Zakir Naik, an Indian Islamic preacher; founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)
Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (born 18 October 1965) is an Indian Islamic televangelist, physician and preacher. He is a non-Arabic religious scholar and public orator who focuses on Islam and comparative religion. He is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and the Peace TV Network, one of the largest religious satellite channel networks in the world.Naik, a lecturer, says that his goal is to "concentrate on the educated Muslim youth who have become apologetic about their own religion and have started to feel the religion is outdated". He frequently engages in debates that often last for hours.
A runaway, Naik is currently wanted by Indian authorities on charges of terror financing, hate speech, inciting communal hatred, and money laundering. Naik fled the country in 2016. Despite several requests from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's counter-terrorist task force, Interpol has refused to issue a red notice for Naik's arrest. On the basis of hate-speech laws, Naik's Peace TV's channel is banned in India, Bangladesh, Canada, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom.