Troubles keep mounting for extremist Islamic preacher, Zakir Naik. Peace TV and Peace TV Urdu- television channels owned by the Islamist evangelist, have been slapped with a £3,00,000 (Rs 2.75 crore) fine by Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom.
The television channels owned by the hateful Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, currently absconding from India, are infamous for airing hate speech and incendiary content inciting murders, violence, and even Islamist terrorism.
Lord Communications, the holding company of Peace TV has been fined 1 lakh Pounds, whereas Club TV, the holding company of Peace TV Urdu has been slapped with a 2 lakh Pounds fine. A statement from the British watchdog read, “Ofcom has today fined the former licence holders of Peace TV Urdu £200,000 and Peace TV £100,000 for breaking our broadcasting rules.” This should come as a tight slap to Zakir Naik and his followers.
The watchdog added, “Our investigations found that programmes broadcast on Peace TV Urdu and Peace TV contained hate speech and highly offensive content, which in one instance was likely to incite crime.”
The hateful Islamist preacher, Zakir Naik took refuge in the Muslim-majority country of Malaysia in 2016, escaping from India. He has been residing there ever since, but now India has stepped up pressure on Kuala Lumpur to secure his extradition.
Earlier this week, the Modi government sent a formal request for extradition of Zakir Naik to Malaysia, and is said to be actively pursuing the matter, sources told ANI. Naik has continued with his hate campaign against non-Muslims in general, and India and Hindus in particular.
Only this month, Zakir Naik was heard saying that all oil-exporting Islamic nations should form an anti-India bloc of sorts, and perhaps cause a cessation of exporting the same to India. “Most oils to India go from Muslim countries. Crude oil goes from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Nigeria. Natural gas comes from Qatar. Palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia. Let them form a block and work collectively so that if they say anything against Islam or Muslims, we can be a beta force,” Zakir Naik said on his Youtube channel.
Last month, Zakir Naik suggested all Islamic nations to begin working on a database of Indians (read non-Muslims) who said anything against Muslims or Islam. He then said that such data should be used when Indians travel to these Islamic countries, and that they should immediately be arrested there.
Naik has been responsible for Islamist radicalisation in Asia- much of the radicalisation happening in South-east Asia including Indonesia is attributed to him, and even the mastermind of the Easter Bombings in Sri Lanka was inspired by Zakir Naik’s speeches.
Now, Naik has stepped up vitriol against Indians and non-Muslims. He is openly provoking Muslim-majority countries, particularly the oil-exporting ones to persecute Indians.
It is in this context that India has been rooting for action against Zakir Naik, including getting him extradited from Malaysia.
Islamist radicalisation is a major issue within the United Kingdom itself, and that is why the action against Zakir Naik-owned TV channels was absolutely necessary. New Delhi has stepped up pressure against the controversial Islamic preacher and now troubles are mounting for him across the world.