Dr. Zakir Naik Confirmed to lecture in the Maldives

Ministry of Islamic Affairs has confirmed that prominent religious scholar Dr. Zakir Naik would be in the Maldives from 25 – 31 May 2010 to deliver a lecture.

Dr. Naik, who is traveling to Maldives, upon an invitation from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, would also be traveling with his family. The visit will feature three separate lectures, one by Dr. Naik, another by his son Fariq Zakir Naik and a third one by Dr. Naiyk’s wife, Farhath Zakir Naiyk, which would be targeted on women.

Zakir Naik is the President and the Founder of the Islamic Research Foundation, a religious NGO. Mumbai-based peace channel also belong to the Islamic Research Foundation. In addition to being the channel’s most popular presenter he is also the most frequent lecturer in the channel.

Many believe Zakir Naik as the world’s most popular Islamic scholar.

Islamic Ministry has been working to bring him since last year.

Naik has held many debates and lectures around the world as well as in Mumbai, India. One of Naik's debates took place in Chicago in April, 2000 featuring Dr. William Campbell of Pennsylvania, USA on the topic "The Qur'an and the Bible: In the Light of Science".

Delivering a lecture titled Why Westerners embrace Islam in November 2002 at King Fahd Hospital auditorium in Jeddah, Naik argued that Islam offers practical solutions to various problems facing the West such as adultery, alcoholism, and filial ingratitude.

Naik also stated that "despite the strident anti-Islam campaign, 34,000 Americans have embraced Islam from September 2001 to July 2002." He cited an article by Edward Said published in the Time Magazine, which said that 60,000 books about Islam and the Orient have been written between 1800 and 1950 alone.

In the lecture at Melbourne University, Naik argued that only Islam gave women true equality. He stressed the importance of the headscarf by arguing that the more "revealing Western dress" makes women more susceptible to rape.

On 21 January 2006, Naik held an inter-religious dialogue with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The event was about the concept of God in Islam and Hinduism, the aim being to bring understanding between the two major religions of India, and at best to point out the commonalities between both Islam and Hinduism, such as how idolatry is prohibited. It was held in Bangalore, India with up to 50,000 attending at the Palace Grounds.

Following a lecture by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2006, Naik offered to engage in a live public debate with him, but the Pope has not responded to this invitation.