Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's father passes away

Mumbai: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's father Abdul Karim Naik, a physician and educationist, passed away at his home in Mumbai early this morning after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 87.

"He suffered a cardiac arrest at 3.30 am at his home in Mazgaon and could not recover from that. Abdul had been keeping unwell from sometime. He was laid to rest at a graveyard in the same area," an associate of Zakir Naik said.

Born in Ratnagiri in coastal Maharashtra, Abdul Naik, a doctor, served as the president of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, a private organisation of mental health professionals, in 1994-95. He had also been active in the field of education.

Zakir Naik, who extended his stay abroad after running into controversy following allegations that some of those involved in the July terror attack in Dhaka drew inspiration from his speeches, is likely to visit the city soon to pay respects to his father, the associate said.

Asked about Zakir Naik skipping the funeral, his aide said, "He wasn't able to attend. It was too short a time. He will soon be here to pay respects to his father."

Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), too, is under the radar of security agencies and will be soon banned under the anti-terror law.

According to an official source in the Union Home Ministry, IRF will be declared an 'unlawful association' under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act after investigations by the Home Ministry found it to be allegedly having dubious links with Peace TV, an international Islamic channel accused of propagating terrorism.