RIYADH, 9 October 2005 — Islamic scholar Zakir Naik has called for the launch of a professionally run news agency sponsored by the Muslim states. The aim of the agency should be to counter the Western media’s anti-Islamic bias in the aftermath of 9/11.
He made his proposal at a gathering of Muslims and non-Muslims at the Sri Lankan Embassy in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Expatriates’ Society (SLES) on Friday night. Some 1,500 people attended the gathering amid tight security. In addition to Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq of Sri Lanka, the host, there were various ambassadors and diplomats from Asian and European countries as well as a number of Saudi dignitaries.
Pointing out that the entire Muslim community was being tarred for the deeds of a few misguided elements, Naik said that even the definition of a fundamentalist has changed since 9/11. The old Oxford Dictionary, he pointed out, defined fundamentalism as “a movement in 20th century Protestantism which emphasizes the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teachings.” In the latest definition, the word fundamentalist is associated with Islam and calls a Muslim fundamentalist one who holds “that Islam is not only a religion, but also a political system that governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state.”
Naik pointed out that the anti-Islamic bias in the Western media has produced new English publications whose primary goal is to defend Islam and Muslims against the media attacks. “Muslims have become apologists for Islam since 9/11 and we refuse to be labeled as fundamentalists. There’s nothing to be ashamed of if a Muslim is called a fundamentalist. Every good Muslim has to be a fundamentalist equipped with a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of Islam. Similarly, every scientist has to be a fundamentalist with a good grounding in the fundamentals of science.”
Speaking on “Ambassadors of Islam,” Naik said it was the duty of every Muslim to remove misconceptions about Islam. It is time for Muslims to pay attention to their religion so that they can turn the tables against the religion’s critics instead of being constantly on the defensive. In this context, he explained how he put customs and immigration officials in the United States and Australia on the defensive when they questioned him about jihad and other sensitive topics pertaining to Islam.
