Zakir Naik – Excluded From UK in 2010

			Every community has its black sheep. And I'm also aware that there are black sheep in the Muslim
community.
		

			What does the media do? The media picks up the black sheep of the Muslim community and they portray
as exemplary Muslims.
		

			Because of this today, we find that
		

			most of the people think that Islam promotes terrorism. If you read the Quran, if you read the
sayings of the Prophet, Islam amongst all the religions is that the foremost in condemning the
killing of innocent human beings and one such prey of the media.
		

			Of these media tactics
		

			was myself.
		

			Eight months back
		

			in the fourth week of June 2010, I was supposed to give a series of talk in UK
		

			are supposed to give a talk in the Wembley Arena in Wembley, London, in LG arena, NBC Birmingham, as
well as Sheffield Arena in Sheffield. All these venues had a capacity of 10 to 15,000 people and the
the prestigious venues.
		

			Just three weeks before my lecture tour, there was an article which came in one of the leading
newspaper that Sunday Times, Sunday Times it gave an article, Muslim preacher of hate, let into
Britain. And this article, it gave portions of my speeches which were either quoted out of context,
or they're misquoted, and it portrayed me as a preacher of fate, a person who promotes terrorism.
		

			And the next couple of days, the same article was picked up rehashed and reprinted in many of the
newspapers of UK, not only newspapers of UK, but newspapers internationally, including the
newspapers of India.
		

			Unfortunately, these articles inspired
		

			the Home Security of UK Theresa May to pass an exclusion order on the 16th of June 2010.
		

			After reading his articles, and hearing some clips from the YouTube, which again, is out of context,
		

			and there were portions which were manipulated based on these YouTube clips, and the media report,
the Home Secretary of UK on 16th of June 2010, she passed an exclusion order against me. And the
next day 17th of June, the deputy High Commissioner of Britain in Bombay. On the 17th of June, they
revoked and canceled my visa, I had a valid five years multiple entry visa to UK, which was issued
on the 15th of July 2008, valid till 15th of July 2013. I've been coming to guess in the past 20
years, I've come several times. And for lecture to others several times, I had a valid multiple
entry five years visa which had come twice before in 2008 2009, which was cancelled without giving
		

			me a fair hearing. I think this is an attack on freedom of expression, as well as human rights.
		

			Charles Farr,
		

			who is the Director General of the Office of security and counterterrorism, he was not in favor of
this exclusion order. And he wanted me to reach to those Muslims, who he felt the government could
not reach.
		

			But the Home Secretary, ignoring the advice of her senior more security adviser, she went ahead with
the exclusion order. And later on a few weeks later, she even suspended one of the advisors and the
Charles Farr, who supported me.
		

			I personally have more faith in the judicial system. But other than the political system of my
country, India, as soon as the country of UK
		

			we did a judicial review
		

			and took it to the High Court. Though the Home Secretary said I have no right to file in the human
rights because I'm a non UK citizen. Justice Gaston said and he reviewed it and he said that he can
file a case and he passed the judgment and said that the first three decisions of the Home Secretary
on 16th of June 17 of June and the 27th of June, all three were unlawful. But however, later on in
the month of August 2010 when they gave additional information. He said that this is lawful, which
is not logical
		

			Have faith in the judicial system. We have filed for an appeal against the last defender of the High
Court and a full faith that inshallah very shortly, this exclusion order would be reversed by the
court of appeal.
		

			I hope in future, we have the chance to meet the Home Secretary Theresa May, personally, and explain
to her the peaceful message of Islam and remove any misconception about Islam or any of my lecture
that she may have. I would have personally preferred to come personally in the Oxford Union and give
this talk and have a lively question session rather than the satellite.
		

			Last month,
		

			I'd gone to France, I was in Paris,
		

			we had a board meeting of our trust, Islamic foundation International, which is based in UK, as well
as universal broadcast limited, because I could not come to UK I call the board members to Paris.
And I was shocked. Normally, the world feels that France is more strict against Islam than UK. But
when I applied for visa, I got it within one hour.
		

			And we had the board meeting there or prefer having a new kid. But because of the exclusion order,
which I feel the Court of Appeal very shortly we'll reverse it. And though the world may think
		

			that because of the exclusion order, it is an attack on freedom of expression. I would like to thank
Oxford Union, that even though an exclusion order has been passed on me yet, they permitted this
debate or this lecture for the question answer session. I would like to thank the Oxford Union,
especially the President, Mr. James Langman, for being bold and agreeing to have this lecture.
		

			The Oxford Union may or may not agree with my speech.
		

			They may like my talk, I may not like my talk. What I appreciate is that they are really people who
promote freedom of expression.