Zakir Naik's sermons gateway to terror: Forum

Muslim activists yesterday denounced controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik, who is said to have influenced one of the five Bangladeshi militants who hacked to death 22 persons in a Dhaka café on July 1. They pushed the envelope further by demanding government action against all preachers of hate.

Read Story: Terror and 'peace': The Zakir Naik saga so far

(From left) Activists Irfan Engineer, Noorjehan Niaz, Zeenat Shaukhat Ali, Javed Anand, Feroze Mithiborwala and Kapil Patil speak at length on Dr Zakir Naik's ‘toxic theology'. Pic/Bipin Kokate

At a conference at the Press Club, Mumbai-based forum, Muslims for Secularism and Democracy, condemned the ‘toxic theology' of Naik.

A 10-minute documentary, which was a mix of Naik's speeches, was first screened in the packed room. Some snippets from it included Naik advising a youngster not to wish his friend ‘Merry Christmas', explaining why certain Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia do not allow the building of churches and temples while Muslims are free to build mosques in any part of the world "because Islam is the only true religion," and panning music because it "takes one on the wrong path".

Post-screening, activist Feroze Mithiborwala said Naik "taunts other religions" and he "may be the first step in some getting influenced to join terror groups like the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)."

For civil rights activist Javed Anand, "Naik is no messenger of peace. Never mind his Peace TV channel, he is peddling the gateway to terror."

MLC Kapil Patil said preachers of hate of every denomination "speak the same language". He then drew parallels between Dr Jayant Athavale, founder of right-wing Sanatan Sanstha, and Naik. Citing verses from the Quran, Zeenat Shaukhat Ali, professor of Islamic studies, claimed that "the Prophet is all-merciful and he would never tell anyone to kill another." Women's rights activist Noorjehan Niaz said Naik advocates that "men can have a wife and a sex slave" and it is time "we reclaim our religion from these hands and stand up for equality and justice."

An angry man in the audience questioned Niaz about why she did not denounce Sadhvi Pragya (2008 Malegaon blast accused). He claimed that "she always spoke against Muslims. As a woman, did you denounce her?" When Niaz answered that she has always stood for the dignity of women, he pressed on: "But, did you denounce her?"

Then, Irfan Engineer, director of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism who was also on the dais, made a case that this was a struggle against "hate-filled times."

At the following interactive session, questions were raised on why Naik has come to the fore now considering that he has been giving sermons for over 20 years. The forum responded that it had been opposing him for years.

The speakers claimed that they "were not surprised by support for the preacher, as the issue was political."

Winding up the session, the speakers explained that Naik's Wahabi-Salafist stream of Islam, as practised in Saudi Arabia, is "rigid and extremely puritanical."