Why Malaysians Want TV Preacher Zakir Naik To Leave And Defend Islam In India Where He Is Wanted – OpEd

By

I think Zakir Naik needs to defend Islam in India, more than tell us Malaysians what Islam should look like in a multicultural country. He needs to answer the charges presented to him.

Just when Malaysians are about to realize the need to have more transcultural, inter-faith dialogue, and to understand each religion and each ethnic group as unique worldviews we can learn from, in order to forge a nation of progressive and tolerant and collaborative peoples – as how Tunku Abdul Rahman envisioned – we have these types of preachers to mess things up.

The discourse of the ongoing devastating Muslim-Hindu conflict in India – of a conflict that has taken so many lives, since even before the India-Pakistan separation, is now going to be brought to Malaysia through TV evangelicalism.

Already statements antagonizing the non-Muslims are being made by this fugitive preacher, by this man brought over for the Umno-PAS alliance, as perhaps a main attraction for the speeches for the coming elections.

Just when we are about to realize how much the non-Malays and non-Muslims are to be brought back as equal and equitable partners in this multicultural entity and polity called ‘Malaysia’, we have this type of speaker brought in, harboured, protected, well-fed, promised an island, and given Islamic-Malay type of awards – to speak on “troot… troot… troot” (truth, as pronounced in Mumbai English) till Islam is now seen as a defensive and for-no-reason-jihading religion in a political climate of “attack… attack… attack” as if we are all a society of reptiles with sub-standard reptilian brains holding to the art of war of ‘fight or flight’.

That’s what the climate is now. Implosive. Explosive. Impulsive. Divisive. Chaotic. Corruptive, Corrosive Cataclysmic. You add to this list.

Nauseating it has been to go through the videos on how Islam is presented by this Indian preacher.

He debunks Darwin in a single saliva-spitting breath, he called Westerners pigs and said that they love to swap wives after wild parties, he argues about theories and facts and confuses the two in his attempt to promote his ideas, he talks about Islam as if it is a simple mathematical calculation of 2+2=4 and therefore the only truth, and a range of other deranged misrepresentation of the religion as a buffoonish, simplistic, one-argument- fits all cultural philosophy, and he uses half-baked perspectives of alternative views to spice his spittances and spurtations of what Islam is.

I am sure many of us have sat down and listened to his speeches on YouTube and perhaps many Muslims outside of India and Pakistan and his ‘PeaceTV’ radar have cringed and crawled in search of intellectual/philosophical solace after consuming the views.

Real or staged?

And those ‘conversions’, live on TV – are those real, or staged? I can never know. Perhaps for many watching those TV shows, especially Muslims, this might be heartwarming and even emotionally spiritual, or even ecstatically and catatonically pleasurable to watch someone ‘taking the shahadah on TV’ and suddenly finding enlightenment after being asked a few questions on the truth or falsehood of this or that religion by this TV preacher wanted in another country.

What does it mean to be a celebrity convert then?

Fruitless it ought to be, should one debate with those whose weapons of argumentation consists of faulty premises and half-baked, touch-and-go anthropological perspectives on religion and cultural philosophies.

Is Islam a religion of quick-draw-McGraw kind of conversion via televangelical interrogation watched by millions? Or it is a cultural philosophy that requires the mind and heart to engage in a very long and life-long process of inner-debate and dialogue – almost in the Cartesian, Darwinian, and Averrosian modes, in a dialectical fashion of the interplay of the thesis-antithesis-synthesis of doubt-certitude-doubt, and experience and intuition, etc – in order to ‘convert’?

Isn’t Islam about philosophical quest and not TV-conversion spectacle? Isn’t it about taming the Ego and humility and about the nurturing of inner sensibility and learning from other spiritual worldviews – rather than to be dumbed down and numbed by some preacher whose microphone ought to be taken away?

Isn’t Islam a religion that has more dignity than that – promoting the idea of deep thinking about other philosophies, rather than one used to provoke people of other faiths and ethnic groups when a major election is around the corner?

