be deported. Indian media has reported that India has sought his extradition.
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