The Malaysian Insight

MOHAMAD Hashim was at Dr Zakir Naik’s talk yesterday to find out what all the fuss over the Muslim preacher was about.

“I’ve heard about the controversy he has created but after listening to the talk today, I don’t see what’s the problem,” said the 40-year-old civil servant, after listening to Zakir discourse on the topic, Misconceptions about Islam, at the Kota Darul Naim complex in Kota Baru.

“I really don’t see what the fuss is about. It didn’t seem like what he said was going to make people uncomfortable.

Hashim did not share the concerns of some of his fellow citizens that Zakir needed to leave Malaysia as his brand of preaching was driving a wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Hashim was among hundreds who had turned up to listen to a morning lecture by the Indian-born doctor-turned-preacher who is currently on a speaking tour of Kelantan.

It is the latest in a series of tours for Zakir in Malaysia since he made the country his permanent base after India cancelled his passport and unsuccessfully tried to get him extradited to face charges of terrorism and money-laundering.

The Kelantan tour began a week after India failed for the third time to get Interpol to issue a red notice against Zakir, which would in effect mean that Zakir was wanted at home.

Without a red notice, the Malaysian government said it would not deport Zakir, who has permanent residence status here. 

Soon after, Anas Zubedy wrote an open letter urging Zakir to voluntarily leave Malaysia.

In the letter, which has been widely circulated, Anas argues that Zakir’s dialogues, in which he compares religions, is ill-suited for Malaysia because locals are not exposed to such debates and would misconstrue their aims.  

Zakir has been accused of insulting Hindus and Christians by drawing comparisons between their religions in his talks.

He has asserted that Hinduism and Christianity share similar tenets to Islam such as the belief in a single, true God.

He has also said there are inconsistencies in the Vedas and the Bible and the way the followers practised their faiths.

But in the Kelantan talks, Zakir steered away from such comparisons which had been a feature in previous lectures and stuck only to Islam and the problems faced by Muslims.

Nik Ahmad Fidu’ul believed that the controversy over Zakir has been overblown because his critics do not actually listen to these lectures.

“People (who dislike Zakir) are just finding superficial reasons to attack him,” said the 28-year-old sales executive.  

“It’s just to fit their assumptions. Whereas he does not appear extreme. He talks based on facts,” said Nik Ahmad.

Nik Ahmad’s friend Mohamad Nafis Mohamad said Zakir was knowledgeable about other religions and did not appear insulting at all.

“I think his critics take bits and pieces of his lectures without looking at the big picture,” said 27-year-old Nafis.   

Nik Safilah Mat Daud, who also sat through the three-hour lecture, did not agree that Zakir was an extremist who denigrated other faiths.

“He doesn’t ask people to leave their religions to join Islam. He just explains to them what Islam is.”

Her friend Nor Rabiaton Abdul Karim concurred.

“As long as there is no proof that he is dividing Malaysians, I don’t think we should force him to leave Malaysia. He also has the right to stay here.” – August 9, 2019.