By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Bangalore: A banglore-based human rights group of Islamic organisations working under the umbrella of ‘Mission Possible for Justice and Rights’ have started an online petition on change.org addressed to Press Council of India against what the group calls, ” Vilification campaign by Indian Media” against Islamic scholar and founder of Islamic Research Foundation, Dr. Zakir Naik.
The petition, started on Wednesday, has already been signed by more than 30,000 netizens, till the filing of this report.
The petition alleges Indian media of “deliberately attempting to link Dr. Zakir Naik” to the terrorists who attacked a restaurant in Dhaka which killed 23, besides creating a negative public opinion against him.
“Our question to media organisations in this country, who are deliberately concocting a public opinion and making a case against him, is how can a man, who denounces terrorism, be responsible for heinous terror attacks,” reads letter addressed to PCI.
The letter further mentions that, “Dr. Zakir Naik has never said anything, which goes against the Constitution of India, in any of his speeches. Practising and propagating one’s religion in a peaceful manner is a right every citizen of this country enjoys.”
“Our intention with this online petition is to have the Press Council India, take action against these media houses, for defaming and tarnishing the image of an innocent, law-abiding citizen,” said Mission Possible’s President Shariff Bin Basheer.
“This is a malicious conspiracy by the media.Media organisations cannot run parallel courts in this country,” he adds.
Explaining their next course of action, the Mission Possible’s president told TwoCircles.net, “The petition has been marked to the Press Council of India and its chairman Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad. Which means, all the signatures the petition is gathering has been sent to them. We’ll also meet the chairman and raise a personal complaint against these media houses,” he said and added, ” We are currently in talks with our lawyers, so defamatory cases against each and every of these media organisations will follow, insha’Allah.”
Importantly, Dr Zakir Naik, has been in the center of raging storm after one of the Dhaka attackers were allegedly found to be inspired by his lectures on Islam.
The central and Maharashtra state government has started a probe on Naik’s lectures including funding sources of IRF.
Online Petition Link:
https://www.change.org/p/press-council-of-india-indian-media-stop-the-vilification-campaign-against-dr-zakir-naik