NEW DELHI – Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, wanted in India for alleged terroractivities and money laundering, has thanked Prime Minister MahathirMohamad for not deporting him and promised not to break any laws of thecountry.
India had made a formal extradition request for Naik, who left the countryin 2016, to be returned to the country after accusing him of incitingyoungsters to commit terror activities through his hate speeches.
Naik, 52, in a statement published in Malaysian newspapers, thanked PrimeMinister Mahathir for examining his case from an “unbiased perspective”.
Mahathir, who had met the radical Indian cleric last week, has made itclear that his government will not easily give in to India’s demand todeport Naik.
“We do not easily follow the demands of others. We must look at all factorsbefore we respond,” Mahathir was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
“Otherwise, someone will become a victim,” the prime minister said in hisfirst public comment yesterday on Naik since meeting with the hardlinepreacher.
Mahathir has also said that Malaysia will not deport Naik back to India, aslong as he does not create problems in the country. The previous Malaysiangovernment had granted Naik permanent resident status.
Naik, in his statement said Mahathir’s decision reaffirmed his faith inMalaysia’s justice and communal harmony.
“I am humbled to be a part of this diversity, and I also acknowledge thesensitivities it entails. I would never wish to disrupt or jeopardise thisbalance in any way or to break the rule of law of this country because itis my primary concern to foster the social harmony currently enjoyed by itscitizens,” he said in the statement carried by the Malaysian media.
He said that while he hoped for justice and peace to return to India, heremained indebted to Malaysia – not just as one seeking fair treatment, butas an “individual with a love of humanity”.
He also claimed that over the last few years, thousands of news articles,YouTube videos and social media posts have attributed “appallingstatements” to him that he did not make.
Naik is being probed under terror and money laundering charges by India’sNational Investigation Agency (NIA).
The NIA had first registered a case against Naik under anti-terror laws in2016 for allegedly promoting enmity between different religious groups.
Naik is also under investigation for issuing hate speeches that inspired adeadly terror attack on a popular cafe in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladeshin 2016.