| Revision as of 07:23, 11 July 2008 view sourceElazeez (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users772 edits Edited a few paras. Significantly the one about Pope Benedict XVI's controversy. This has a separate page (linked here too) on WP so lets not than duplicate his statement verbatim here← Previous edit | Revision as of 07:28, 11 July 2008 view source Elazeez (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users772 edits →Lectures and visits: References do not support claims abuot Kushwant Singh viz his statement "Dr. Naik, you know next to nothihng..." and the one about juvenile debatesNext edit → | ||
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| In 2004 Naik visited ]<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.tewahanui.info/pdfs/4/twn04pg04.pdf | title = Scholar clears the air about Islam ‘labels’ | work = ] | date = September 6, 2004 | accessdate = 2007-05-20 }}</ref> and then Australian capitals at the invitation of ]. In his conference in ]; according to journalist Sushi Das, "Naik extolled the moral and spiritual superiority of Islam and lampooned other faiths and the West in general", adding that Naik's words "fostered a spirit of separateness and reinforced prejudice". Das also noted that "In Australia, where young Muslims are also searching for identity, a separation mentality is fuelled when radical overseas speakers ''(like Naik)'' spout ill-informed rhetoric" and that "It does nothing to develop harmony." <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/sushi-das/between-two-worlds/2005/07/27/1122143904716.html | title = Between two worlds | date = July 28, 2005 | work = ] | accessdate = 2007-05-20 }}</ref> | In 2004 Naik visited ]<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.tewahanui.info/pdfs/4/twn04pg04.pdf | title = Scholar clears the air about Islam ‘labels’ | work = ] | date = September 6, 2004 | accessdate = 2007-05-20 }}</ref> and then Australian capitals at the invitation of ]. In his conference in ]; according to journalist Sushi Das, "Naik extolled the moral and spiritual superiority of Islam and lampooned other faiths and the West in general", adding that Naik's words "fostered a spirit of separateness and reinforced prejudice". Das also noted that "In Australia, where young Muslims are also searching for identity, a separation mentality is fuelled when radical overseas speakers ''(like Naik)'' spout ill-informed rhetoric" and that "It does nothing to develop harmony." <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/sushi-das/between-two-worlds/2005/07/27/1122143904716.html | title = Between two worlds | date = July 28, 2005 | work = ] | accessdate = 2007-05-20 }}</ref> | ||
| Political Analyst ] considers that Zakir Naik, by his claims of Islam's superiority over other religious faiths, practices what he calls "reverse ]". Once when Naik was asked whether the destruction<ref></ref> of the monumental ] by ]<ref></ref><ref></ref> in ]<ref></ref> was justified<ref></ref>; he replied that there were no Buddhists in Afghanistan and the territory belonged to the Afghans, so they were right in destroying their own property. Then when asked if ] was similarly located what could the Muslims do if it was destroyed, he replied that under Islam images were banned and gave the example of opium by saying ''"What if all the opium-takers protested that a country had destroyed large stocks of opium?"'' <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_16-12-2003_pg3_4 | title = Second opinion: Zakir Naik’s ‘reverse orientalism’ —Khaled Ahmed’s TV Review | work = ] | date = December 16, 2003 | accessdate = 2007-05-20 }}</ref> | Political Analyst ] considers that Zakir Naik, by his claims of Islam's superiority over other religious faiths, practices what he calls "reverse ]". Once when Naik was asked whether the destruction<ref></ref> of the monumental ] by ]<ref></ref><ref></ref> in ]<ref></ref> was justified<ref></ref>; he replied that there were no Buddhists in Afghanistan and the territory belonged to the Afghans, so they were right in destroying their own property. Then when asked if ] was similarly located what could the Muslims do if it was destroyed, he replied that under Islam images were banned and gave the example of opium by saying ''"What if all the opium-takers protested that a country had destroyed large stocks of opium?"'' <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_16-12-2003_pg3_4 | title = Second opinion: Zakir Naik’s ‘reverse orientalism’ —Khaled Ahmed’s TV Review | work = ] | date = December 16, 2003 | accessdate = 2007-05-20 }}</ref> Journalist ] notes that Naik's audiences "... listen to him with rapt attention and often explode in enthusiastic applause when he rubbishes other religious texts ..." <ref> - Khushwant Singh</ref> | ||
| Journalist ] believes that Naik's pronouncements are 'juvenile' and said that "they seldom rise above the level of undergraduate college debates". Singh replied to Zakir Naik's statement that ''"Western society claims to have uplifted women. On the contrary, it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses, and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers…."'' by saying "Dr. Naik, you know next to nothing about the Western society and are talking through your skull cap. People like you are making the Muslims lag behind other communities." <ref> - Khushwant Singh; retrieved Dec 26, 2007</ref> Singh also noted that Naik's audiences "... listen to him with rapt attention and often explode in enthusiastic applause when he rubbishes other religious texts ..." <ref> - Khushwant Singh</ref> | |||
| During an interview Naik was asked why non-Muslims were not allowed to preach their religion in ] like ]. Naik quoted verse 3:85 from the ] and said that ''"...as far as the matters of religion are concerned we know for sure that only Islam is the true religion in the eyes of God. In Qur'an 3:85 it is mentioned that God will never accept any religion other than Islam. As far as the second question regarding building of churches or temples is concerned, how can we allow this when their religion is wrong and when their worshipping is wrong? Therefore, we will not allow such wrong things in our Islamic country."''<ref> op ed by Sudheendra Kulkarni, ], April 1, 2007</ref> | During an interview Naik was asked why non-Muslims were not allowed to preach their religion in ] like ]. Naik quoted verse 3:85 from the ] and said that ''"...as far as the matters of religion are concerned we know for sure that only Islam is the true religion in the eyes of God. In Qur'an 3:85 it is mentioned that God will never accept any religion other than Islam. As far as the second question regarding building of churches or temples is concerned, how can we allow this when their religion is wrong and when their worshipping is wrong? Therefore, we will not allow such wrong things in our Islamic country."''<ref> op ed by Sudheendra Kulkarni, ], April 1, 2007</ref> | ||
Revision as of 07:28, 11 July 2008
| Zakir Naik | |
|---|---|
| Region | Islamic Preacher |
| School | Islam |
| Main interests | Islamic Dawah |
| Website | www.irf.net |
Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (Arabic: زاكر نايك) (born: October 18, 1965) is an Indian public speaker, and writer on the subject of Islam and comparative religion. By profession, he is a medical doctor, attaining a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Maharashtra, but since 1991 he has focused only on preaching Islam.
