Zakir Naik banned from public speaking in Malaysia, grilled for 10 hours by police

Zakir Naik was grilled for more than 10 hours by the Royal Malaysia Police on Monday, August 19 where he recorded his statements on the recent issues and allegations against him.

Naik was being questioned for the past two days over his intent to provoke a peace breach by allegedly making remarks against Hindus and Chinese residing in Muslim-majority nation.

Here's what he told to police, "I have always been a man of peace because that's what the Quran stands for. It has been my mission to spread peace throughout the world... unfortunately, I do face detractors who try to prevent me from carrying out my mission."

"As you must have noticed for the past few days I am being accused of causing racial discord in the country and my detractors have been using selective sentences taken out of context and adding strange fabrications into them... today I have clarified my stance to the police."

"It, however, saddened me that this entire episode has caused many non-muslims to think of me as a racist. It also worried me because those who are hurt have not heard my speeches but based their impressions on out-of-context quotes of me. That is a cause of concern for me because it brings harm to the image of Islam and serves to drive people away from it. Racism is an evil I am staunchly against, as is the Quran and it is the exact opposite of everything I stand for as an Islamic preacher," Naik said. 

"Prophet Muhammad said in this farewell pilgrimage, "No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, nor is a non-Arab superior to an Arab. A white person is not superior to a black, nor is a black person superior to a white," he added. 

"Allah says, "O humankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other not that you may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge," Zakir Naik mentioned. 

After recording his statement with the Malaysian police, he left for his home in Putrajaya.

Speaking to Malay Mail, the deputy chief minister of Penang state in Malaysia, P Ramasamy said that apology is not in his vocabulary especially in the case of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.  

In a Facebook post, Ramasamy said, "Hope Zakir Naik is around when the case comes up! I will face the fugitive and preacher Zakir Naik in the court. He has apologised for his misdeeds, but it is a bit too late."

"I will never apologise to him because in so far as Naik is concerned the word apology is not in my vocabulary."

"He is the last person in the world who would be asking others to apologise for the havoc he has created in India and Malaysia. Meanwhile, all most all the states in the country have banned the entry of Naik."

"It took a while for the government to know the true colours of Naik. He basically used and manipulated Islam to sow disharmony and discord in the country between Muslims and non-Muslims."

Even the racists' elements in the country have never questioned the loyalty of Chinese and Indians who have been here for generations. It took one nasty comment from Naik not only to raise the question-about the loyalty of Hindus but to ask Chinese to leave the country."

"No government worthy of its name would allow a foreign fugitive to take the welcome for granted. Naik is major liability in the country; we have enough problems and the last thing we need is someone like Naik to further destabilise our social and ethnic relations," he said. 

"Either deport him or ask him to leave for India or any other country willing to grant him asylum," Ramasamy added. 

"Meanwhile I have appointed a prominent lawyer in Penang, Dato Murali Navaratnam to represent me in the case brought by Naik. My only hope is that Naik is around in the country when the matter comes up in the court."

In one of his recent speeches, the controversial preacher Zakir Naik during a religious talk titled "Executive Talk Bersama Dr Zakir Naik" asked the Malaysian Chinese to 'go back' first as they were the 'old guests' of the country, amid calls for his own deportation.

His speech at the same venue was also condemned by many parties after he compared Hindus in Malaysia with Muslims in India, saying that the Hindus here enjoyed more than 100 percent rights as compared to Muslims in India.