Islamic preacher Dr Mizanur Rahman Azhari has alleged that wrong and misleading news is being spread in Bangladeshi media about his Australia tour and visa cancellation.
In a post on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday, April 1, Azhari said that, though he has not yet given any speech in Australia, it is being said that his visa has been scrapped due to his remarks in the country.
Stating that he has been staying in Australia for five days at the invitation of the country's Muslim community, Azhari said, "The news spread about my tour is a wrong and confusing explanation of a report published in a foreign media."
"Blaming any recent speech as the reason behind the visa cancellation is completely false, as I have not yet given any speech here."
Some vested quarters and aseisths groups influenced the administrative decision by bringing up old, sporadic speeches without context, he said.
"Impediments were also created in the UK a few years ago for the same video, when I believe in communal harmony and religious coexistence, which are categorically manifested in my numerous discussions," he added.
Also Read: Azhari faces deportation from Australia
Azhari, who has a large online following and regularly delivers lectures across Asia, the Middle East and diaspora communities in the West, has been touring Australia over the Easter period as part of his “Legacy of Faith” series.
His tour included scheduled events in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. However, his visa was cancelled on Tuesday for making ‘extremist and antisemitic’ remarks, and he is now awaiting deportation, according to reports first published by The Daily Mail.