Dr Zakir Naik: 5 Reasons Why He Deserves the Benefit of the Doubt

What makes Dr Zakir Naik tick? His young followers help us understand this modern-day preacher of old-world Islam.

Is Dr Zakir Naik misunderstood by the Indian media? (Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)

He has 14 million followers on Facebook, but is also banned in Canada and the UK.

Dr Zakir Naik may or may not have inspired one of the terrorists who killed 22 people at an upscale cafe in Dhaka on 1 July. The newspaper that reported the link has since retracted its story. But that hasn’t stopped Indian investigative agencies from seeking an appointment with the incredibly popular TV evangelist who’s currently in Mecca. It hasn’t stopped the Indian media from comparing the English-speaking preacher of Islam to Hafiz Saeed or Osama bin Laden.

Some of his young followers joined The Quint for a Facebook Live to help demystify this modern-day preacher of old-world Islam.

(Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)

(Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)

(Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)

(Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)

(Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)