YOURSAY | ‘You're too modest with your accomplishments, dear doctor.’

Zakir Naik says he doesn't promote terrorism

Real Truth: Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, it is perfectly alright to be an evangelist in promoting the nobleness of your religion. But lately, your speeches border on looking down on other religions, thus causing disharmony among various religious groups.

You may not be advocating terror activity, but your inflammatory speeches calling non-believers infidels could be construed as carte blanche for elimination of non-believers.

Your speeches have even given rise to a local ulama calling non-believers to be eliminated. What more their influence on students?

Anticonmen: It is against God's nature to compare religions. Preaching “my religion is better than yours” is sinful because you are preaching hate against God who resides in all religious beliefs. Everything emanates from the same source.

Anonymous 560221439180274: Zakir, to be fair to him, does not promote terrorism. But he never failed to raise the anger of Muslims towards other religions.

It appears many Muslims in Malaysia have become strong fans and followers of Zakir's YouTube speeches, where he frequently labelled followers of other religions as idol worshippers.

Just Sharing: "I said every Muslim should be a terrorist to all anti-social elements," said Zakir.

The world only understands one meaning of 'terrorist'. This medical doctor who goes around the world debating his ideology and who claims to have millions of viewers around the world, doesn't seem to understand how people perceive the meaning of 'terrorist'.

Anonymous 1890491455255851: It does immediately feel wrong for him to say he has only encouraged the use of ‘terrorism’ against anti-social elements. What does that mean?

What does he deem as being anti-social? Does it mean terrorising those who go to bar, concerts and football matches? Why even use the word 'terrorise'?

Does he not realise there are thousands of unstable minds out there who would take this as murdering people who they deem to be involved in what they have determined to be anti-social elements?

Or perhaps he does.

Shibboleth: Indeed, to his followers - who mostly never studied science, math and logic - “anti-social" means drinking at Movida, eat char siu rice, or showing the aurat.

How do you expect all these people, who graduate from the madrasah, to understand metaphors or hyperbole?

RR: Zakir’s speeches always talks of supremacy of Islam by ridiculing all established religions. Can he or other Islamic scholars truly envisage a world now, or in future, of just one single religion?

No true follower will give up his or her religion. So don't preach supremacy of a religion and create hatred amongst people. Let there be freedom of religion and worship.

Boeyks: Why worry if according to your learning, your religion is superior and all others inferior? After all, you will be amply rewarded in the afterlife. Isn't that what you had been preaching?

Cocomomo: Malaysians get arrested and charged for making allegedly seditious statements.

However, this preacher, who is banned in other countries such as England, was treated like a hero in Malaysia and could meet with Malaysian leaders that ordinary loyal Malaysians have no opportunity to meet.

Roar For Truth: Our political and religious elite's infatuation and association with Zakir will return to haunt them and expose them as people who lack foresight and wisdom. There are wiser Islamic scholars to associate with.

CQ Muar: And to think of all people, this religious preacher was permitted entry into Malaysia not long ago to deliver his controversial speeches.

Zakir can deny and refute the suspicion, but one must not ignore the fact he is a master of words of deception. A person like Zakir and the Pahang mufti are unlikely be allowed entry into US for sure.

Doesn't their ideology appear identical? People like them are considered high-risk elements and a danger to society. Only our authorities in Malaysia think otherwise.

Can we then question and blame US immigration should some suspicious Malaysians be denied entry into the country in the near future?

Negarawan: The Indian government is already conducting investigations on Zakir for his inflammatory and incendiary speeches.

Why did the government allow him to deliver his inflammatory speeches in Malaysia?

Apa Nama: Zakir, you should not wash your hands of the matter by saying that you cannot be responsible if young people, especially, got the wrong message with your speech.

Mojo Jojo: You're too modest with your accomplishments, dear doctor.

David Dass: Zakir pits religion against religion. He interprets Muslim holy books to justify intolerance and disrespect for other religious beliefs. He compares religions with the object of putting other religious beliefs down.

He claims to be an expert on comparative religion and seeks to demonstrate to Muslims that the beliefs of non-Muslims are false. His teachings have the effect of stirring up the feelings of Muslims against non-Muslims and of provoking non-Muslims to react.

The reaction is both positive and negative. The positive reaction is to educate adherents of other faiths to deal with the issues that Zakir identifies as false teachings, and negatively to compare Islam with other religions not with the object of educating people as to the beliefs of others, but with the object of denigrating the faith. Nothing good comes from this kind of practice.

What each of us believes is a matter of faith. It is the path we choose. Whatever people of other faiths think of the correctness or validity of the path we take is irrelevant.

It is enough that our respective beliefs require us to lead good lives, to think good thoughts, do good works and to avoid harming others. Let God be the judge of whether he wants us with him in heaven.

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