Lebanese activists want Zakir Naik banned from country

Avaaz platform files petition against Islamic scholar's entry in country

Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is facing opposition from Lebanese activists who recently launched a campaign to ban him from the country after he was invited by a local cleric to deliver a lecture.

The head of Lebanon's Islamic Federation Society, Sheikh Hassan Katerji, had posted on Facebook that Naik's visit would take place 'soon.'

“Good news! Praise be to Allah, the preacher Zakir Naik has agreed to come to Lebanon when I visited him this morning,” he posted on June 11, the Hindustan Times reported.

A second post followed shortly which read “Tomorrow I will, God willing, begin contacts with the authorities to guarantee his safe entry and residence.”



Soon after activists from the Avaaz platform filed a petition to support the ban on Naik from entering the country and threatened legal action.

Khaled Merheb, a human rights activist and lawyer, said “Zakir Naik is an extremist preacher known to spread hate speech that attacks non-Muslims and moderate Muslims alike, and he has been banned from entering many countries.”

Naik's visit, he added, was "dangerous on many levels", which may "encourage extremism" and inspire militants. Merheb said the preacher's views may be in violation of Lebanese laws regarding sectarian incitement.

The Islamic scholar had fled India last year following a ban on his NGO, the Islamic Research Foundation in the country. However, Naik denies all charges.