Malaysians are very peaceful people. Before the ‘Islamisation Process’ of the Anwar Ibrahim-Mahathir Mohamad Era started, we need not have to bring in any Mumbai or Bollywood preacher to tell us how to provoke each other using religion. We had the vision of Tunku Abdul Rahman to live by.

Today is different. Things are getting worse in terms of race relations and religion. Even worse when we have people from outside telling us how to divide, dehumanise, and demoralise each other. As if Malaysia, our beloved country, is now a setting for a Bollywood movie of Kabbali vs The Talibans. Worse, a fertile ground for this thing called the ‘Islamic State’ to be grown.

Malaysians, peace-loving people – what then must we do? Or should we all stay home and read Huston Smith, for example, on how to approach the teaching of world religions? Or has Zakir Naik read Huston Smith the late Harvard scholar on comparative religion, at least to get a feel of how not to talk down about religions and present each as faith of equal standing?

After all, isn’t Islam just another culture in search of a philosophy, more than an organised religion, too? In this sense. One has to understand the meaning of all three – culture, philosophy and religion. Before going out to preach and converting people, in public.

Wage peace. Not war. We are Malaysians. We take pride in our diversity.

Dr. Azly Rahman

Dr. Azly Rahman is an academician, educator, international columnist, and author of nine books He holds a Columbia University (New York City) doctorate in international education development and Master's degrees in six areas: education, international affairs, peace studies, communication, fiction, and non-fiction writing. He is a member of the Columbia University chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education. Twitter @azlyrahman. More writings here. His latest book, a memoir, is published by Penguin Books is available here.

15 thoughts on “Why Malaysians Want TV Preacher Zakir Naik To Leave And Defend Islam In India Where He Is Wanted – OpEd

  • April 22, 2017 at 4:01 am
    Permalink

    Before writing lots of garbage against Dr.Zakir Naik. Please read Indian history and current BJP government communal riots, Gujarath Massacre, Maleygov bombblast, Macca Masjid Hyderabad bomb blast still no justice prevailed, but for innocent Muslims student spent 12 years in Jail and the just released 2 months after 12 years without any proof why, its because made up with false allegations. there are thousands muslims in the jail. current PM master minded and accused Dr.Zakir Naik with false allegations. No one will be criminal on false allegations, but when PM is against Dr.Zakir Naik he can do anything with power. better to stay outside the country and let them ED, NIA produce their proof in International court.

    Reply
    • January 31, 2018 at 11:30 am
      Permalink

      Do even know what you are talking about? All the so called blasts you are talking about were Carried by your own brethren. The anti Hindu Congress party tried to frame Hindus to appease their Muslim vote bank and all Hindus have been proven innocent. As for Gujrat riot, why dont you mention how they started? They started when a Muslim mob burned alive a train coach of 57 Hindu pilgrims alive.

      Reply
      • September 5, 2019 at 11:07 am
        Permalink

        OK I don’t know if they were Muslims or non Muslims disguised as muslims who burnt the pilgrims alive,bcoz to carry out communal riots and to justify them you need to create something like this, and what did you peace loving Hindus did you killed thousands of innocent Muslims and burned them alive in Gujarat riots in retaliation with the help of the state government, are you so naive, don’t you know what happens behind the scenes this is an age old trick used world wide till date, anyways there are many books and videos of Zakir naik on communal harmony and how to appreciate the commonalities and ignore the differences read his books watch his videos in entirety if you are a sincere seeker of truth, don’t decide on the video clips cherry picked by media to malign his image
        can you call a practicing Hindu an anti Muslim or non secular, so why single out him and label him non secular and a terrorist, he preached for 25 years peacefully, he has been cornered by the present regime and he is not as powerful as the government, so it’s better for him to be abroad bcoz he will never get a fair trial in India. May Allah protect him from his conspirers and enemies of Islam. Aameen

        Reply
  • April 22, 2017 at 12:46 pm
    Permalink

    Zakir Naik has phenomenal memory and he uses that to create shall. He was being funded by Saudis and also CIA is what got the goat.

