There is yet another statement expressed by Dr Zakir Naik, this time on how political parties in the country should organise themselves to further the cause of Islam and Muslims.

I sincerely hope that Malaysians, particularly non-Malays and non-Muslims, will not react to his latest statement. I think it will not make Malaysia any better.

Before this, I remember Hindraf and other NGOs have made complaints with regards to his lectures. Following that, groups supportive of him have come out to defend him, claiming that there was no insult hurled by him on others. He was merely preaching his religion, not belittling others’ faiths, they argued.

I did not follow his lectures and I am no expert in religions, be it Islam or other faiths. Therefore, I do not know what was preached by Zakir was radical or otherwise. Similarly, I have no way to know the protests staged by Hindus and others are justified.

However, this is what I know - in this country, non-Muslims and non-Malays do not protest how Islam should be preached or decide which Islamic scholars are welcome to our shores.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not being docile and spineless. This is just realpolitik.

Protest made him more popular

I think it was the protests by non-Muslims that made him even more popular, adamant and defiant in his sermons. It was the protests by the non-Muslims that made the Muslims, rightly or wrongly, more supportive of him.

I think it was unnecessary attention we gave to this preacher (who was disbarred from entering the United Kingdom and Canada) that enabled him to have an audience with our deputy prime minister and a breakfast meeting with our prime minister.

No matter how justified the protests staged by non-Muslims, it is not going to work because faith is so personal, sensitive and political in Malaysia. All religions could argue till the cows come home and they could all end up equally right or equally wrong.

We should let the authorities hear his sermons and more importantly, we should let the Muslims judge his words. If evaluations have come from within the Muslim community, I am sure it is more palatable and acceptable.

After all, we have enough home-grown preachers who are controversial to the hilt. One addition from India would not make a difference.

In my lifetime, I have come across many preachers and evangelists who would talk till the earth shakes, but ultimately they have contributed nothing significant to the society or country they preached.

In this Zakir Naik phenomenon, I say we should let the storm pass. If we have not created a fuss, very few will remember his name after one week.