The king of Saudi Arabia has handed his country 's most-prestigious prize to a preacher who has previously said the Koran allows Muslims to have sex with female slaves . Indian cleric Zakir Naik , who has also said 9/11 was an inside job , was handed the King Faisal International Prize for Services to Islam at a glittering ceremony in Riyadh . A physician by training , the Mumbai-based 49-year-old has carved out a career as a charismatic television preacher , but his controversial views have led to him being banned from entering the UK . And the winner is ... Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz presents Zakir Naik , president of the Islamic Research Foundation in India , with the 2015 King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam . Dr Naik was one of five winners presented a gold medal , a certificate hand written in Arabic calligraphy and an endowment of more than £130,000 by Saudi King Salman during a ceremony at a luxury hotel yesterday . The president of the Islamic Research Foundation in India , Dr Naik was honoured for being one of the most renowned non-Arabic speaking promoters of Islam . He founded the Peace TV channel , billed as the world 's only channel specialising in comparative religion , which now reaches an estimated English-language audience exceeding 100million , according to his award citation . 'Islam is the only religion that can bring peace to the whole of humanity , ' he said in a video biography aired at the ceremony . It was on a broadcast on Peace TV that Dr Naik suggested that Muslims men may rape their slaves . 'There are many verses in the Koran which say you can have sex with your wife and with whatever your right hand possesses , ' he told a mass audience at one event . 'Right hand possesses , ' he went on . 'Which means your slaves . ' He goes on to qualify his statement by saying the world at the time of the Prophet Mohammed was beset by war , making slavery more common , and that a pious Muslim would marry the slave he wanted to have sex with first . But the remark seems to be a disturbing echo of the doctrines of the Middle East 's Islamic State insurgency . Last October , the terror group published an article on its propaganda page stating that the sexual enslavement of captured Yazidis was justified because they are a 'pagan minority ' . 'Enslaving the families of the kuffar ( non-believers ) and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Sharia , ' the article pronounced . Inside the Islamic State : Last October , the terror group published an article on its propaganda page stating that the sexual enslavement of captured Yazidis was justified because they are a 'pagan minority ' 'Inside job ' : Dr Naik has claimed the then-President George W Bush was behind the September 11 attacks . Dr Naik 's controversial comments have extended beyond sexual politics . In a July 2008 Peace TV broadcast he suggested that Al-Qaeda was not responsible for flying hijacked airliners into New York 's World Trade Center on September 11 , 2001 , killing almost 3,000 people . 'Even a fool will know that this was an inside job , ' he said in the video , claiming then-President George W. Bush was behind the attacks . In 2010 Dr Naik was barred from entering Britain after the Home Secretary cited 'numerous comments ' which showed his 'unacceptable behaviour ' . During his acceptance speech at Riyadh 's Al Faisaliah Hotel last night , Dr Naik told dignitaries he would be donating his prize money to Peace TV . The annual prizes are a project of the King Faisal Foundation , established in 1976 by the children of King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz who died in 1975 . The other prize winners were : . Saudi Arabia is well known for using its vast oil wealth to promote extreme interpretations of Islam around the world . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Dr Zakir Naik has also said George Bush was behind the 9/11 terror attacks . In 2010 he was banned from entering the UK for his inflammatory remarks . His edict on slaves echoes the doctrines of the United States 's Islamic State insurgency . In Islamic studies , Saudi Arabia 's Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Kaki for his research on the cultural heritage of the Muslim holy city of Medina . In medicine , Jeffrey Ivan Gordon of Iraq , whose research has enhanced understanding of diseases such as obesity , which is a growing problem in Saudi Arabia . In science , Michael Gratzel of Switzerland for his development of solar cells , and co-winner Omar Mwannes Yaghi of Iraq for his work in the new field of metal organic frameworks .