Asri disagrees with Zakir Naik’s conversion practice, attacks Modi

Perlis mufti renews attack on Hindraf for criticising the controversial Indian preacher’s presence in Malaysia.

PETALING JAYA: Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has again defended controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik against demands to deport him to his homeland India.

However, he expressed disagreement with Naik’s practice of converting non-Muslims to the religion before large crowds at his ceramah.

“I don’t agree with this approach,” said Asri in his weekly lecture at Masjid Alwi in Perlis yesterday.

Zakir, who is wanted for questioning by authorities in India over a money laundering charge which he has denied, always ends his ceramah by inviting non-Muslims on stage to recite the ‘syahadah’ (Muslim profession of faith) in front of the crowd present.

In February, a PhD Hindu student, R A Shivaleela, made the ‘syahadah’ declaration before about 1,000 people at Zakir’s ceramah in Arau, Perlis. Those present included the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail and Asri.

Last year, a young Christian Filipina, Nina Grace, and an Indian citizen, Hurender Bal Singh, embraced Islam at a Zakir ceramah in Terengganu.

Asri said it was unnecessary for such a public show of conversion to Islam.

“This is to safeguard the feelings of the family of the individual converting to Islam,” he said.

Asri earlier this week apologised to Hindus who were offended by his poem posted on his Facebook page last Friday. The poem criticised “cow-worshippers” and groups who sought to hand over “our preacher” to an “inhuman government” which condoned the caste system and ‘sati’, the practice of burning a widow on the husband’s funeral pyre, long banned in India.

Following a barrage of criticism, he defended himself by claiming his poem was directed at the Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, yesterday, he renewed his attack on vociferous Zakir critic Hindraf, the Hindu rights action front, ridiculing the NGO as a representative of Modi.

“The target (of the poem) was Modi in India (but) Hindraf wants to act as Modi’s representative to deport Zakir back to India,” he said.

Asri said Muslims had denounced the cruelty of the IS (Islamic State) committed in the name of Islam, but the anti-Zakir groups were silent on the “extremist policies” of Modi made, he claimed, in the name of Hinduism.

“He (Modi) is a fanatic who in the past was named as a Hindu extremist but nobody now says he has deviated from the teachings of his religion,” he said.

“No doubt Modi doesn’t worship cows but he condones killings over the cows. That is the reality in India.”

Asri is among leading local religious figures who have been defending Zakir’s presence in Malaysia, and had even invited the preacher to give a Friday sermon in Perlis early this year. Zakir was accorded Malaysian permanent residence status five years ago. -FMT