Indian television evangelist, Dr Zakir Naik, has been banned from entering the UK by home secretary Theresa May, home office confirmed on Friday morning. He was due to give speeches at a convention in Britain in the last week of June.
Mumbai-based 44-year-old Dr Naik, who is a medical doctor by professional training, is the founder president of the Islamic Research Foundation, which runs Peace TV channel. He was scheduled to be the main speaker at the Al-Khair Peace Convention, which is taking place in Sheffield on June 25 and at Wembley Arena in London on June 26.
Dr Naik was also due to give a public lecture in Birmingham on June 27 on “Freedom of Expression — an Islamic Perspective.”
The coalition government led by the Conservative party, which as the main Opposition party had vehemently opposed the entry of radical Islamic preachers, was facing increasing pressure to stop Dr Naik from speaking in Britain. The home office finally gave in to the pressure. “I have excluded Dr Naik from the UK. Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour,” Ms May said in a statement issued by the home office. “Coming to the UK is a privilege not a right and I am not willing to allow those who might not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK. Exclusion powers are very serious and no decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate on issues,” she added.
Last Friday, Dr Naik had issued a two-page statement in Mumbai, making it clear that he did not support “terrorism and violent extremism,” suicide bombings and killing civilians. “My tour to the UK will be focused on delivering a message of peace based on Islamic values and bridging the gap of understanding between the major faiths,” he added.