Panaji (Goa): After Qatar invited Islamic preacher Zakir Naik to the FIFA World Cup, the BJP leader called for a boycott of the Qatar World Cup. BJP spokesman Savio Rodrigues called on the government, Indian football federations and Indians traveling to Qatar to boycott the sporting event.
The boycott call comes after Qatar invited India-banned Zakir Naik to lecture on Islam at the FIFA World Cup. In a statement, Rodriguez said that giving Naik a platform at a time when the world is fighting terrorism is like giving a “terror sympathizer” to spread hate.
“The FIFA World Cup is a global event. People from all over the world come to watch this wonderful sport. And millions of people watch it on TV and on the internet. Giving Zakir Naik a platform at a time when the world is fighting against global terrorism is giving a platform to a terrorist to spread his ferocity and hatred” – He said. The BJP leader has called for a boycott of the World Cup event in solidarity with the global fight against terrorism.
Rodriguez said that Naik played an important role in spreading Islamic extremism and hatred in India. “Zakir Naik is a fugitive under Indian law. He has been charged with money laundering and hate speech crimes. Naik is a terrorism sympathizer. In fact, he is a terrorist. He has openly supported terrorist Osama bin Laden. spreading Islamic radicalism and hatred in India,” Rodriguez added.
In March this year, the Union Interior Ministry declared the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) founded by Zakir Naik an illegal organization and banned it for five years. “Preacher Zakir Naik is in Qatar during the World Cup. He will deliver many sermons during the tournament,” Al Arabia News tweeted on Saturday, quoting Qatar’s state-run sports channel.
The MHA notification stated that IRF founder Zakir Naik’s speeches were objectionable. The IRF founder promotes forced conversion of young people to Islam, condones suicide bombings and posts derogatory comments against Hindus, Hindu gods and other religions, the notice said. Zakir Naik has sought political asylum in Indonesia after India soured on him.
