Hawzah News Agency (Qom, Iran) – During the meeting which was held on Thursday, February 23 in Qom, Iran, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, Head of Iranian Islamic seminaries, welcomed the Indian delegation from Aligarh university and asserted, “Iran-India relations are deeply rooted in history as these two nations share a background in terms of their scientific, social, cultural, economic as well as political ties.

The Shia scholar highlighted the strategic role of India in Iran’s foreign relations and said, “The relations between Iran and India are not limited to Muslims or Shias only, rather they include all religions and Indian ethnicities.” Hawzah reported.

Ayatollah Arafi further stressed that al-Mustafa University is committed to avoid radicalism and religious extremism in a bid to strengthen unity among different countries.

In the end, the seminary scholar hailed the influence of Aligarh Muslim University in India’s cultural and Islamic developments; he also expressed al-Mustafa University’s willingness to expand cooperation with the Indian university and hoped that this visit paves the ground for larger steps in their joint efforts in future.”

It must be noted that Aligarh Muslim University is a public central university. It was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875. The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.

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