Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is currently on a trip to Pakistan, cannot stop courting controversies with his sermons. In his recent speech, the preacher has now asked a Pashtun girl to apologise for asking Naik on how to deal with paedophiles in the society.
Naik was speaking at the Governor House in Karachi on Saturday. In a now viral video, a Pashtun girl from Lakki Marwat says that the place she belongs to is a “completely Islamic society” where women don’t even venture out of their homes and the cultural and social norms are religious too. She then proceeds, “According to your wisdom, what can be the reason for increased drug addictions, adultery, and paedophilia is rampant and why is the society collapsing there and why do Ulemas not call out these people, especially the paedophiles?”
An incensed Naik then goes on to lecture the girl on how her question itself is wrong and calls it a “contradiction”.
“You said your society is Islamic in nature and has paedophiles. This is contradictory. No Islamic society can have paedophiles at all. This is impossible. You have to accept that your question is a mistake… you should apologise because your question is wrong. You claim that Islamic women don’t leave their homes without a reason, but I don’t go out without a need either. Men should also stay in unless it’s necessary,” Naik responds mockingly.
“You mentioned that your society is Islamic yet has instances of paedophilia. That’s contradictory. An Islamic environment shouldn’t have paedophiles. So either your first statement is incorrect, or the second one is,” he adds.
Also read: Zakir Naik refuses to share stage with orphan girls in Pakistan. People say ‘peak misogyny’
Outrage on social media
Naik then asks if any Islamic text endorses paedophilia, and says, “It would be more accurate to say that your society views it as Islamic, and then I could understand,” pressing the girl to clarify her question.
When the girl tries to clarify herself, Naik further stops her and asks her to accept first that her question was wrong. “If you don’t, then my answer is over”, he adds. The girl then tells him that perhaps her question was interpreted wrongly to which he answers, “no it is not. The question is wrong, you are wrong”.
In another video, Naik is seen clarifying his stand claiming that he did not agree with the question because a pedophilic person cannot be a Muslim, in the first place.
However, his rude behaviour and patronising mode has come under sharp attack from Pakistanis across social media.
One X user asked, “Her question makes 100% sense. Just because Dr. Zakir Naik failed to understand her concern and POV doesn’t mean she was wrong. also saying she should be sorry for asking such a question and not allowing her to explain her POV is crazy?”
Others also questioned his reasoning behind asking the girl to apologise. “The more I hear this man the more I dislike him. Her question did make sense and as an Islamic scholar he should have asked her to clarify it more for him agar smjh nhi ayi thi? Ye kia tareeka hai k he’s forcing her to admit she’s wrong when we all know she’s not?” (What kind of behaviour is this to force her to admit she’s wrong)”, another user asked.
Another user simply chose to point out the obvious — “He has the same opinions being a scholar that all the men out there have – end of debate”
This is not the first time. Naik’s comments in the past week have all been criticised. In an earlier video, he claimed that those who reside in Pakistan have a higher chance of going to heaven.
“Are you calculating by Kilometers that Pakistan is closer?”, an Instagram user wrote.
One X user also pointed out how the preacher keeps making problematic statements.
“Zakir Naik keeps on digging himself deeper with every question he answers. First, it was the KPK girl. Now, it’s him telling how an unmarried woman who can’t find a single man has two options. Either marry a married man or become a “bazaari aurat”. Tf is this? Who invited him??” the user wrote sharing the video.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Any mention of paedophilia in the context of Islam leads to immediate mortal danger in terms of Sar Tan Se Juda. In recent times the death of Kanhaiyya in Rajasthan is proof. In general Muslims are free to criticize everyone else since they expect a secular environment. But no one should criticize Islam since the muslim public would react emotionally and would be justified in being violent and destructive. The hypocrisy of modern liberal societies is mind boggling.
A person who consummates a relationship with an underage person, a child say 9 years of age is considered a paedophile in all modern societies. No matter what God they claim to worship or receive revelations from.