Facing heat, Zakir Naik posts video condemning all forms of terrorism'
New Delhi: Facing flak from the Indian government for his alleged ‘hate speeches’, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik posted a video condemning the Dhaka attack on his official Facebook page on Friday.
“The Quran says that if anyone kills any other human being, whether he is a Muslim or non-Muslim, it is as though he has killed the whole of humanity. And if anyone saves any other human being, it is as though he has saved the whole of the nation. The Quran, Islam, as well as myself, condemn all acts of terrorism, where innocent human beings are killed, including the one that took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh on the 1st of July, 2016," Zakir Naik said from the Islamic holy city of Mecca.
"If anyone tries to justify that killing innocent human beings Islamic, he is speaking against the Quran, and the authentic sayings and the hadiths of Prophet Mohammed,” he added.
A video grab from the post uploaded in Facebook by Zakir Naik
Zakir Naik found himself in the eye of the storm after it emerged that one of the Dhaka attackers had cited a speech by Naik and said that he was inspired by sermons of the 50-year-old Mumbai-based Islamic scholar.
However, Zakir Naik asserted that his speech on Islam and terror have been taken out of context and claimed he had only said Muslims should terrorise anti-social elements.
Following hue and cry to ban Naik and his speeches in the country, the Home Ministry on Thursday assured that there would be a probe into Niak’s speeches, and that necessary action would be taken.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed the Mumbai police commissioner to investigate and submit a report on Naik. An official from the home department confirmed the development that the chief minister has told the city commissioner to investigate the preacher.
