No plans to return to India soon, says Zakir Naik
Preacher rejects terror charges, claims videos are tampered.
Mumbai: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Friday said that he denounces terrorism, but suicide bombing can be used as a tactic in wars. In his press interaction via video conferencing, Mr Naik refuted allegations of promoting terrorism and claimed that his “doctored” and “edited” video clips are shown out of context to malign him.
He also said that the fanatical forces are getting more powerful after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre. Answering a question on suicide bombing, Mr Naik said most Islamic scholars say it is prohibited in all cases, but there are some scholars who say that if suicide bombing is used as a strategy of war it is permitted.
“Almost all the times I made it very clear that as far as Islam is concerned suicide bombings used for terrorist attacks and killing innocent human beings is totally prohibited in the Quran,” he said.
“I make it very evident that suicide bombing used for killing any innocent human being, for any terrorist attack is prohibited in Islam, but I also went on to say, some of the times not all the times that if it is used as a strategy of war, with the permission of the army chief, it can be permitted,” Mr Naik added.
Addressing a press conference from Madina in Saudi Arabia, Mr Naik said he has no plans to return India this year. He also made a reference to the 2002 Gujarat riots. “If I had been a member of the ruling party or the information and broadcasting minister, I would have pulled up all those people (the media) who have been targeting a messenger of peace (himself). But the present government remains silent,” he said.
“Prime Minister Modi was banned in more countries than I am. But just because he won the elections, the situation for him has changed. See the Gujarat riots...So many cases have been filed against him. But nobody will ask him anything because he is the Prime Minister,” he added. Mr Naik alleged that he is a victim of media trial and no Indian agency has approached him to inquire about allegations of “influencing” the terrorists responsible for Dhaka attack .