The Malaysian Insight

FUGITIVE Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik is ready to fight an extradition request from India, said his lawyer, adding that the charges against him are politically motivated.

India’s counterterrorism agency has prepared charges against Zakir, while Indian authorities revoked his passport in July upon the recommendation of its National Investigation Agency.

The country’s Enforcement Directorate has also arrested Zakir’s close aides – Aamir Gazdar, for allegedly helping Zakir in the “money-layering of funds and money laundering through cash transactions”, and Arshi Qureshi and Rizwan Khan, for allegedly radicalising 21 youths, who have fled India to join the Islamic State.

Zakir’s lawyer in Malaysia, Shaharudin Ali, however, said it was only right that Zakir was given every opportunity to exhaust his rights in Malaysia before being sent to India.

“And according to our reading, it is possible that he would be exposed to a potential political allegation back home.

“There is the possibility that the allegations (against Zakir) in India are tainted with emotion and so many other factors. We don’t want him to be a victim of that,” Shaharudin told The Malaysian Insight.

It was reported that India was finalising an official request to Malaysia to have Zakir extradited to face charges that he had “promoted enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India through public speeches and lectures”.

Shaharudin said there had been no development on the extradition request so far, adding that the request to deport Zakir would have to be made via Wisma Putra and the information would then be relayed to the attorney-general.

“We will fight against any request to extradite him to India. But, we can only do this the moment we receive the warrant of arrest or the special request from the government of India.

“For now, it’s a waiting game. We have not heard about anything. We will have to look at the papers once they are here.”

Shaharudin, who is in constant contact with Zakir, said the preacher was in the country, but did not elaborate.

Zakir was granted permanent resident status in Malaysia five years ago.

In his appeal to Interpol, Zakir allegedly wrote that the Indian agencies were unfairly targeting him because he was a Muslim, adding that all his speeches promoted only peace and in no way advocated terror or jihad.

He said he had been delivering speeches on Islam over the past 25 years in several countries, where he was respected and welcomed.

He said Indian agencies, by banning his Islamic Research Foundation and preventing him from delivering speeches on Islam, were violating his freedom of expression.

Shaharudin reiterated that he had written to the attorney-general and inspector-general of police, requesting that he be informed of any new development from Wisma Putra or India.

“As long as we do not see the warrant of arrest, either from India or Interpol, or the special request from India’s External Affairs Ministry, we can’t do anything. We are just waiting.”

On November 8, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Zakir would be deported if the Indian government requested his extradition.

Zahid also said the preacher had not flouted local laws, and had not committed any crime in Malaysia.

Zakir, a 52-year-old medical doctor, has stirred controversy with his extreme brand of Islam, in which he has recommended the death penalty for homosexuals and those who abandon Islam, according to media reports.

He is also said to be banned in the UK. – November 15, 2017.