ibn sultan
New Delhi, Oct 11: Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to the historic Darul Uloom Deoband seminary is being described as a pivotal moment in South Asia’s Islamic diplomacy, with experts calling it a symbolic attempt by Kabul to redefine its religious and geopolitical orientation.
According to a News18 report, the visit highlights Afghanistan’s desire to reconnect with its spiritual heritage and distance its Islamic narrative from Pakistan’s clerical influence.
During his visit, Muttaqi praised Deoband as the “Madre Ilm” (Mother of Knowledge), saying Afghanistan continues to draw moral and spiritual guidance from the Indian seminary, which has long shaped the country’s ulema. He emphasized that a true Deobandi upholds moderation, unity among Muslims, and peaceful coexistence—values that stand against extremism in Islam. He also thanked Indian scholars for preserving the Deobandi intellectual tradition.
A senior Deobandi cleric warmly received Muttaqi “as a student returning to his school,” stressing that ilm (knowledge) and akhlaq (character)—not warfare—define the real spirit of Deoband. He pointed to the shared spiritual bond between India and Afghanistan, asserting that dialogue and scholarship are the best means to promote aman aur insaaf (peace and justice) in the region.
Analysts quoted by News18 see the visit as part of a broader geopolitical recalibration by the Taliban regime. For decades, the movement’s ideological ties were rooted in Pakistan’s Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak—often called the “University of Jihad.” Muttaqi’s outreach to India’s Deoband, they say, signals Kabul’s attempt to assert an independent Islamic identity and move its spiritual and political center of gravity away from Pakistan’s influence.
