Zakir Naik NGO can’t receive foreign funds directly

The Union home ministry has put controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO Islamic Research Foundation in prior permission category for receiving foreign funds. The ministry has asked the RBI to seek prior permission before any foreign donations can be released to the NGO.

The decision comes in wake of an initial investigation conducted by the ministry which revealed that some of the activities carried out by the IRF were contrary to the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA).

The foreigners division of the home ministry had renewed the FCRA licence of IRF a few days ago even as several investigations are being conducted by central agencies as well as the Maharashtra government against the activities of the NGO. Taking serious note of what it described as major lapse in renewing IRF’s FCRA licence the home ministry had suspended joint secretary G.K. Dwivedi, who was heading the foreigners division and three other officers.

Mr Naik has been accused of radicalising and attracting youths for terror acts. His role came under the scanner after it was reported that one of the attackers of the July 1 terror strike in Dhaka in July, Rohan Imtiaz, ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting the preacher.

Mr Naik is already banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speeches.