Mumbai, school of the Islamic preacher who 'inspired' Dhaka massacre closed

The institute is located in Mazgaon's central district and hosts 135 students. Zakir Naik is the founder of the Islamic Research Foundation, banned five years ago. He is one of the best-known exponents of the radical positions of Salaf Islam. 


Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Maharashtra School of Education closed Mumbai's Zakir Naik school, the Islamic preacher who inspired the Dhaka massacre with his television sermons. The school has no permits or state approval. But many believe that the closure of the institute is due to charges hanging on Naik's head, investigated for terrorism and money laundering.

BB Chavan, Education Inspector of South Mumbai, said seals were imposed according to the Right to Education Act 2009. The norm provides that no school may be opened without the approval of the government or local planning authority.

The institute is located in Mazgaon's central district and hosts 135 students. It is part of the Islamic Research Foundation (Irf), the Islamic NGO based in Mumbai (owned by the preacher), under investigation after the attack in Bangladesh's capital. Investigators have highlighted a direct link between Naik and Rohan Imtiaz, one of Dhaka's terrorists.

The "tele-preacher" is one of the best-known exponents of the radical positions of Salaf Islam. After the bomb attack in the Gulshan neighborhood bar, Bangladesh and Pakistan governments have taken the TV channel off the airwaves, which transmits sermons that are an incitement  to religious hatred. He was banned from Canada, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. Subsequently, the Indian government also banned the Islamic Research Foundation for five years after audiovisual demonstrations have shown demonstrating that the preacher praised the jihad and invited all Muslims to become terrorists.