Regulators seek to revoke Peace TV’s license in UK, for already banned Zakir Naik’s speeches
British office of communication, Ofcom is being urged to immediately revoke the license of the TV station founded by Islamic Preacher Dr. Zakir Naik. Who was banned from UK over concerns about extremism.
Dr. Zakir Naik founded the channel Peace TV in 2006, which broadcasts from Dubai. This channel claims to have more than 200 million viewers in hundreds of countries around the world.
In UK, Dr Zakir Naik’s Peace TV, has continued broadcasting to millions of British households since he was barred from entering the country in 2010.
In 2010, high profile preacher was banned by Theresa May when she was home secretary, after he praised Osama bin Laden and said “all Muslims should be terrorists”.
The TV station was banned in India and Bangladesh in 2016 after its founder, Zakir Naik’s speeches were blamed for inspiring a terror attack in Dhaka which killed 22 people.
As being reported, Peace TV has repeatedly fallen foul of broadcasting rules on extreme content but remains available to Sky subscribers on its English and Urdu channels in UK.
The Henry Jackson Society has accused Ofcom of “a material failure” to protect viewers in UK by revoking the station’s licence.
British publication reports that the media regulator said it had launched “six detailed investigations” earlier this year to find out whether Peace TV had breached regulations that protect audiences from hate speech, offence and the incitement of crime.
In 2012, Peace TV was found to have breached Ofcom rules by broadcasting a speech in which the Dr Naik said he “tend[ed] to agree” that Muslims “should be put to death” if they converted to another faith and tried to spread their new religion against Islam.
In 2016, four years later, Peace TV’s Urdu channel was fined £65,000 for airing lectures of late Islamic scholar Israr Ahmad, in which he described Jewish people as “a cursed race” with an “evil plan” that had filled Europe with “poison”.
Dr. Zakir Naik has been reported to have resign as the director of the company which holds Peace TV’s licence in May this year. But he is still listed as the channel’s lead speaker and the station is funded by his charity, the Islamic Research Foundation International.
This charity was banned in India last year to safeguard its national security, but it remains a registered charity in the UK.
Dr Zakir Naik, who now reportedly lives in Malaysia, is being sought to extrude by Indian security services, for allegedly inciting terrorism and delivering hate speeches.
