Page 31 - NGO (No.3)

ZAKIR NAIK
In 1991 he started working in the field of Dawah,
and founded the Islamic Research Foundation
(IRF). Naik said in 2006, that he was inspired by
Ahmed Deedat, an Islamic preacher, having met
him in 1987. (Naik is sometimes referred to as
“Deedat Plus”, a label given to him by Deedat
himself.)
Naik founded the Islamic International School in
Mumbai. and United Islamic Aid, which provides
scholarship to poor and destitute Muslim youth.
The Islamic Research Foundation website de-
scribes Naik as “the ideologue and driving force
behind Peace TV Network”.
LECTURES AND DEBATES
Naik has held many debates and lectures around
the world. Anthropologist Thomas Blom Hansen
has written that Naik’s style of memorising the
Quran and Hadith literature in various languages,
and his related missionary activity, has made him
extremely popular in Muslim circles. Many of his
debates are recorded and widely distributed in
video and DVD media and online.
Zakir Naik (born 18 October 1965 in
Mumbai, India) is an Indian Islamic His talks have been recorded in English and
preacher, who has been called an broadcast on weekends on several cable net-
“authority on comparative religion”, works in Mumbai’s Muslim neighbourhoods, and
on the Peace TV channel, which he co-produces.
“perhaps the most influential Salafi Topics he speaks on include: “Islam and Modern
ideologue in India”, and “the world’s Science”, “Islam and Christianity”, and “Islam and
leading Salafi evangelist”. Secularism”. The Indian government banned the
Peace TV channel in 2012. According to the New
He is the founder and president of the Islamic York Times quoting an anonymous Indian jour-
Research Foundation (IRF), and founder of the nalist, the Mumbai police have barred him from
“comparative religion” Peace TV channel, through holding conferences in recent years “because he
which he reaches a reported 100 million viewers. stirs controversy”, and Indian satellite providers
Unlike many Islamic preachers, his lectures are have refused to broadcast his television channel,
colloquial, given in English, not Urdu or Arabic, Peace TV.
and he wears a suit and tie rather than traditional
garb. In April 2000, Naik debated with William Campbell
in Chicago on the topic of “The Qur’an and the
Before becoming a public speaker, he trained Bible: In the Light of Science”, one of his most-
as a medical doctor. He has published booklet cited debates. On 21 January 2006 Naik held an
versions of lectures on Islam and comparative inter-religious dialogue with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
religion. Although he has publicly disclaimed in Bangalore about the concept of God in Islam
sectarianism in Islam, he is regarded by some as and Hinduism. In February 2011 Naik addressed
an exponent of the Salafi ideology, and, by some, the Oxford Union via video link from India. Every
as a radical Islamic televangelist propagating year since November 2007 Naik has led a 10-day
Wahhabism. Peace Conference at Somaiya Ground, Sion,
Mumbai. Lectures on Islam have been presented
Zakir Naik was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, In- by Naik and twenty other Islamic speakers.
dia. He attended Kishinchand Chellaram College
and studied medicine at Topiwala National Med- CRITICISM
ical College & BYL Nair Charitable Hospital and In The Wall Street Journal, Sadanand Dhume
later the University of Mumbai, where he obtained criticised Naik for recommending the death pen-
a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). alty for homosexuals and for apostasy from the

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