Zakir Naik, the controversial Islamic leader, has been invited by Qatar to give lectures during 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. Responding to him being in Qatar & evading Indian authorities since 2016, Union Mininister HS Puri said, "I'm sure India took it up and will take it up. But the point is he's a Malaysian national, you invite him somewhere, whether they knew I've no knowledge of that..."
Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament, Zakir Naik had reportedly gone to Qatar from Malaysia. Naik has been living in exile in Malaysia since 2017. The controversial preacher is reportedly expected to give religious lectures there during the football tournament.
Naik in India is facing charged of money laundering and hate speech and is wanted by both Enforcement Directorate and National Investigative Agency.
Abdulla Alamadi, a columnist and writer, took to Twitter and wrote, "Mashallah.. Dr Zakir Naik reached Qatar 🇶🇦 to attend FIFA World Cup. The Qatar 2022 attendees will have a golden opportunity to meet him face to face, while lecturing about Islam. His visiting to Qatar is a nice surprise among tens, still to come to surprise our guests."
Who is Zakir Naik?
Mumbai-born fugitive evangelist Naik fled India in the wake of 2016 Dhaka bombing and is accused of spreading hatred among communities through his Peace TV and social media networks; he is presently living in Malaysia.
Reportedly, Naik had shot to fame during the 1990s for his activities that evangelised Islam through Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). However within a decade his videos became a subject of debate as he attempted to establish that Islam is superior to other religions.
His IRF is also banned in under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by the Union government since 2016 and was later extended for five more years in 2021. He is accused of inspiring Muslim youths in India and abroad to commit terror acts.
The fugitive preacher fled after an accused in who bombed a café in Dhaka in 2016 said that he was inspired by Naik’s speeches. The attack killed over 20 including 17 foreigners.
Naik, who fled to Malaysia has a permanent residency there but is banned from making speeches there since 2020 in interests of 'national security'; meanwhile India is making efforts to extradite the fugitive preacher.
