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Why 'exiled' Dr Zakir Naik served a Rs 500-crore defamation notice against Arnab Goswami

The controversial preacher claims that Arnab Goswami 'damaged his reputation'.

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Arnab Goswami and Zakir Naik
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Zakir Naik has reportedly issued a defamation notice to anchor Arnab Goswami and Times Now seeking Rs 500 crore as compensation for damage to his reputation. The notice, dated July 16, was issued by Naik’s advocate Mubin Solkar alleging that Goswami in ‘The Newshour Debate’ made ‘false and defamatory statements’ against the preacher and in the process, ‘tarnished and damaged’ his reputation. In an interview on 15 July, Naik who is abroad said in a press conference that he was a ‘messenger of peace’ and that his comments ‘had been blown out of proportion’. 

In the defamation notice, Dr Zakir Naik’s lawyer blamed the channel, claiming charges such ‘‘promoting disharmony and feelings of hatred, enmity and ill-will between different religious groups and thereby, destroying the secular fabric of our country.”  The notice also adds: “Moreover you have also hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community which reveres (Naik) and holds him in high esteem.”

In the defamation notice, Dr Zakir Naik’s lawyer blamed the channel claiming charges such as ‘‘promoting disharmony and feelings of hatred, enmity and ill-will between different religious groups and thereby, destroying the secular fabric of our country.”  The notice also adds: ““Moreover you have also hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community which reveres (Naik) and holds him in high esteem.” 

In a press conference on July 15, Zakir Naik addressed the press through Skype and claimed his message was misrepresented. Stating that he is a "messenger of peace", Naik said, "Killing innocent people is prohibited in Islam and I condemn all terrorist attacks" and that he is a victim of media trial with his statements being blown out of context. Referring to the footage of some of his speeches shown by media following the Dhaka carnage, he said, "Indian media is running a trial against me because of unverified reports. Half sentences being shown, clips being doctored and statements being shown out of context to malign me." "It is unethical for the media to not take my answers on face value and doubt me. There are two thousand sentences in which I condemned terrorism...there may be ten sentences in which one may take out a double meaning...videos are being doctored for ulterior motives...," he said.

When asked about one of his speeches in which he said that suicide bombing is permitted by Islam, he said, "it is haram if innocent people are being killed. But, if suicide bombing is used as a tactic of war, then it may be permitted. For example, in World War II, Japan used suicide bombing as a tactic of war."

Who is Dr Zakir Naik?

A medical doctor by profession, Zakir Naik is a scholar on comparative religion and president of the Islamic Research Foundation and claims he brings clarity about Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims. Similar to the Christian televangelists in America, he owns Peace TV which he claims has a viewership of 100 million. The channel has been banned the Indian government in 2012 but the channel continues to be aired via local cable channels and is available in Dubai as well.

Naik studied MBBS in the Topiwala Medical College and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital in Mumbai and was reportedly inspired by South African Islamic preacher Ahmed Deedat. Naik operates out of Dongri where he runs the establishment known as the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). One of his most controversial comment on terrorism includes: “When a robber sees a policeman he’s terrified. So for a robber, a policeman is a terrorist. So in this context, every Muslim should be a terrorist to the robber.” He has also maintained that the 9/11 attack was an inside job and doesn’t believe Osama Bin Laden was a terrorist. He was quoted saying:

“Beware of Muslims saying Osama Bin Laden is right or wrong. I reject them … we don’t know. “But if you ask my view, if given the truth, if he is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him. I don’t know what he’s doing. I’m not in touch with him. I don’t know him personally. I read the newspaper.” The recent controversy surrounding his influence on the Dhaka terrorists saw him deny his influence and he will be back in India on July 11.

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