learning from the Islamic televangelist Zakir Naik case, the country’s law enforcement agencies have initiated steps to map the origin and mode — television, radio and internet — of dissemination of radical speeches.
This after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) directed the Ministry of Home Affairs, States and Intelligence Bureau to identify the “origin of sermons and the technology used to disseminate them”.
During e meeting chaired by the PMO, it was pointed out that the controversial preacher Zakir Naik deliberately insulted the religious beliefs of Hindus, Christians and Islamic sects like Shia, Sufi and Barelvi, and his speeches influenced youths to the cause of the terror group Islamic State.
Seeing the impact of the damage done, the PMO also directed, “Initiative should also be taken for training of people and production of inspirational films for the purpose of de-radicalisation.”
The MHA, States and police forces across the country have been asked to form a speacilised team to start a de-radicalisation process so that further incidents of radicalisation do not happen.
“The State police should also monitor funding of various non governmental organisations and other organisations involved in anti-national activities,” the directions issued by the PMO stated. Also, the MHA and IB have been asked to “initiate action in a time-bond manner” and report the progress to the PMO.
A senior police officer, who attended the meeting, explained the directions have been issued to see that the radicalised youths are rehabilitated. The officer said, “Damage has been done. Now let us not repeat it.” The role of NGOs are under scanner as Naik’s NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), banned in 2016 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as private firm Harmony Media Pvt ltd, conspired to promote enmity and hatred between different religious groups and insultied certain sects of Islam and other religions .
Naik has been chargesheeted under the UAPA for heading an unlawful association and inciting youth to take up terror acts and join global terror outfits like Islamic State. The National Investigation Agency is probing cases against Naik, who has relocated in Malaysia in 2017 from Saudi Arabia, where he had been staying since 2016. Naik has a huge fan following across the world, with adherents mesmerised by his rhetoric.
NIA has stated that Naik had deliberately and maliciously insulted beliefs of Hindus, Christians and certain Muslim sects that did not subscribe to Wahhabism, with the intention to outrage religious feelings, and IRF and Harmony Media were instrumental in the circulation of incriminating speeches in the form of CDs/DVDs/TV programmes..
Radicalisation is the process of directly and indirectly motivating Muslims to participate in jihadi terror, based on religious teachings and grievance-nurturing by Islamic preachers, the Urdu press and other Islamic media.
As per reports, around a dozen States have witnessed incidents of radicalisation including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.