It would be ironic for any country to host someone who openly encourages terrorist attacks and makes public speeches that incite hatred against other religions.
Updated: Wed, 11/23/22 at 12:32pm
Qatar’s invitation to fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik to give a religious lecture at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is deeply regrettable. In doing so, Doha ended up just ruining the spirit of the biggest sporting event ever. A radical preacher who is also facing money laundering and hate speech charges in India has been barred from international sporting events. Indeed, it would be ironic for any country to host someone who openly encourages terrorist attacks and makes public speeches that incite hatred against other religions. Qatar’s move is not only wrong and insensitive, but also provocative. It sends wrong message not only to India but also to international community.
The presence of this radical preacher undermines the spirit of this beautiful game and goes against the core values of ecumenism and oneness that the popular football tournament seeks to represent. In 2016, the Federal Ministry of the Interior declared the Islamic Studies Foundation founded by Zakir Naik an illegal association and banned it for five years. The MHA notification stated that Naik’s remarks were offensive as he had been glorifying known terrorists. Naik was also found to have promoted the forced conversion of young people to Islam, defended suicide bombings and made offensive and derogatory comments against Hindus, Hindu deities and other religions. Naik’s “Peace TV” network was even banned in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Among India’s most wanted men, Naik fled to Malaysia, where he had permanent residency but was banned from giving religious speeches for inciting hatred in the country. He is also suspected of influencing the perpetrators of the Colombo and Dhaka bombings. There is overwhelming evidence that Naik continues to reach out to his followers in India by disseminating his teachings via video and delivering provocative speeches and lectures through various social media channels. Doha’s decision to give him a platform at one of the biggest sporting events is interesting, given the controversy surrounding him and his vicious record of inflammatory statements.
India is expected to raise the issue at the diplomatic level, expressing its outrage. Sponsoring entities that pride themselves on inciting terror and declaring their intentions should generate a broader response. The international community must work together to stop the spread of religious hatred. Authoritative voices around the world need to let the host nation know the disappointment. India must continue its efforts to extradite Naik and bring him to justice under its own laws. At the same time, the country’s political and judicial systems must ensure that action against hate speech is non-negotiable and religiously neutral.
