FUGITIVE Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is challenging the Indian authorities’ request for an Interpol red flag notice against him, alleging that he is being targeted for being Muslim, the Times of India reported.

Quoting sources, the Indian newspaper reported that Zakir wrote to Interpol after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) requested that Interpol red-flag him for terror and money-laundering charges.

A red flag notice is a request for Interpol member police forces to arrest a wanted person with a view of extradition to the country that posted the notice.

In his appeal to Interpol, Zakir allegedly wrote that the Indian agencies were unfairly targeting him because he was a Muslim, adding that all his speeches had only promoted peace and nowhere did they advocate terror or jihad. 

Zakir argued he had been delivering speeches on Islam for the past 25 years across several countries, where he was respected and welcomed.

He alleged that Indian agencies, by banning his NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and preventing him from delivering speeches on Islam, was violating his freedom of expression.

Times of India reported that NIA had informed Interpol of the recent revocation of Zakir’s Indian passport and requested that it passed on the information to its member countries. 

The revocation of his passport effectively makes Zakir a stateless person.

The controversial speaker is presently believed to be in Malaysia.

He was recently invited by Islamist party PAS to a gathering of Muslim scholars in Kelantan, but declined to attend citing “unavoidable reasons”.

NIA has booked Zakir under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for terror links after his speeches allegedly incited youth to commit terror acts. – August 18, 2017.