Dr Zakir Naik: ‘Terror Preacher’ or ‘Messenger of Peace’?

Why the hate directed at Dr Zakir Naik could explain the current problems of the Indian Muslim.

Followers of Dr Zakir Naik in The Quint office. (Photo: The Quint)

Is the hate directed at Dr Zakir Naik by the Indian media representative of the problems faced by the Indian Muslim?

An English-speaking preacher who explains the Quran to those who don’t understand Arabic, but can recite the book by heart.

Suited-booted and much younger than most maulvis who enjoy the same status as him, Dr Zakir Naik jokes, provokes and answers just about any googly thrown at him to a rousing applause by his millions of followers.

But most news channels that have discussed his sermons threadbare have labelled him a “Radical Preacher” or a “Terror Preacher”. He has 14 million followers on Facebook, but is banned in UK and Canada.

So, to understand why someone who supposedly inspired an ISIS terrorist and is being sought by the NIA, is still worshiped by millions, we got some of his more ordinary supporters, who have zero stake in politics or the media to The Quint’s office.

(On 14 March, NIA had summoned Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. This article has been republished from The Quint’s archives, originally published on 11 August 2016. )