Enforcement Directorate (ED), the premier agency responsible for enforcement of economic laws and fighting economic crime has attached assets of Zakir Naik under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Naik is an ultra-conservative Islamic preacher known for the propagation of Wahabi version of Islam. National Investigation Agency (NIA), central government established to combat terror, filed chargesheet against Naik and others before the court of Special Judge (NIA) on October 26, 2017, in Mumbai. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of this chargesheet and attached properties worth 16.40 crore rupees in Mumbai and Pune.
Naik has deliberately insulted followers of all religious faiths excluding fundamentalist and puritanical version of Islam. He has insulted the religious beliefs of Hindus, Christians and non-Wahabi Muslims, particularly Shia, Sufi and Barelwis to create outrage and unrest in the society. The Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Harmony Media, the mass media organization and research centre founded by Naik played an instrumental role in popularizing the extremist views of Naik. His appeal among orthodox Muslims whose religious practices date back to centuries and are against modern human rights is high.
During the investigation, ED found that an amount of 49.20 crore rupees was received in Non-Resident External (NRE) bank accounts of Naik from his Dubai account. The investigation agency has already made two provisional attachments worth 34.09 crore rupees.
“The origin of these deposits was from unknown sources. Naik used funds of Rs. 17.65 crore for purchase of properties from builders-Salim Kodia partner in MK Enterprises, Munaf Vadgama, partner in Aafiyah Realtors, Sameer Khan, partner in Pacific Orient Genesis Associates and Musa Lakdawala partner of Lakdawala and Yash Associates in their projects–Fatima Heights (Mumbai), Aafiyah Heights (Mumbai), ENGRACIA (Pune) and in a project at Bhandup, Mumbai,” said the ED statement. The initial payment was made from Naik’s account but the money was later diverted to accounts of his wife and son. The total attachment by ED so far is 50.49 crore rupees including the latest one, further investigation is in progress.
A Salafi/Wahabi ideologue, Zakir Naik received King Faisal Prize for service to Islam in 2015 because he preaches the version of Islam which Saudi Arabia itself promotes and sees the kingdom as custodian. He was also granted the citizenship of Saudi Arabia in 2017. Naik was granted permanent resident status in the Muslim majority country, Malaysia. The Indian government revoked his passport on 28 July 2017 on a recommendation by NIA.
Naik is a believer of Islamic supremacy, he allegedly stated that his goal is to “concentrate on the educated Muslim youth who have become apologetic about their own religion and have started to feel the religion is outdated.” He supposedly said that Islam is ‘best’ religion because “the Quran says it. No other religious text or scripture claims this fact.” Zakir Naik is said to be opposed to Music and compared alcohol and said that both are intoxicating. He has also allegedly supported chopping the hand off for stealing, beating of wife, right to sex with their female slaves. He has also dismissed Darwin’s theory of evolution and said “only a hypothesis, and an unproven conjecture at best.” He has called the media “the most important tool rather the most dangerous weapon in the world, which converts black into white and a villain into a hero”.
The people like Naik should be extradited and punished as soon as possible. Malaysia government should hand over him to Indian authorities for the welfare of humanity.