Muslim Preacher to sue Home Office
Indian Muslim preacher, Zakir Naik
Muslim preacher Zakir Naik is to sue the Home Office for banning him from entering the UK for a speaking tour for unjustified reasons.
Naik said he was approached by the MI6 before the general election to help them against the extremists' propaganda to recruit young Britons but was denied an entry in June after the new government took office.
The Indian preacher was barred from travelling to the UK just days before he was to address thousands of Muslim enthusiasts in London, Birmingham and Sheffield.
"In 2009, I was sounded out by government officials representing the Home Office and the anti-terrorism department to see if I would co-operate with them to reach out to misguided young Muslims” Naik said.
“Only last year the Government wanted me to help tackle terrorism; this year they are calling me a terrorist" he added.
May who had earlier approved an entry for the Dutch MP Geert Wilders who is known for preaching anti-Islam hatred had accused Naik of “unacceptable behavior”.
But Naik said the phrase "all Muslims should be terrorists" which May cited from Naik to justify her decision has been taken out of context.
"I said every Muslim should be a terrorist to each and every anti-social element in society... but no Muslim should ever terrorize a single innocent human being" he said.
This comes as earlier in July Robert Lambert, the co-director of the European Muslim Research Center at the University of Exeter told a Press TV forum, the Agenda, that branding Naik with unacceptable behavior is more like an "allegation".
He said such labels are "wrong and counterproductive" as Naik has always been a "powerful voice against the real threat that this country [Britain] faces" which he said is "violent extremism" posed by Al-Qaeda.
Analysts say there may have been a connection between the ban and a covert racism in the new coalition government as Naik had delivered many speeches in the UK before with no problem.
AMR/MB/HE
Courtesy : http://www.presstv.ir/detail/145305.html
No comments:
Post a Comment