Islamic Seminary Denies Barring Women Journalists During Muttaqi Visit
Deoband dismisses claims of excluding female reporters.
Darul Uloom Deoband, a prominent Islamic seminary in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, firmly denied allegations of barring women journalists from covering Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s scheduled visit on October 11, 2025, labeling such claims as "baseless." The clarification comes amid a firestorm sparked by the absence of female journalists at Muttaqi’s New Delhi press conference a day earlier, which drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, Editors Guild of India, and Indian Women Press Corps as discriminatory and an affront to gender equality.
Ashraf Usmani, Deoband’s PRO and media coordinator for Muttaqi’s event, told PTI that no directives from the Afghan minister’s office or the seminary restricted women journalists. “There were no restrictions on who could attend,” Usmani asserted, noting that a few women reporters from prominent news channels were present, debunking reports of exclusion. The public event, however, was abruptly canceled due to “overcrowding” and “security concerns” flagged by local authorities, halting Muttaqi’s speech before it began.
Usmani clarified that seating arrangements at the venue accommodated women journalists alongside their male counterparts without any segregation or ‘purdah.’ Despite the cancellation, a last-minute media interaction was arranged at a guest house where Muttaqi was dining, as an unexpected media rush overwhelmed the site. “Various rumors about women journalists being excluded or seated separately are entirely false,” Usmani emphasized, underscoring the seminary’s inclusive approach.
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The controversy was fueled by Friday’s Delhi presser, where the absence of women journalists prompted accusations of Taliban-influenced bias, given Afghanistan’s restrictive policies on women’s rights. Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani dismissed the Delhi incident as a “coincidence,” denying any deliberate exclusion and calling such narratives “propaganda.” He stressed that Muttaqi issued no instructions to bar women reporters.
The canceled Deoband event, organized by the seminary, aimed to host Muttaqi during his six-day India visit, which began October 9. The uproar over media access has intensified scrutiny on Afghanistan’s diplomatic engagements and India’s handling of such controversies, with the Opposition seizing the moment to critique the government’s stance. As debates swirl, Deoband’s swift rebuttal aims to douse perceptions of gender bias, but questions linger about the broader implications of Taliban-led Afghanistan’s interactions on Indian soil.
Also Read: Taliban FM Muttaqi Set to Tour Deoband Seminary, Agra’s Taj Mahal
