Islamic preacher to legally dispute UK visa denial
July 02 2010 by Liam Clifford
Controversial preacher Naik
An Islamic preacher, Dr Zakir Naik, who is also a tele-evangelist based in Mumbai, has announced he is to embark upon legal proceedings against the UK immigration department for refusing to grant him a UK visa.
The UK immigration
department recently revoked a five-year visa, which was issued to the preacher
in 2008. The department concluded that the visa was revoked as comments made by
Naik were “inflammatory” and “not conducive to the public good.”
The
decision to revoke the visa was made in advance of Naik’s scheduled visit to the
UK to take part in a series of lectures on peace.
Naik has now announced
to press in India, “I have hired a battery of lawyers.” He explained that he
wanted to seek an appeal at London’s High Court and will also ask for support
from the Ministry of External Affairs in India.
Naik’s lawyers, Majeed
Memon, said that the UK immigration department’s rushed order was unlikely to
stand up in an appeals court. Naik says he never has and never will support
terrorism and has always "unequivocally condemned" the killing of innocents,
such as during 9/11 and 7/7.
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