According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India, Zakir Naik’s Peace TV is completely banned. What’s more? Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the hon’ble Government of India has declared that any instances of the TV channels’ broadcast by local cable operators would be considered completely illegal.
Any kind of transmission of Peace TV anywhere in India is completely illegal in the eyes of the law.
So how is it that Zakir Naik’s Peace TV is still catering to and reaching millions in this day and age of tightly instructed, vociferously exerted laws?
Surely this cannot be a mystery absurd and uncommon as the Bermuda Triangle issue. In fact, where it stands at the moment, it’s been well over two years that the government banned the broadcast of Zakir Naik-driven Peace TV.
It’s also worthwhile to mention that Zakir Naik is a ‘wanted’ man in India, needed by security agencies for various crimes and woeful acts such as generating hate speech, wanted for money laundering, and above all- inciting extremism.
At a time where religion should instil peace- something the world craves for and needs the most- it is the so-called ‘religious figures of eminence’ such as Zakir Naik who are misusing its very concept.
But despite the various cases under which he’s booked, it appears that Zakir Naik has taken advantage of the Indian law. He, as a matter of fact, launched a mobile app, in the not-so-distant-past. The mobile app aimed at distributing pieces of religious propaganda was launched as of the last year.
So far, where contemporary records stand, then the said app has received a lakh downloads on Google Play Store. It’s called the Free Peace TV App and it is broadcasted in four separate languages: English, Urdu, Bangla and Chinese.
To the utter surprise of many, his app has a rating of Age+3. How can that even be possible, one wonders?
While the nature of the language clearly suggests that the religious cleric wants to cater to the Hindu and Muslim populations in India and Pakistan, one wonders whether the concept of Bangla is for appealing to Bangladeshi Muslims?
The above told, respected national publication India Today conducted some research so as to establish the real cause behind the transmission of the controversial religious TV, despite the imposition of several bans in India.
To that light, it’s worthwhile to note the following:
The transmission of Naik’s Peace TV is illegal in India after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied it satellite downlink permissions in the country.
The Ministry of Home Affairs also declared it’s broadcast illegal by local cable operators. Yet, surprisingly, Peace TV is available all throughout India.
While Home Ministry and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting banned Zakir Naik’s TV network through satellite and cable broadcasting services, the live telecast of the controversial channel continues through digital and over-the-top (OTT) media services.
According to India, Naik’s been already termed an ‘absconder.’ His television channel has not only been banned in India; even Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have followed suit.
Furthermore, India wants to extradite him and has already approached the revered Interpol for this matter.
Even in Malaysia, where he’s currently based at, Naik is being investigated for inciting religious hatred, something that he’s already been accused of and charged for in India. But what is rather surprising is that despite being banned from delivering public lectures anywhere in Malaysia, so far, the Malay government hasn’t taken a definite step toward deporting the man.
Therefore, no conclusion has been reached as on date regarding the bearded religious cleric’s deportation to India.