Zakir Naik is also the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) —a non-profit organization that owns and broadcasts the free-to-air TV channel network Peace TV from Mumbai, India and he is also the founder of the Islamic International School in Mumbai, India.
Biography
Zakir Naik was born on October 18, 1965 in Mumbai, India. He is of Konkani descent.His first educational institution was St. Peter's High School (ICSE) situated in Mumbai. After he joined Kishinchand Chellaram College in the same city. After his higher secondary degree he studied medicine at Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital in Mumbai. He completed his MBBS degree from University of Mumbai. In 1991 he gave up his activity as a physician and started working for Dawah or proselytizing of Islam. Naik says he was inspired by Muslim Scholar Ahmed Deedat. According to Naik, the goal is to "concentrate on the educated Muslim youth who have become apologetic about their own religion and have started to feel that their own religion is outdated." He has authored several books on Islam and Comparative religion as well as those directed towards removing misconceptions about Islam. His articles are also frequently published in Indian newspapers like the Islamic Voice.
Lectures and visits
Thomas Blom Hansen, a sociologist at the University of Edinburgh, has written Naik's style of memorizing the Qur'an and hadith literature in various languages, and travelling abroad to debate Islam with theologians, has made him extremely popular in Muslim circles. Although he usually speaks to audiences of several hundreds, it is the videotapes of his talks which are widely distributed. His talks are usually recorded in English, to be broadcast at weekends on several cable networks in Mumbai's Muslim neighborhoods, and on the channel Peace TV, which he co-promotes. Topics he speaks on include: "Islam and Modern Science", "Islam and Christianity", and "Islam and secularism", among others.
In 2004 Naik visited New Zealand and then Australian capitals at the invitation of Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia. In his conference in Melbourne; according to journalist Sushi Das, "Naik extolled the moral and spiritual superiority of Islam and lampooned other faiths and the West in general", adding that Naik's words "fostered a spirit of separateness and reinforced prejudice". Das also noted that "In Australia, where young Muslims are also searching for identity, a separation mentality is fuelled when radical overseas speakers (like Naik) spout ill-informed rhetoric" and that "It does nothing to develop harmony."
Political Analyst Khaled Ahmed considers that Zakir Naik, by his claims of Islam's superiority over other religious faiths, practices what he calls "reverse Orientalism". Once when Naik was asked whether the destruction of the monumental Buddhas of Bamyan by radical Muslims in Afganistan was justified; he replied that there were no Buddhists in Afghanistan and the territory belonged to the Afghans, so they were right in destroying their own property. Then when asked if Kaaba was similarly located what could the Muslims do if it was destroyed, he replied that under Islam images were banned and gave the example of opium by saying "What if all the opium-takers protested that a country had destroyed large stocks of opium?" Journalist Khushwant Singh notes that Naik's audiences "... listen to him with rapt attention and often explode in enthusiastic applause when he rubbishes other religious texts ..."
During an interview Naik was asked why non-Muslims were not allowed to preach their religion in Islamic states like Saudi Arabia. Naik quoted verse 3:85 from the Qur'an and said that "...as far as the matters of religion are concerned we know for sure that only Islam is the true religion in the eyes of God. In Qur'an 3:85 it is mentioned that God will never accept any religion other than Islam. As far as the second question regarding building of churches or temples is concerned, how can we allow this when their religion is wrong and when their worshipping is wrong? Therefore, we will not allow such wrong things in our Islamic country."
Naik has also asked Muslims not to take part in Hindu and Christian festivals. India's National newspaper The Hindu has noted that this has considerable symmetries with those of organizations advocating violence. The newspaper also remarked that Naik's IRF is listed as an approved religious information resource by Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the parent organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Lashkar-e-Taiba is believed to be responsible for various terrorist attacks including ones in Mumbai, Chittisinghpura, Varanasi and Delhi.
