His Excellency Sheikh Muhammad Khalid Hanafi, Acting Minister of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the current authority in Afghanistan, met with a delegation of Muslim scholars visiting Kabul headed by Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), at the headquarters of the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday 22 Dhul Qi’dah 1443H corresponding to 21 June 2022G.

His Excellency the Minister began the meeting by expressing his heartfelt thanks to the delegation for visiting Afghanistan, noting that his ministry is working hard to enable the Afghan people to adhere to the teachings of Islam and Afghan traditions in all areas of life. He also appealed to the delegation of Muslim scholars to urge their countries to recognize the ruling authority in Afghanistan. This is because it is the only legitimate authority representing the Afghan people, praising the struggle and sacrifice made by the current authority for the Afghan people for four decades.

For his part, His Excellency the Secretary General, head of the delegation, expressed his great thanks and great gratitude to His Excellency and the ruling authority in Afghanistan for the warm reception and hospitality. He also praised the well-known Afghan tradition of venerating scholars and revering saints and elders, and the delegation has clearly seen this tradition since its arrival in Kabul.

Then His Excellency presented an introductory overview of the Academy, which is the supreme jurisprudential reference for the Muslim Ummah with regard to clarifying the Shariah rulings in calamities and issues of concern to Muslims everywhere, explaining that the visit of the delegation of Muslim scholars comes in implementation of the decision of the Ministerial Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which recommended that the Academy leads a delegation of Muslim scholars to Afghanistan with the aim of discussing and engaging with the current authority, scholars and officials, on a number of issues and topics of concern to the Afghan people, foremost of which is the issue of tolerance, coexistence and harmony among followers of religions and sects, the issue of extremism and terrorism, and the issue of women’s education and work.

In order to achieve this, His Excellency spoke on behalf of the delegation about the importance of adhering to the approach of moderation, and spreading the culture of tolerance and coexistence in Afghan society, in compliance with what was decided by the texts of the Qur’an, Sunnah and consensus of forbidding compulsion in religion, fanaticism, and extremism, citing a number of texts from the Noble Qur’an and Sunnah. His Excellency also spoke on behalf of the delegation about the importance of educating both sexes, male and female, and not to differentiate between them, in compliance with the consensus of the Ummah that seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim, and that knowledge is an act of worship in which it is not permissible to differentiate between males and females. It is also not permissible to differentiate between a male and a female in the pillars of Islam such as testimony, prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj and so on. His Excellency also spoke about the importance of the participation of both sexes in the efforts to build the state of Afghanistan by enabling men and women to work in all areas of life that each one of them is good at, provided that the basis for differentiating between them is competence and the ability to do work with sincerity and mastery, explaining that work is worship like knowledge and one of the pillars of Islam, faith, and virtues mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, the honorable Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah.

His Excellency concluded his speech by expressing the aspiration of the delegation of scholars for the ministry, through its agencies and in cooperation with all state agencies, to enhance awareness of these topics and the aforementioned issues, in accordance with the Shariah regulations decided by the rulers in every era and state to safeguard religion and rule the country.

In response to the delegation’s submissions, His Excellency the Minister thanked the delegation for the advice it provided in the interest of the future of the Islamic Emirate, and of the reminder to the current authority of its responsibility before God and the Afghan people. His Excellency also promised the delegation that he would convey sincerely and honestly the suggestions and opinions presented by the scholars, calling the delegation to future visits to Afghanistan whenever the opportunity arose.