Ramasamy also described the organiser’s offer to fly him and his wife down as generous.

He said he would rather debate Zakir on comparative religion in the future, if the latter was prepared.

“Zakir might be a good debater, but I doubt he is an authority on comparative religion because his perspective is theological. In reality, it has to be sociological, too.

“If he is prepared to debate, we will debate on a mutually acceptable topic,” he told FMT.

Several groups had expressed displeasure over the contents of Zakir’s string of lectures.

They urged the government to bar him from speaking in the country to maintain peace and harmony. One of the lectures at a university in Malacca was scrapped after police were against the particular subject which called for a comparison between Islam and Hinduism.

However, other groups are still organising other lectures in various parts of the country.

Ramasamy has been vocal about Zakir’s lectures. Several groups voiced their displeasure over Ramasamy’s criticism against Zakir and Ramasamy apologised for these remarks.

The organisers of Zakir’s lecture series accepted Ramasamy’s apologies and promptly extended an invitation to him and his wife to attend the preacher’s lectures in Bukit Jalil this Saturday.

Ramasamy said he was an advocate of free speech but said doing so at the expense of deriding other faiths was unacceptable.

“We must remind ourselves that freedom is not absolute. You cannot use it to denigrate or disparage other faiths. This is what I find the problem with Zakir’s lectures.”

Ramasamy said Zakir should test the waters in his home ground in Mumbai, India, by having lectures there.

“Zakir is from Mumbai, the cradle of Hindu renaissance. I wonder if he is willing to conduct the same kind of lectures there?