Zakir naik paid Christians Rs50,000 to convert to Islam

Mumbai: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has been in the eye of the storm for his provocative sermons after Dhaka terror attack, has now been accused of being involved in religious conversion. Sources told Zee Media that Naik's Islamic Research Foundation ​(IRF) gave Rs 50,000 to those who converted to Islam.Around 800 people are said to have been converted to Islam by his foundation.

Revelations are said to have been made by Arshi Qureshi, who was arrested from Navi Mumbai on July 21 by a joint team of Maharashtra ATS and Kerala Police for allegedly radicalising a Kochi-based woman.

Qureshi was picked up from his Navi Mumbai residence and placed under arrest in connection with a case registered in Kochi on July 17.

The case was registered, days after at least 21 youths from Kerala were reported missing and suspected to have joined Islamic State (ISIS), against Yahiya, the husband of Kochi-based Merin alias Mariyam, who went missing in the Middle East about a month ago, and Qureshi, on a complaint by her brother.

In his complaint with Palarivattom police station in Kochi, Merin's brother had alleged that his sister was trapped and converted to Islam and radicalised by Yahiya, a Christian from Palakkad who had embraced Islam, and Qureshi during her stay in Mumbai in connection with her job last year, police had said.

However, in a statement, an IRF spokesperson had said on July 22 that Qureshi was a "Guest Relations Officer" with the organisation, but denied any "encouragement" on part of their staff to make anyone join terrorist organisation, ISIS.

"Dr Zakir Naik and IRF have repeatedly condemned ISIS for being anti-Islamic. No staff of IRF will ever encourage anyone to join 'AISIS' (Anti-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)," the statement had said.