A video went viral on social media wherein Zakir Naik, the Islamic televangelist can be seen criticising a girl who questioned the prevalence of societal ills, such as paedophilia, in Islamic societies. Notably, the heated exchange occurred during a public gathering in Pakistan’s Karachi.
The girl identifies herself as a Pashtun, starts by asking Naik, ‘Why are there so many evils like paedophilia, adultery, and drug addiction where I live, despite the people being strictly religious? Why do the ulemas (Muslim scholars) not call them out?’ Firstly, Naik gives a response to her query in a funny way that men should take a cue from women and not step out of the house without cause.
The hate preacher interrupts and asks repeatedly to ask her to be quiet so he can answer the question when the girl tries to explain her point of view and claims that paedophilia is becoming normalised in her region. He then says, There is a contradiction in what you’re saying. There is no mention of paedophilia in the Quran or any Islamic scripture’.
Naik accuses the girl of defaming Islam. He says, ‘A Muslim can never commit sexual abuse against children. You should think 10 times before levelling accusations against another’. He snaps, ‘You are wrong’, when the girl tries to defend her question and demands that she apologise for her remarks.
The preacher’s behaviour drew criticism on social media, with people accusing him of gaslighting the girl and being dismissive of the serious concerns she raised. Naik, a Mumbai-born Islamic preacher faces multiple charges of terror funding, money laundering and hate speech.
The government banned his organisation, the Islamic Research Foundation, and revoked his passport. Since 2017, Naik has been residing in Malaysia, where he continues to deliver lectures and sermons. Critics argue that Naik’s teachings often misinterpret Islamic texts and promote intolerant interpretation of Islam.
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