Doha — Qatar has invited the radical preacher Dr. Zakir Naik, infamous for his endorsing views on suicide bombings, to teach the FIFA fans about Islam.
The famous ScreenMix entertainment magazine tweeted on Saturday, “Qatar invited the famous Islamic preacher Dr. Zakir Naik to deliver religious lectures during the 2022 World Cup”.
Qatari activist Dr. Abdullah Alamadi confirmed the presence of Dr. Naik, and tweeted, “Mashallah.. Dr. Zakir Naik reached Qatar to attend FIFA World Cup. The Qatar 2022 attendees will have a golden opportunity to meet him face to face, while lecturing about Islam. His visiting to Qatar is a nice surprise among tens, still to come to surprise our guests”.
Dr. Naik originally belongs to Mumbai, India. However, he has been living in exile in Malaysia since 2017, as a runaway fugitive, after the Indian government pressed charges against him over money laundering and terrorism.
Dr. Naik endorses suicide bombing “if used during the war”, as a last resort.
In one of his lectures, Dr. Naik quoted the banned Muslim Brotherhood preacher of Saudi Arabia, Salman Audah, as “one of the great scholars of Islam” to support his views on the permissibility of suicide missions, especially in the Israel-Palestine conflict against the Jewish settlers.
In June 2010, the UK and Canada refused to let Naik enter. Theresa May, who was the home secretary at the time, forbade Naik from entering the country after learning of his plans to give presentations in Sheffield and London. “Numerous comments made by Dr. Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour”, May said in her exclusion order.
Dr. Naik exemplified Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan in a lecture in Kuala Lampur, as “one bold Muslim leader”, who is fighting with the odds, and “May Allah support him”.
Director of Nordic Research & Monitoring Network Mr. Abdullah Bozkurt tweeted in 2020, “Radical Indian Muslim preacher Zakir Naik comes out defending Turkey’s corrupt President Erdogan, praises him as a Muslim leader on Prophet’s way, endorses his move to convert Hagia Sophia into mosque, says even destruction of house of a worship is permitted in Islam”.
Also, Dr. Naik’s Peace TV became a conduit in introducing extremist Pakistani preacher Dr. Israr Ahmed, and other Muslim Brotherhood preachers, to the Indian Muslims.
Qatar’s invitation to Dr. Naik for a grand world event like FIFA, has drawn criticism.
UK-based Political Commentator on Islamism and MENA issues Ms. Nervana Mahmoud said, “Welcome to Islamist Qatar that apply Islam only to the not-rich crowd and even bring a radical preacher to brain-wash them”.
“Imagine… just imagine.. the Muslim outrage if a Christian country invites a Christian preacher to an international sport event.. But when Qatar did it, and invited radical Ikhwani preacher Zakir Naik, some are singing words of praise”, she added.
Turkey and Qatar are currently the Muslim Brotherhood’s two main state supporters. The governments of Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates currently classify it as a terrorist organization.
