The Union Government informed a UAPA tribunal that Islamist preacher Zakir Naik, “despite leaving for Malaysia in 2016,” continues to reach out to his followers promoting hatred and ill-will between different religious communities, forcible conversion of youth to Islam and make derogatory statements against the Hindu, Hindu Gods and other religions.
Indian agencies have been trying to get a red notice by Interpol against him for the past seven years.
Extension of ban
In November 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the ban on Naik’s NGO- the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), by another five years. The IRF was first declared an unlawful association in 2016 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after a terror attack in Bangladesh.
The order upheld by the UAPA tribunal and published in the Gazette of India on March 30 said that “the speeches of Dr. Zakir Naik, were objectionable as he has been extolling known terrorists, proclaiming that every Muslim should be a terrorist and promoting forcible conversion of the youth to Islam, justifying the suicide bombings, posting objectionable comments against Hindu, Hindu’s God and other religions which are derogatory to other religions and further inspiring the Muslim youth and terrorists in India and abroad to commit terrorist acts.”
It further said, “Furthermore, the unlawful activities of IRF, its members as well as its sympathizers were noticed in States of Gujarat, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra and Odisha”.
IRF’s contention
The IRF told the tribunal that it was a registered charitable public trust with pious and virtuous objects and that it had never indulged in any unlawful activity at any point of time. It stated that all allegations made by the Central government in the notification were either stale or vague and failed to demonstrate the registration of a case against Naik or for banning the IRF.
“The fact that the Central Government is of the opinion that the foundation should be continued to be banned after an earlier ban of 5 years, it ought to have referred to new material and facts pertaining to the period between 2016-2021 which reflected the requirement to ban the foundation again. The notification does not disclose any activity which may attract the provisions of the UAPA, 1967 or Sections 153-A or 153-B of the Indian Penal Code,” the IRF said.
The MHA submitted confidential reports in sealed covers to the tribunal detailing the activities of the IRF during the said period.
