KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Local Indian-Muslim groups have banded together in full support of Dr Zakir Naik, claiming that even Hindu-majority India did not meddle with the controversial Muslim preacher’s talks.

The Federation of Malaysian Indian Muslims Association (Permim) and 58 other groups claimed that Dr Zakir’s talks throughout his native country India had been attended by famous Hindu scholars and religious leaders, but noted that no one had ever protested or called for a suspension of Dr Zakir’s lectures.

“These lectures have never caused any discord, tension, misunderstanding or social disharmony among the various religious communities.

“India which is a Hindu-dominant country has not in any way interfered with his lectures and the topics on which he speaks,” a statement dated yesterday by the umbrella group representing all Indian Muslims in Malaysia said.

They said instead that it was an “honour” that Dr Zakir chose to come to Malaysia again on the invitation of the Terengganu state government, despite purportedly being asked to attend 4,000 other events elsewhere.

According to the groups, Dr Zakir previously lectured in a hall packed with Muslims and non-Muslims at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)’s Shah Alam campus.

“He spoke about the Oneness of God as stated in the Quran and the Authentic Scriptures. He quoted the Vedas, Upanishad and the Bible.

“There was nothing slanderous, demeaning or derogatory statements about any religion, their practises or beliefs. There was no commotion or disharmony in the hall during or after his lectures,” the groups said.

Insisting that Dr Zakir’s lectures were intellectual discourse based on the holy scriptures of various religions, they claimed that the “vehement opposition and protest” by unnamed organisations against the talks amounted to an “unwarranted interference in Islamic affairs of the state”.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to determine which Islamic speaker can or cannot be invited and what are the topics that they can and cannot speak,” Permim and the 58 other groups said.

Critics who denigrated Dr Zakir were hurting the feelings of Muslims and could cause social disharmony, they said as they challenged them to engage in a televised debate with the Muslim preacher.

“Those who disagree should engage in a debate with him and make known your views and interpretation of the Quran, Vedas, Upanishad and the Bible, which would be viewed by over 100 million people through Peace TV,” they added.

Dr Zakir’s religious talks have drawn criticisms due to his views in comparing Hinduism and Islam.

Dr Zakir, who received the government’s Tokoh Maal Hijrah award in 2013, previously angered the Hindu community here by allegedly insulting their deities along with the vegetarian practises of the faith.

The Islamic Research Foundation president had also been denied entry to Canada and United Kingdom in 2012 after he reportedly expressed his support of terrorist group al-Qaeda.