Zakir Naik courts fresh controversy, equates single women to prostitutes

“With his venomous utterances in Pakistan recently, Zakir Naik is a classic case of misogyny disguised as religious preaching,” said Dr. Abraham Mathai, former Vice-Chairman of Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, in a statement on Oct.10.

He said Naik has insulted women not only in Pakistan but womanhood across the world and his inability to see women as human beings that exist outside of the institution of marriage was abhorrent.

Pointing out that women deserve to have freedom, independence, and have the ability to make choices, including the choice of marriage, Mathai, also Chairman at Mumbai-based NGO Harmony Foundation, said their choice does not make them prostitutes.

“This fugitive Islamic preacher is tainting the name of other Muslims all around the world and should be condemned by sane Muslims across the world,” he said.

Such an incendiary and destructive person promoting strife and contention through radical Islam should be reined on with immediate effect, as he has the potential to ruin the youth with the destructive and extremist ideologies, Mathai noted.

He said Naik with his same vitriolic diatribe and invectives had caused radicalized youths to kill innocent people in the Holey Artisan Bakery in 2016 and he was a wanted man by the Bangladeshi police. “Because of this he cannot enter Bangladesh, a Muslim country,” Mathia said.

“His presence in Malaysia is indicative of the Government embracing his destructive ideology of Islamic extremism and to prove otherwise, the Government of Malaysia should expel him with immediate effect to make their stand known on matters of extremism and radicalism.”

Mathai also said Malaysian women should compel their government to deport him immediately.

Since 2017, Naik has been residing in Malaysia, where he continues to deliver lectures and sermons.

He was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by the previous administration led by Mahathir Mohamad.

Critics argue that his teachings promote an intolerant interpretation of Islam, often misrepresenting religious texts and contributing to the radicalization of young Muslims.