Lucknow Muslim scholar gets fatwa By Amita Verma

Maulana Mufti Abdul Irfan Qadvi, the qazi of Lucknow, on Friday issued a fatwa against Dr Zakir Naik, the owner of Peace television, an Islamic television channel.

Dr Naik is accused of supporting international terrorist Osama Bin Laden on his television and the fatwa says his teachings are un-Islamic and contradict the holy Quran.

Dr Naik is an orator in Peace TV and is popular for his critical analysis of Islam and teachings of Quran.

The 37-year-old medical professional is an Islamic scholar and is known to clear misconceptions about Islam through his lectures.

Dr Naik is also accused of supporting Osama bin Laden during his lectures. However, Dr Naik has clarified that he wanted to convey the fact that America does not have the right to call Osama a terrorist since the country supports terror itself. Meanwhile, the fatwa seems to have created a clear division within the Muslim community.