Indian Muslims Enjoy Much Greater Freedom Than Muslims in Other Non-Muslim Nations, Says Islamist Fundamentalist Televangelist Zakir Naik
By M
R Subramani
Jul 17,
2020
Muslims in
India get more freedom to practise their religion than any other non-Muslim
country, including Western nations, according to controversial Islamic preacher
and Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) founder Zakir Naik.
Controversial Islamist preacher Zakir Naik. (maapu/Wikimedia Commons)
------
“Generally,
for Muslims in India, it is very close to living in a Muslim country. They have
full rights and it is perfectly permissible to live there. A close example of a
place (where Muslims get similar privileges) is Singapore,” the preacher said
in his YouTube channel.
He was
responding to a question whether Muslims in India need to migrate to an Islamic
nation, yesterday (16 July).
“Singapore
was separated out of Malaysia where two-thirds of the population are Muslims.
After separation, Muslims constitute 20-30 per cent of the population in
Singapore, which too has Muslim personal law like India.
"But
freedom in India is much more than Singapore,” said Naik, who had fled to
Malaysia in 2016 facing charges of provoking communal disharmony and indulging
in unlawful activities that incited terror in India.
There are a
few more non-Muslim countries like Mauritius where Muslim personal law is
followed. But India is among the best non-Muslim nations for Muslims, the IRF
founder, who now lives in exile in Malaysia, said.
“India is a
very safe place for Muslims. Only after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to
power, problems started. Previously, Muslims had to face only minor problems,”
Naik said.
Blaming BJP
and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the troubles faced by Muslims, he said
these “fanatics” had started promoting Hindutva and began misleading the people
which created problems.
However,
Naik said that though Western countries allowed Muslims to worship, they do not
allow marriages according to Islamic law.
“(In
Western nations) you cannot have more than one wife, nikah is not valid,
divorce according to Sharia is not allowed and neither can you openly practise
Islam as in India,” said the preacher, who is alleged to have inspired the
mastermind of the Sri Lanka Easter blasts last year that killed 290 people.
India could
come close to a Muslim country, though not fully, he said, adding that only
criminal law was common in India.
Naik said
Muslims need not migrate from India, which had created a structure and had rich
Islamic knowledge.
Referring
to the structure of the Indian Constitution, he said any citizen has the right
to preach, follow or propagate his or her religion.
“I left
India only four years ago. For 24 years, I did dawa (Islamic missionary work)
openly and got large audiences,” Naik said.
The
preacher said India was ruled for 1,000 years by Muslims that resulted in 40
per cent of the population being Muslims. “Had Muslim rulers forced,
non-Muslims would not have been alive. It was the British who divided the
country and people,” he said.
Stating
that India declared to be a secular country and not a Hindu nation after
Partition, he said the Constitution allowed any citizen to follow the religion
of his/her choice.
“For
Muslims, they have separate Muslim personal law. Even today, India is secular.
India is a unique case,” the preacher said.
According
to Naik, India is the country where the largest number of Muslims live.
“According to me, the Indian government does not declare the correct number of
Muslims (in the country). They have not counted millions of Muslims like in
Assam,” he said.
There could
be a minimum of 250 million Muslims in India and a maximum of 300 Muslims. This
is higher than the 220-230 million Muslims living in Indonesia, he said.
Naik
shifted his base to Malaysia, where he now lives in Putrajaya. His presence in
Kuala Lumpur has led to bitter bilateral relations between India and Malaysia.
New Delhi
is seeking his repatriation but Kuala Lumpur is refusing to send him back to
face the charges against him.
Original
Headline: Muslims In India Have Much More Freedom Than Other Non-Islamic
Nations, Says Zakir Naik
Source: The Swarajya Mag
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/indian-muslims-enjoy-greater-freedom/d/122628