In August 2006, Naik's visit and conference in Cardiff (UK) were the object of controversy when Welsh MP David Davies called for his appearance to be cancelled and described him as a 'hate-monger'; muslims from Cardiff however defended Naik's right to speak in their city. Saleem Kidwai, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Wales, disagreed with Davies, stating that "people who know about him (Naik) know he is one of the most uncontroversial people you could find. He talks about the similarities between religions and how we should work on the common ground between them" whilst also inviting Davies to discuss further with Naik personally in the conference. The conference went ahead, with more than 1,000 people attending it after the Cardiff council stated it was satisfied that he would not be preaching extremist views.
Pope Benedict XVI's apology for his own controversial statement on Islam in September 2006, was rejected by Naik who saw the Pope`s statement on Islam as pre-planned said that "...The Pope`s apology to the Muslims was at all not an apology rather it was putting salt on the wounds." Naik then went on to say that he was ready for an open and public debate with Pope Benedict XVI under live international TV coverage and also stated that he wouldn't mind going to Rome on his own expense if he was provided with an Italian visa.
In November 2007, the IRF organized a 10-day international Islamic conference and exhibition titled The Peace Conference at the Somaiya grounds in Mumbai. Lectures on Islam were presented by Naik as well as twenty other speakers. During one of his lectures, Naik provoked anger amongst the Shia community at the conference when he mentioned the words “Radiallah ta'la anho” (meaning 'May Allah be pleased with him') after mentioning the name of Yazid I and remarked that Karbala was a political battle. While a lot of others believed the comment was blown out of proportion , on being asked about the incident later in an interview by Saudi Arabia's leading tabloid, the Saudi Gazette, Naik personally replied "...My remark about Yazeed was misunderstood and hence the controversy. However, what I had said at the conference was endorsed by a large section of the scholars from different schools of thought within Islam and Alhamdulillah the controversy now rests in peace.".
References
- ^ Islamic Research Foundation - Introduction (Dr. Zakir Naik)
- ^ Mazumdar, Sudip (2006-01-23). "Beaming In Salvation". Newsweek International.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - http://www.tungekar.com/zakirnaik.html
- http://drzakirnaik.com/Home/AboutMe/tabid/54/Default.aspx - Biography from the website of Zakir Naik constructed by his students.
- Spreading God’s Word Is His Mission - Arab News
- ^ Hansen, Thomas (2001). Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay. Princeton University Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-691-08840-3.
- Books Authored by Dr. Zakir Naik
- FAQs on Islam by Dr. Zakir Naik
- Prohibition of Alcohol in Islam - Islamic Voice
- Was Islam Spread by the Sword? - by Dr. Zakir Naik
- Are Ram And Krishna Prophets Of God? - Islamic Voice
- Syed Neaz Ahmad (February 23, 2007). "Peace TV Reaching 50 Million Viewers – Dr. Zakir Naik". Saudi Gazette. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
- "Scholar clears the air about Islam 'labels'" (PDF). Te Waha Nui. September 6, 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
- "Between two worlds". The Age. July 28, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
- Destruction of Giant Buddhas Confirmed
- Pakistani, Saudi engineers helped destroy Buddhas
- Laden ordered Bamiyan Buddha destruction
- Taliban Explains Buddha Demolition
- Afghans destroy Buddhas, but cry foul over cartoons
- "Second opinion: Zakir Naik's 'reverse orientalism' —Khaled Ahmed's TV Review". Daily Times. December 16, 2003. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
- One man’s belief is another’s shackle - Khushwant Singh
- Who’s responsible for the stereotypes of Islam? op ed by Sudheendra Kulkarni, Indian Express, April 1, 2007
- ^ Shattered certitudes and new realities emerge in terror link investigation paragrpah 14.
- Mumbai bombings: 400 detained
- 350 rounded up in Maharashtra
- Lashkar militant admits killing Sikhs in Chittisinghpura,Rediff.com
- Lashkar behind blasts: UP official
- Delhi Metro was in LeT's cross-hairs
- Row over Islamic preacher - WalesOnline.co.uk
- Cleric's address hailed a success
- BBC News Article:Pope sorry for offending Muslims, ]] News, September 17, 2006]
- Dr Zakir Naik invites Pope Benedict XVI for open interfaith dialogue - Pak Tribune, September 29, 2006
- Pope Benedict’s Provocative Utterances op ed by Latheef Farook, South Asia News Agency, October 18, 2006
- ^ Justice, peace & unity: The cornerstone of Islam by By Syed Neaz Ahmad, Saudi Gazette, March 31, 2008
- Dr. Zakir Naik’s Remarks on Yazid Spark Anger Among Muslims
External links
- Islamic Research Foundation (official website)
- Peace TV (official website)
- Zakir Naik Audio Links Directory of Naik's Lectures
- Lectures by Zakir Naik - Download Lectures By Zakir Naik
- Lectures by Zakir Naik A video collection of Naik's lectures
- Mumbai Newsline Here’s Zakir Naik, ‘Fundamentalist, not Fanatic’