Ban on Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s organisation extended by five years

The Union government on Friday extended the ban imposed on Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s non-governmental organisation Islamic Research Foundation for five years.

In November 2016, the Islamic Research Foundation had been declared an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for five years. The ban was extended in 2021 and was scheduled to expire on Saturday.

Naik, who lives in Malaysia, has been on the Union government’s radar ever since allegations surfaced that he had inspired one of the terrorists who carried out an attack at a restaurant in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka in July 2016. Naik has repeatedly denied the accusations.

He fled India after the attack and the National Investigation Agency is probing his activities.

On Friday, the Union government issued a notification saying that the Islamic Research Foundation had been engaging in activities “prejudicial to the security of the country” and had the potential to disturb peace and communal harmony and “disrupt the secular fabric of the country”.

Naik and members of the foundation had been promoting religious disharmony, enmity and hatred between different communities, said the Ministry of Home Affairs.

It added that statements and speeches made by Naik were “objectionable and subversive”, and “inspiring youths of a particular religion in India and abroad to commit terrorist acts”.

The ministry said that if the unlawful activities of Naik’s organisation are not controlled, it will “continue its subversive activities and re-organise its activists who are still absconding”.

The notification added: “It [Islamic Research Foundation] will take the opportunity to disrupt the secular fabric of the country by polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony, propagate anti-national sentiments and escalate secessionism by supporting militancy.”

Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.