Controversial speakers like Zakir Naik will worsen racial harmony

Implications from such talks may be irreversible, adds Penang deputy CM Ramasamy.

GEORGE TOWN: The country can expect race relations to worsen if more controversial speakers are invited to give talks, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy said today.

He said the uproar over Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, from Mumbai, India, was reason enough for the authorities to bar such talks.

“If he (Zakir) speaks on Hinduism and other religions in unsavoury terms, then our race relations will suffer another round of beating.

“I sincerely hope Zakir behaves and just talks about Islam and its glory and does not go into areas where he has no knowledge.

“I am for freedom of speech, but the authorities must carefully consider the implications these kind of talks might have in the long run,” he told FMT today.

The government recently reversed its decision to ban Zakir from speaking at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia in Malacca on April 17.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters yesterday the ban was lifted after “a compromise” over the topic.

He said the organisers were told to change the original theme of the talk, “Similarities between Hinduism and Islam”, to “Women’s Rights in Islam”.

Police were against the talk earlier after receiving complaints from Hindus and Muslims and in view of religious sensitivities.

Ramasamy did not agree with Zakir’s claim that more protests meant better unity among Muslims.

“It is regrettable to note that he gave a press conference saying that the Hindu Rights Action Force’s (Hindraf) opposition to him giving talks had brought about greater unity among Muslims.

“What a simplistic perception from an ‘acclaimed’ scholar on Islam.”

Ramasamy said the Penang government allowed Zakir’s son, Fariq Naik, to give a talk in Penang if he focused solely on Islam and nothing more.

Fariq, 21, is scheduled to deliver a talk on Friday on “Misconceptions About Islam”.

“The talk by his son in Penang will proceed after the state government imposed two conditions — to obtain police permission to give the talk and refrain from touching on other religions,” Ramasamy said.

Ramasamy has condemned Zakir for giving hate speeches on other religions and also labelled him a “satan”.

Later, Ramasamy issued a statement saying that he regretted what he had said about Zakir, removing the word “satan” from his statement on Facebook.

However, it proved to be too late as his Facebook post had gone viral.

Zakir, a recipient of the 2013 Tokoh Maal Hijrah, had caused a stir after he was claimed to have insulted Hindu deities and practices.

He was also reported to have been banned from the United Kingdom and Canada, following his apparent support of terror group al-Qaeda.