    Reply
    • April 22, 2017 at 3:43 pm
      Permalink

      to Caption Johann: you also funded by BJP_RSS_VHP. to spread false allegations, spread hatred and disharmony against Innocent.

      Reply
  • April 22, 2017 at 1:27 pm
    Permalink

    Zakir Naik is an extremist Muslim. He represents the Islamic State’s vision of the world. We non Muslims consider want this rat to be where he belongs, in a garbage can.

    Reply
  • April 22, 2017 at 3:24 pm
    Permalink

    Islam left the country of introspection and evaluation way back in about 1000AD with Al-Ghazali and his writing of the book “The Incoherence of the Philosophers” where he throws out all cause and effect and clings to the belief that everything, from the chirp of a bird to the breath that we breath and even the choices we make are all ordained and instantiated by Allah. This leaves no room for free will for humanity and even less room for natural law. By his philosophy then, all violence against infidels is sanctioned by Allah and all attacks by infidels is blessed by Allah to inspire Muslims to even greater violence in the suppression of anyone not worshiping Allah in the proscribed way.

    It’s a crazy philosophy that has doomed most Islamic nations into a cycle of poverty and debt and disease.

    Reply
    • April 21, 2019 at 3:26 pm
      Permalink

      harb You are not wrong in what you say Quran Sura 9:111” Allah has purchased from the faithful their lives and worldly goods and in return has promised them paradise.They will fight for the cause of Allah, they will Kill and be Killed ” What happened in Sri Lanka today is any one guess who’s done it? Taquib will tell us Modi did it or may be he will blame Israelis

      Reply
  • April 22, 2017 at 7:03 pm
    Permalink

    The article is right on target and 100% correct. The writer is to be highly commended.

    Reply
  • April 23, 2017 at 12:49 pm
    Permalink

    If Islam is used or projected as the only true religion and therefore others do not command even the basic right to live, the only future that the human race got is total destruction and the complete wiping out of the human race from this universe. Therefore it becomes tremendously important for the saner and modren muslims to raise their voice against the people like zakir naik and bring some sanity to the situation.

    Reply
  • April 25, 2017 at 10:15 am
    Permalink

    Sorry Dr Azly Rahman. Please speak for yourself. I am a Malaysian and I DON’T WANT Dr Zakir Naik to leave Malaysia. He can stay here for as long as the law permits.

    You don’t speak for all Malaysians. Plus you do not even live in Malaysia.

    So, please…

    Reply
    • May 11, 2017 at 8:29 am
      Permalink

      i second ur statement brother

      Reply
  • April 25, 2017 at 4:01 pm
    Permalink

    Islam brings peace and loves peace. If you are not a Muslim and you dont support Dr. Zakir Naik then it is normal.

    But if you are a Muslim and when you have ‘Rahman’ as your last name, but you dont support Dr. Zakir Naik when he is accused by false allegations then who are you ?

    I pray to Allah to give you Hidayah, we dont live long in this world but we will live permanently in Akhirah either in Jannah or Jahannam. You choose…

    Reply
  • April 25, 2017 at 5:30 pm
    Permalink

    MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in connection with its money laundering probe case against him and others.
    Officials said the agency issued the fourth summons to Naik, via his lawyer and through e-mail, to cooperate in the probe even as it rejected his plea to depose before investigators via an Internet-based video link from abroad.
    They indicated that the latest summons could well possibly be the last issued to him and the agency may move court for an arrest warrant against him, if he again chooses to ignore the summons.

    SOURCE: Times of India

    Reply
  • July 8, 2019 at 9:31 am
    Permalink

    India is a country of Modi -right wing Hinduism that considers Muslims as -invaders that should be sent back to Bengal. Muslims are killed daily in India by mobs supported by Modi’s army of Hindus who given free hand to destroy anything associated with Muslims. If you think Malaysians are immune from that you are wrong. The Indians and \Chinese in Malaysia are plotting behind the scenes to make your country another Singapore. I will never trust a Hindu or a a Chinese no matter what passport he has.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *