Why India wants to arrest the star of Islamic TV channel

Facebook follows him 16 million people, and 150,000 on Twitter. He held more than 4,000 lectures on Islam worldwide. But Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, a popular television preacher of Islam, are now looking for the Indian government.

The problem arose last summer, when the authorities in Bangladesh said that one of the attackers at the cafe in the capital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, during which the people killed 22 people, was inspired by Zakir Naik. Bangladesh has responded by banning Peace TV, an Islamic channel which aired from Dubai and that Naik founded in 2006 and from which claim to have seen 100 million people worldwide. Fifty Naik said that he did not support violence and has published a video in which he said: "The killing of innocent people is the second greatest sin in Islam."

However, in November, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a formal police complaint against the Naika and non-profit Foundation for Islamic Research (IRF), located in Mumbai, which he founded in 1991, accusing him of engaging in illegal activities and promoting religious hatred. The nationalist Hindu government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded by imposing a five-year ban on the operation of the IDF on the basis of India's anti-terrorist laws.

"The illegal, unjustified, unfounded '

Naikov lawyer Mubeen Solkar told Al Jazeera that he would "appeal the ban before the appropriate court." "We have sufficient grounds to show that the ban was not only illegal but also unjustified and unfounded," he added. Indian law enforcement agencies, which investigates economic crimes, accused the IDF of money laundering and closed this foundation in Mumbai. This educational foundation, led Naik, also disabled to receive funds from abroad. Solkar argued that his client was not involved in money laundering. "All transactions are made through banks and all the funds came legal ways," he said.

"There is nothing to indicate that any amount represents the proceeds of the crime, which is a requirement under the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering." Where Naik now? In fact, he did not return to India from July last year. It is not known where he is currently, although in recent months gave interviews and organized a press conference via Skype from Saudi Arabia, which was awarded one of the largest state awards for his "work for Islam." There are rumors that he received Saudi citizenship, but this information was not officially confirmed.

He offered the Indian authorities to investigate means of videoconferencing, but the authorities have refused this and earlier this month have turned to Interpol, the international police organization, seeking to arrest him and return to India. Naik this as a broader plan of the government of India. In September, before the indictment and the introduction of the ban, Naik has written an open letter in which he said: "This is not just an attack on me, this is an attack on the Indian Muslims. This is an attack on peace, democracy and justice."

In an open letter, which was sent after the indictment and the ban has written: "It is planned to ban me and IRF-in ... It is now proven that the decision to ban work in IRF made a few months ago and it was a joint decision. before the investigation, even before they are committed to reports, it was decided to ban. is it because of my religion or any other reason is not important. the important thing is that my work in the past 25 years - completely legal work - forbidden. And this is the unluckiest thing for this country. "

'Media persecution'

Naikov view is shared by many within the Indian Muslim community, whose members attacked the far-right Hindu groups linked to the ruling party Modi's BJP. Kashif-ul-Huda editor of the site TwoCircles.net , which focussed on the problems of Muslims in India. He believes that Naik was attacked because he is a Muslim. "Some of the statements Zakir Naik are troubled, and his confrontational style, but he never called for violence. His lectures are always open character and recordings are available," says Kashif-ul-Huda.

"If such a person can pursue Indian media without any evidence, imagine what happens to ordinary mortals that arrest on the basis of false accusations," he added, referring to the large number of cases when Muslims detained on charges of terrorism that would later reveal that innocent . But a spokesman for the BJP's Nalin Kohli rejected accusations of bias and said: "The Indian legal system is known for its impartiality. It might be slow, but eventually everyone gets justice." "India does not seek confirmation of the secular identity of Naika, who is a fugitive," added Kohli.

Solkar, Naikov lawyer, said that his client had committed no offense anti-terrorist laws. Six months after the filing of criminal charges Solkar said that "the court of the National Investigation Agency has not been charged." But Kohli from BJP's said that the charges and evidence against Naika "significant". "That he spoke in support of the organizations involved in the gruesome terror documented and available," he added. "If he did not do anything wrong, there is nothing to fear. But if you escape, will only launch new questions about their behavior and evidence against him." Indian authorities had previously accused Naika that affected the young people in the state of Kerala in southern India to join the group Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). But Naik has rejected these accusations and criticized ISIL, saying it was "anti-Islamic state".

controversy

The doctor who became a television preacher controversial figure since the early 1990s. Naik insists that his work as preachers, the person who calls in faith, allowed by the Constitution, which allows every citizen to follow and propagate their faith. But the question of conversion is still controversial in several countries there are antikonverzijski laws. Some have accused Naika that used sectarian language, but on youtube set a video that parodied and ridiculed his, as critics called them "illogical arguments". There are media reports that at a public speech he called on all Muslims to become terrorists - a statement for which Naik says he was taken out of context.

He was denied a visa for the UK and Canada, and Malaysia has banned his lectures. Hindraf, a Malaysian Minority Rights Group, seeking to Malaysia cancels Naikovo permanent residence in this country. Mohammad Reyaz, who teaches communications at the University of Aliah in Kolkata, explains that Naik started preaching Islam at a time when India observed increase in the number of extreme right-wing Hindu groups. Baburova medieval mosque in Ayodhya was destroyed in 1992 a mob of Hindu nationalists, who wanted to build a temple in its place. At the forefront of the movement for the construction of the temple was Lal Krishna Advani, who at one time was a mentor to Prime Minister Modi.

Mumbai, Naikov hometown, devastated it in religious riots after the demolition of the mosque, which is across the country killed 1,700 people, mostly Muslims. "During the nineties, after the demolition of Babur mosque, Muslims felt betrayed and abandoned. The traditional clerics at that time - and even today - they looked quite incompatible with the time," explained Reyaz.

"Naik has filled a vacuum in leadership and overnight become a messiah for young Muslims who are looking for a way to move away. He not only gave them the answer to all Islamophobic issues that the Muslims have daily face already provided them and the newly acquired self-confidence in their personality. " Reyaz explains that Naik popular among young and educated Muslims due to the fact that the "eloquent, speaks English and wearing a suit."

In 2009 he launched the channel Peace TV Urdu, in April 2011. The channel Peace TV Bangla. Channel Peace TV banned in 2012 earlier Indian government led by the Congress Party, a center-left party. Indian intelligence agencies have become tired of Peace TV because propagate Wahhabi school of Islam. "Being Naik was the face of the brand of Islam in India, became an easy target," explained Reyaz.

"Islamophobia has reached the stage when all conservative Muslims are viewed as potential terrorists; the difference between conservatism and extremism has become blurred."

• 31 May, 2017
• 1669 views