“Had Muslim rulers forced, non-Muslims would not have been alive”: says controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik

Zakir Naik, the controversial Islamic preacher and Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) founder has said that Muslims living in India had more freedom to practice their religion than any other non-Muslim country.

“Generally for Muslims in India, it is very close to living in a Muslim country. They have full rights and it is perfectly permissible to live there. A close example of a place (where Muslims get similar privileges) is Singapore,” the preacher said in his YouTube channel.

“Singapore was separated out of Malaysia where two-thirds of the population are Muslims. After separation, Muslims constitute 20-30 per cent of the population in Singapore, which too has Muslim personal law like India. But freedom in India is much more than Singapore,” said Naik.

There are a few more non-Muslim countries like Mauritius where Muslim personal law is followed. But India is among the best non-Muslim nations for Muslims, the IRF founder, said.

“India is a very safe place for Muslims. Only after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, problems started. Previously, Muslims had to face only minor problems,” Naik added.

“(In Western nations) you cannot have more than one wife, nikah is not valid, divorce according to Sharia is not allowed and neither can you openly practice Islam as in India,” said the preacher. “I left India only four years ago. For 24 years, I did dawa (Islamic missionary work) openly and got large audiences,” Naik said.

The preacher said India was ruled for 1,000 years by Muslims that resulted in 40 per cent of the population being Muslims. “Had Muslim rulers forced, non-Muslims would not have been alive. It was the British who divided the country and people,” he said.

“For Muslims, they have separate Muslim personal law. Even today, India is secular. India is a unique case,” the preacher said.