[Reader-list] Zakir Naik finally steps on someone's toes

[Yousuf]

Row over Islamic preacher's remarks 

MUMBAI: Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is in the eye of a
storm for the laudatory remarks he made about a
controversial Islamic figure during the recent peace
conference in the city. Muslim scholars, both Shias
and Sunnis, are threatening an agitation if Naik
doesn't apologise and retract his controversial
utterances soon. 

At the concluding session of the 10-day Islamic peace
conference at Somaiya Ground in Sion on December 2,
Naik shocked many in the audience when he addressed
Yazid as "Raziallah tala anho"(May Allah be pleased
with him). He also reportedly called the battle of
Karbala a political battle. Yazid has been
historically condemned for having killed 72 Muslims,
including Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein and
his close relatives, at the battle of Karbala in the
7th century on the banks of the Tigris (present day
Iraq). The Shias consider it Yazid's unpardonable sin
and commemorate the martyrdom with a 10-day mourning,
culminating into Ashura (10th day) in Muharram. 

"Naik's irresponsible remarks have hurt the sentiments
of both the Shias and the Sunnis. The honorifics are
reserved for the Prophet's companions, not for someone
like Yazid, the butcher of Karbala. And he can't call
Karbala a political battle as it was essentially a
religious battle,"protested Shia scholar Maulana
Zaheer Abbas Rizvi. 

Naik, who returned from Haj on Wednesday, conveyed his
reaction through his brother Mohammed Naik: "At the
peace conference, while replying to a question, I
neither condemned nor lauded Yazid. I did say 'May
Allah be pleased with him' while mentioning Yazid. I
can show the fatwas from seminaries like Darul Uloom
Deoband supporting my stand." 

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http://indianmuslims.in/mind-your-words-mr-zakir-naik/

Mind your Words Mr Zakir Naik! 

Posted: 08 Jan 2008 01:00 AM CST
I felt very sad after watching the video of Zakir Naik
praising Yazid. In a response to the tragedy of
Karbala, he concludes Karbala to be a mere political
war and addresses Yazid as “Yazid [May Allah be
pleased with him].” I got the news earlier but waited
to see the video myself before arriving at any
conclusion. I was a fan of Mr Naik but after this
episode I really wonder whether he has any clue about
the history of Islam and why Karbala happened.

I strongly condemn Mr Naik for his words and demand an
apology from him!

Here’s a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8xtVRy3960

When questioned about his stand, he has this to say -

Naik, who returned from Haj on Wednesday, conveyed his
reaction through his brother Mohammed Naik: “At the
peace conference, while replying to a question, I
neither condemned nor lauded Yazid. I did say ‘May
Allah be pleased with him’ while mentioning Yazid. I
can show the fatwas from seminaries like Darul Uloom
Deoband supporting my stand.”

This ‘fatwa’ part of the statement really amuses me. I
always thought of Mr Naik as a Islamic scholar of
repute. What importance do these so called fatwas hold
when the Qurán clearly says:

“If a man kills a believer intentionally, his
recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And
the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a
dreadful penalty is prepared for him.”—Surah Nisa
(Chapter 4), Verse 93

And I thought Mr Naik knows the Qurán by heart.
======

Khushwant Singh says
"My grievance against Muslims like Naik and those who
listen to him with rapt attention is that they are
trivialising Islam. Zakir Naik says – "Western society
claims to have uplifted women. On the contrary, it has
actually degraded them to the status of concubines,
mistresses, and society butterflies who are mere tools
in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers
."
All I can say in reply is "Dr. Naik, you know next to
nothing about the Western society and are talking
through your skull cap. People like you are making the
Muslims lag behind other communities.”

http://hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=06f7254f-ebfd-4aed-93dc-1bc5e61713a4

Here are some statistics of violence on women just to
set some claims by Naik in the right context. Religion
has nothing to do with crimes. It’s about the evil
side of the human mind and how society’s internal
security fail.

http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/facts.html
I don’t have any problem with people who feel
co-education is evil or air-hostess job is a sinful
profession. There are too many people in the world who
believe that they know best how people should live
their lives, and many of them are more than willing to
use force to impose those beliefs on others. I’m not
one of them. I’m ok as long as I can lead my life as
per my beliefs.







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