Controversial televangelist Zakir Naik on Saturday through his public relations officer released "an open letter to Indians" which was titled "Five questions and an appeal".

Naik and his organisation, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), have been facing the heat ever since it was reported that two of the Dhaka cafe attackers were his followers.

Through his letter, Naik questioned why he is "enemy number one" of media, and governments and went on to state "I'm also alarmed at how the system, media and the agencies are being used to suit a pre-meditated end result set by none other than our own governments." Such stories, he said, were "planted".

Calling it "A shock of immense proportions," Naik states that "IRF and I have been set up for a ban." To (oppose) the ban, he says, "I do not say this just for me but because this ban will set a precedence of unspeakable injustices against the 20 crore Muslims of India," and that action against him is action against Muslims. "Let's not be gullible enough to assume that there isn't a deeper agenda behind this vicious campaign. This is not just an attack on me, it's an attack against Indian Muslims," his letter states.

After questioning himself why he is attacked, Naik stated, "I realized some time back that if you've decided to target a community, you've to first target the biggest name and the most popular figure of the community. If you can bring down and demonize this figure of the community, the rest becomes a cakewalk. That, I think, is what is happening."

His five questions on post investigations against him are -- Why now? Why repeat investigations? Why renew, then cancel? Is there design to leaking confidential information of the government, solicitor general and the MHA? and Forced conversions? Really?.

Naik, who has not stated when he will be returning to India said many countries would welcome him with "red carpet treatment". "Perhaps if I am driven out of India, Allah will open up doors for me better than I could have ever imagined. Many countries would welcome this humble servant of God with red carpet treatment."Naik has a particular address to Muslims. "To my Muslim brothers and sisters, I have this to say: Do not let trials such as these weaken your resolve, and know that the promise of Allah is true...." that ends with verses from Quran and sets polytheists against him.

"Is it because the renewal was against the laid down agenda of the government? Why would you suspend FCRA officials? Is it because they did things by the books and acted honestly without any bias or prejudice when they renewed IRF's registration? Is it because they were not influenced by the political agenda of the MHA?"

Javed Anand, former journalist said, "Naik's letter with five questions is not for citizens but clearly addressed to the investigating agencies and the Indian government. I find his statements laughable as an Indian citizen and as an Indian Muslim. The open letter is a mixture of plain lies, undiluted hypocrisy and hallucination."

Anand said, "His claim to have been spreading the message of peace for the last 25 years is nothing but lies through and through. What he has actually been spreading in the name of Islam and peace are prejudice, intolerance, contempt of other religions and its followers, if not outright hatred. That is what his Wahhabi brand of Islam is all about. He survives on the largesse of the Saudi monarchy and sundry Shaikhs from the Gulf countries. For him to invoke the principles of human rights, democracy and constitutional values is nothing short of rank hypocrisy."

"The man is clearly hallucinating in claiming to speak for the 20 crore Muslims of India, proclaiming himself as "the biggest name and the most popular figure from the Muslim community". Naik has never ever uttered a word against Mumbai's anti-Muslim violence (1992-93), the Gujarat riots (2002) or the targeting of Muslims by cow vigilantes in the recent period. Since his open letter to Indians comes in the middle of Ganeshotsav, I would like to ask him a simple question: Would he consider wishing 'Happy Ganeshutsav to millions of Ganeshbhakts or does he consider that to be a great sin?," said Anand.