Isis: Saudi Arabia awards top prize to cleric Zakir Naik who condones sex with female slaves

Yazidi women, largely persecuted by Islamic state (Isis) in occupied areas, hold signs during demonstration against the attacks of IS in Iraq in front of the European Parliament at the Luxembourg square in Brussels Getty Images

A controversial Indian cleric who believes it is permissible for terror groups such as Islamic State (Isis) to have sex with their female slaves has been awarded the Saudi Arabia's King Faisal international prize for his contribution to promote Islam.

The prize was first awarded in 1979 and aims to recognise people's efforts to make meaningful positive changes. Zakir Naik received it along with four other people during a ceremony in a hotel in Riyadh.

Naik is president of the Islamic Research Foundation. He also founded the Peace TV channel where, in 2008, he declared the 9/11 attacks were not carried out by terror group al-Qaeda as it was "an inside job".

In another occasion, Naik said during a speech on Peace TV that the Quran allows men "to have sex with their wives and what their right hand possesses, which means their slaves."

During his acceptance speech, Naik announced he would donate his entire monetary award of SR750,000 (£129,999, $200,000) to his channel, according to the Saudi Gazette. Naik also said the prize would be an "incentive for me to complete what I have started".

The Indian cleric has previously sparked worldwide outrage for publicly advocating capital punishment for homosexuals and people who renounce Islam. He also said husbands can beat their women with moderation and called for India to be ruled by Sharia law.

Naik was banned from the UK in 2010 for "unacceptable behaviour" due to his controversial comments. Following the ban, veteran scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan accused him of "peddling some provocative, dubious ideas". In 2012, Naik was also denied to attend as a speaker at an Islamic conference in Toronto.