LONDON, June 18 Britain has banned a radical Indian preacher who advocated that “every Muslim should be a terrorist” from entering the country, a paper reported on Friday, citing the interior minister.

Zakir Naik, a 44-year-old television preacher, had been due to give a series of lectures in London and northern England, but new Home Secretary Theresa May decided to bar him, said the Daily Telegraph.

“I have excluded Dr Naik from the UK,” said Ms May, cited by the paper.

“Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour. “Coming to the UK is a privilege, and not a right, and I am not willing to allow those who might not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK.”

Theresa May, a Conservative politician who became home secretary in the new government last month, has the power to exclude or deport an individual if she believes their presence in Britain could be dangerous.

Naik had been filmed on a website making inflammatory comments, interior ministry sources told the newspaper.—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...