ISLAMIC preacher Dr Zakir Naik has hit back at allegations that he was creating religious discord among Malaysians by alleging that his detractors had quoted him out of context to malign him. 

Zakir said he was praising Malaysia for its genuinely Islamic way of treating Hindu minorities and for upholding their rights, something that the Indian government failed to do with its minorities.

The televangelist was responding to criticism following a series of lectures organised by the Kelantan government where he spoke extensively on the topics of Quran – the path to happiness, misconceptions about Islam and Islamophobia.

“The allegations reported in the media are mischievous and designed to not only politicise me but also create religious disharmony within the community. 

“Recordings of my talks will reveal that the reality is the opposite of what is being alleged. After my lecture on misconceptions about Islam, I was asked a specific question from the audience on the ongoing Kashmir issue and the plight of Muslims in India.

“In my reply, I actually praised Malaysia and its government for the way it has been treating its Hindu minorities and for giving them their due rights, something that the Indian government has failed to do with Muslim minorities in India.

“On the charges against me by the Modi government, my stance was very categorical. I found it unfair that a certain group of Hindus in Malaysia seemed to trust the Modi government more than the Interpol, or the Indian courts or the Malaysian government itself.

“My praise of the Malaysian government for its Islamic and fair treatment of Hindu minorities is being twisted and misquoted to suit political gains and create communal rifts,” Zakir said in a statement.

The success of the three-day event in the PAS-led state didn’t go down well with the groups that disliked him, he said adding that the audience that constituted mainly Muslim men and women did not find anything wrong in his lectures and question-and-answer sessions.

“However, it took more than three days for my detractors to create an issue out of nothing. Any attempt to create a communal rift is unfair towards the people of Malaysia and I’m sure that these attempts will fail.”

Zakir’s critics accused him of questioning the loyalty of Hindus in the country in a series of public talks he gave in Kelantan recently.

On Monday, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang urged the authorities to act against Zakir for allegedly stoking inter-racial and inter-religious tension when he questioned the loyalty of Malaysian Hindus towards Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Yesterday, Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said he would raise Zakir’s permanent residency status in the cabinet at today’s meeting.

Kulasegaran said Zakir’s “presence in Malaysia is embarrassing to all Malaysians” and his status here “must be reviewed”.

Zakir, however, said after his speech on August 9 at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Baru, there were positive reports in the media for the next two days. The media also mentioned that he supported Dr Mahathir.

“This could not be digested by a certain clique of politically motivated hate-mongers. These people scanned my lectures in a desperate attempt to pick out something to vilify me.

“Having found nothing they could use against me, they resorted to dishonest schemes. Since yesterday, there has been a campaign in the media against me.”

Zakir alleged that he was being deliberately misquoted with the intention of getting him arrested, adding that no just court of law, including the Malaysian court, will ever agree with the accusations. – August 14, 2019.