CONTROVERSIAL Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik said he does not possess any academic credential on comparative religion, but delivers lectures on the topic as a self-taught person at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.

“It is not necessary to embark on a study before lecturing others on comparative religion,” he told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, as quoted by The Edge.

The Indian scholar was testifying in his defamation suit against DAP’s P. Ramasamy.

He is suing the Penang deputy chief minister II over four supposedly defamatory statements issued by the latter on April 10, 2016; October 1, 2017; and, August 11 and 20, 2019.

Zakir, a physician, said it is not mandatory for him to have formal education on comparative religion in Islam, Hinduism or Christianity, when questioned by Ramasamy’s counsel, Razlan Hadri Zulkifli.

Razlan: Don’t you think that you have to at least undergo some kind of course in comparative religion before you speak on religions other than Islam?

Zakir: Not for me; others maybe.

Razlan: So you say that you have no formal (academic) qualification in comparative religion; that is learning Islam, Hinduism and Christianity?

Zakir: I am an autodidact (self-taught person).

Zakir said he partially speaks Arabic and reads a little Sanskrit, but does not know Aramaic – the original language of the bible.

Razlan: Will you accept a person who has no knowledge (of) Arabic to be an expert in Islam?

Zakir: Yes.

Zakir said one does not need to master any of those languages to be an expert in comparative religion.

He said he was recognised as an expert on the topic despite not having such qualifications, citing the multiple awards he received.

He pointed to his King Faisal International Prize 2015, Dubai International Holy Quran Award and Malaysia’s international-level Tokoh Maal Hijrah award as some of the recognition conferred on him. – March 14, 2022.