Theresa May bans Zakir Naik from entering UK
Categories: Latest News
Friday June 18 2010
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The government has banned Dr Zakir Naik, an Indian Muslim preacher, from entering the UK where has was due to arrive today to begin a lecture tour that would see him appear at the Sheffield Arena, London’s Wembley Arena and Birmingham’s LG Arena in the NEC. |
From the Telegraph:
‘The Home Secretary can exclude or deport an individual if she thinks that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.
‘There had been speculation that Dr Naik would be allowed into the UK. However Mrs May said she was excluding him because of the “numerous comments” he made were evidence of his “unacceptable behaviour”.
‘This behaviour applies to anyone who writes or publishes material which can “foment justify or glorify terrorist violence” or “seek to provoke others to terrorist acts”.
‘Mrs May told The Daily Telegraph: “I have excluded Dr Naik from the UK. Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour.
‘“Coming to the UK is a privilege not a right and I am not wiling to allow those who might not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK.
‘“Exclusion powers are very serious and no decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate on issues.”
‘Home Office sources said Dr Naik had been filmed on a website making inflammatory comments such as “every Muslim should be a terrorist”.
‘He said: “When a robber sees a policeman he’s terrified. So for a robber, a policeman is a terrorist. So in this context, every Muslim should be a terrorist to the robber.”’
Dr Zakir Naik, considered among the top 100 most powerful men in India and the latest individual who has been excluded by the UK government from entering Britain, is yet another example of the creeping assault on freedom of expression and the effectiveness of malevolent campaigning run by lobbyists and sections of the media.
At the end of last month, numerous newspapers ran sensationalist headlines:
The Times: ‘Muslim preacher of hate is let into Britain’
The Daily Mail: ‘Allowed into UK, the preacher who backs Bin Laden’
The Daily Express: ‘Terror backer’ can enter UK…despite Tories’ ban pledge
The Daily Star: ‘Islamic extremist Zakir Naik to start tour preaching hate’
For his part, Zakir Naik has issued a press release in which he emphasises that his comments about Bin Laden were made in 1996, and that he ‘unequivocally condemns acts of violence including 9/11, 7/7 and 7/11 (Serial train bombing in Mumbai) which are completely and absolutely unjustifiable on any basis.’
Readers will recall that when an arrest warrant was issued for Tzipi Livni, the Jewish Leadership Council reportedly ‘warned the government that an inability to invite Israeli leaders to Britain was probably discriminatory against the Jewish community.’ Does it not follow that it is discriminatory against the Muslim community to ban Zakir Naik?
The issue of excluding speakers also raises the question of how arbitrarily we assess the good versus bad statements made by speakers. If we are to extend the same gesture to others who allegedly incite violence and are not conducive to the public good, then surely, the government should also be scrutinising whether Benny Morris (who described the Arab world as ‘barbarian’ and Palestinians as wild animals who had to be locked up in ‘a cage’), Avigdor Lieberman (who called for the execution of Arab Israeli Knesset members who were in contact with Hamas or marked the Nakba) and Geert Wilders, best known for his strident attacks on Islam, should gain entry into the UK.
Arguably, though we may not agree with speakers’ views, they should be able to visit the UK. If they are then thought to have broken any of our laws then a prosecution should be brought forth.
You can write to your local MP to press the home secretary, Theresa May, on why the government has selectively enforced its denial of entry into the UK:
Find your MP, and write to them: