Controversial Islamic 'preacher' Zakir Naik, who faces a probe at home regarding his speeches and sources of funding, says he is not returning to India just yet, backtracking from his earlier indication that he was planning to come back soon.
Naik spoke from Madina via Skype on Friday after a series of cancellations. "As per my travel plan, I will come to India next year. I am an NRI and I need to be abroad for substantial [periods of] time," he said, reports The Times of India.
He came to spotlight again after it emerged that at least one of the terrorists, who killed 20 hostages at an upscale Dhaka eatery on July 1, followed him on Facebook.
“...I condemn all terror activities and killing of innocents anywhere in the world, be they in Paris, Dhaka or Mumbai,” he said, repeatedly telling reporters: “I am a messenger of peace.”
He has denied encouraging acts of terror but he courted controversies in the past with statements like: “If he’s (Laden) terrorising the terrorist, I am with him, if he’s not I am against him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist.”The televangelist, known for speaking at a great pace and presenting supposed verbatim quotes from holy books, hit out at media for “maligning” him.
"I challenge the media to prove that I ever endorsed terrorism. What you see on news channels about me is based on doctored videos they are playing," he said, adding that no Indian agency approached him so far.
Bangladesh and India have banned Naik's Peace TV, accused by Bangladeshi Islamic scholars of “misleading Muslims”. In a series of fatwas or edicts, the Darul Uloom Deoband asked Muslims not to follow him.
On Friday, Naik sought to underplay the sectarian divide in the faith. "I have been branded Wahhabi-Salafist, but I am a Muslim first and Muslim last. I am neither Sunni nor Shia."
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
