Dr. Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation has been banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, (UAPA). The Cabinet note regarding the ban said that Dr. Zakir Naik has been promoting enmity between religious groups and inspiring Muslim youth in India and abroad to commit terrorist acts. 

Since many years, Zakat Foundation of India has been collecting and utilizing ‘zakat’ to provide scholarships to UPSC aspirants and their numerous beneficiaries are now serving as IAS, IPS, IRS officers, etc. In 2020 alone, 27 of the total 40 Muslim candidates selected in the UPSC are products of Zakat Foundation (Link).

A new found link establishes an extremely close connection between Dr. Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation International and Zakat Foundation of India (International):

- Dr. Zakir Naik is a Director with Islamic Research Foundation International.

- Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood, who was also an OSD in Dr. Manmohan Singh's PMO, heads Zakat Foundation of India and is a Director with  Zakat Foundation of India (International).

- Dr. Mohammed Jafer Hussain Qureshi is / was a Director with both Islamic Research Foundation International & Zakat Foundation of India (International).

(List of office bearers of Islamic Research Foundation International (Link) & Zakat Foundation of India (International) (Link).

Zakat Foundation of India’s international partner Madina Trust (Link) was also involved in an attack on the Indian High Commission, London in September, 2019 (Link).

Dr Zahid Ali Parvez, Trustee, Madina Trust is also a trustee with the Islamic Foundation (Link). The Times had reported that two Islamic Foundation trustees were on the UN sanctions list of people associated with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda (Link).

We request a thorough investigation into Zakat Foundation of India's links with terror influencer Dr. Zakir Naik, Taliban & Al-Qaeda and to recall, pending investigation, all the Civil servants who have any link with Zakat Foundation of India or have received a scholarship from them in the past.