Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs
| Pashto: د ارشاد، حج او اوقافو وزارت (Dari: وزارت ارشاد، حج و اوقاف) | |
 Ministry flag | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Government of Afghanistan |
| Headquarters | Faiza Mohmmad Square, Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Minister responsible | |
| Website | https://www.mohia.gov.af/en |
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 Afghanistan portal |
Past and current governments of Afghanistan have included a minister of Haj and Religious Affairs (Pashto: د ارشاد، حج او اوقافو وزارت, Dari: وزارت ارشاد، حج و اوقاف) in their cabinets. The Current Acting Minister of Haj and Religious Affairs is Noor Mohammad Saqib.
The Ministry
[edit]The Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs is the key ministry responsible for addressing religious affairs in Afghanistan. Responsibilities for the Ministry include: sending Afghan Haji (pilgrims) for the performance of Haj to Saudi Arabia; sending mu’tamir (for the performance of Umrah Haj) through private tourism companies; collecting endowment-related revenues and submitting them to the government in a specific bank account; identification and acquisition of endowment-related property; providing girls and boys with Islamic teachings in the mosques and holy places; co-ordinating Qaris- and Hafiz-related affairs and ensuring cultural and publicity affairs; Khanqas; ensuring diplomatic relations with embassies and with Islamic welfare organisations around the globe through Ministry of Foreign Affairs; issuance of Fatwas and testing of Imams and preachers; better co-ordinating of preaching affairs through mosques and Takia khana; convening religious meetings and ceremonies; and raising public awareness on religious issues at the national and sub national level. The Ministry issues the Payam-e-Haq newsletter and oversees the work of the Islamic Studies Research Centre.[1]
The Ministers
[edit]| Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Hanif Balkhi | December 2001 - June 2002 | |
| Mohammed Amin Naziryar | June 2002 - December 2004 | |
| Nematullah Shahrani | December 2004 - January 2010 | Deputy minister was, until September 2009, Sayed Noorullah Murad. |
| Enayatullah Baleegh | January 2010 - January 2010 | Was nominated by President Karzai, but rejected by the Afghan House of the People. |
| Yusuf Niazi | January 2010 - November 2014 | |
| Daiulhaq Abid (acting) | Unknown | |
| Faiz Mohammad Usmani | December 2014 – 7 September 2021 | Is appointed as the acting minister by President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai |
| Noor Mohammad Saqib | 7 September 2021 – present | Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan |
References
[edit]- ^ Afghanistan Cultural Profile: Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs
https://web.archive.org/web/20141222095313/http://president.gov.af/fa/news/39289