Islamic preacher Zakir Naik travels to Qatar to give ‘religious lectures’ ahead of FIFA World Cup

Controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who faces charges of money laundering and hate speech in India, has reportedly gone to Qatar from Malaysia ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Naik, who is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigative Agency (NIA), is expected to give religious lectures there ahead of the tournament.

Faisal Alhajri, a TV presenter at the Qatari state-owned sports channel Alkass, wrote on Twitter, “Preacher Sheikh Zakir Naik is in Qatar during the World Cup and will give many religious lectures throughout the World Cup.” (sic)

Zakir Naik is one of India’s most wanted fugitives and is facing multiple charges like money laundering and terror-related activities.

Zakir Naik shot to fame during the 1990s over his activities of dawah — proselytising for Islam — through his Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). By early 2000s, his videos had become the subject of debate as he attempted to establish the superiority of Islam over other religions. His supporters called him an expert on comparative religion.

India banned IRF in 2016 and charged Naik with encouraging its followers to promote or attempt to promote feelings of enmity and hatred among various religious communities and groups.

Zakir Naik has been living in exile in Malaysia since 2017, as a runaway fugitive, after the Indian government pressed charges against him over money laundering.

Even though Naik has permanent residency in Malaysia, he was banned from giving speeches in the country in 2020 in the interests of ‘national security’. In July 2016 — one year after he fled the country, India cancelled Zakir Naik’s passport. By that time, Zakir Naik had claimed that he was a non-resident Indian (NRI).