At first glance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current three-nation visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman appears to be another carefully sequenced diplomatic engagement, routine, polite, and restrained. Yet beneath its calm surface lies a deep strategic intent, one that goes beyond trade agreements or protocol-driven meetings.
This tour is about quietly drawing closer to sensible, moderate Islamic nations at a time when parts of the Islamic world are under strain, from radical ideologies, proxy wars, sectarian violence, and the misuse of faith as a political weapon. Without sermons or slogans, India is aligning itself with countries that have consciously chosen stability over extremism, coexistence over confrontation, and governance over grievance.
In doing so, India is not attempting to “influence” the Islamic world. It is partnering with its most responsible stakeholders.
India and the Islamic World: Beyond Stereotypes and Soundbites
India’s engagement with Islamic nations is often misunderstood, sometimes deliberately misrepresented, by those who seek to frame global politics in civilisational binaries. The reality is far more complex and far more mature.
India is: Home to over 200 million Muslims, a civilisation that has absorbed, not erased, Islamic culture and a state that separates faith from foreign policy posturing.
PM Modi’s diplomacy reflects this lived reality. His engagements with Islamic nations are neither apologetic nor confrontational. They are confident, respectful, and interest-based.
The choice of Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman is therefore deliberate. These are not ideological exporters. They are anchors of moderation in turbulent regions.
Jordan: Responsible Islamic Leadership in a Region on Edge
Jordan occupies one of the most sensitive geopolitical neighbourhoods in the world. Surrounded by conflict zones and fault lines, it has survived not by force, but by measured leadership and moral authority.
King Abdullah II has consistently emerged as one of the Islamic world’s strongest voices against: Religious extremism, Politicisation of jihad and Sectarian violence.
PM Modi’s visit to Amman sends a subtle but powerful message: India recognises and values Islamic leadership rooted in responsibility, not rage.
Convergence of Interests
India and Jordan converge on critical issues: Counter-terrorism and deradicalisation, Protection of religious sites from extremist exploitation and Regional de-escalation amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Jordan’s custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem gives it religious legitimacy. India’s plural civilisational ethos complements that legitimacy.
This partnership quietly undermines extremist narratives that seek to portray India as hostile to Islam, without India ever needing to rebut them publicly.
Ethiopia: Islam, Christianity, and a Millennium of Coexistence
Ethiopia’s role in this tour is both strategic and profoundly symbolic.
Long before modern diplomacy, Ethiopia occupies a respected place in Islamic history. When Prophet Muhammad’s followers faced persecution, they sought refuge in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), a land remembered in Islamic tradition for justice and compassion.
This legacy matters.
Ethiopia today remains one of the few societies where Islam and Christianity have coexisted for centuries without state-driven conflict. In an era when extremist groups attempt to fracture societies along religious lines, Ethiopia stands as a living counter-example.
India’s African Islamic Engagement
India’s engagement with Ethiopia is not about extracting influence. It is about: Capacity building, Infrastructure and industry, Education and digital empowerment and Peacekeeping and institutional stability.
The conferment of Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour on PM Modi was not merely diplomatic courtesy. It was recognition of India as: A respectful partner, A non-interfering friend and A civilisation that understands faith without weaponising it.
For Muslim societies across Africa, many under pressure from radical infiltration, India’s Ethiopia partnership reinforces the idea that moderation attracts partnership, not neglect.
Oman: The Islamic World’s Quiet Balancer
If there is one country that epitomises Islamic pragmatism, it is Oman. Oman does not shout its diplomacy. It practices it. It speaks to Iran without becoming Iran’s proxy. Engages the West without surrendering autonomy. Maintains Gulf solidarity without sectarian hostility
For India, Oman is not just a friendly state, it is a strategic lodestar for how Islamic identity can coexist with rational statecraft.
Why India Trusts Oman?
India’s relationship with Oman rests on: Deep maritime cooperation near the Strait of Hormuz, Defence logistics and naval access at Duqm, Energy security and future green transition, A large, respected Indian diaspora
PM Modi’s engagement with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik reinforces a powerful reality:
A Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Oman can build trust without ideological friction.
This trust is precisely what extremist ideologues fear—because it disproves their worldview.
The Unspoken Objective: Isolating Extremism Without Naming It
One of the most sophisticated aspects of this tour is what India does not say. There are no public lectures on extremism. No naming-and-shaming of radical groups. No civilisational grandstanding. Instead, India lets association do the talking.
By engaging Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman in close succession, India: Elevates moderate Islamic voices, Rewards responsible governance and Marginalises extremist actors organically.
This is counter-extremism through alignment, not accusation.
Why This Matters for India’s National Interest
Bringing sensible Islamic nations closer serves India in multiple ways:
- Strategic Security. Intelligence cooperation and counter-terror alignment strengthen India’s internal security ecosystem.
- Narrative Neutralisation. Support from respected Islamic states blunts propaganda campaigns against India in global forums.
- Diaspora Protection. Millions of Indians live in Islamic countries. Stability and goodwill are strategic necessities.
- Global South Leadership. India positions itself as a bridge, not between blocs, but between civilisations.
The Contrast: Responsible Islam vs State-Sponsored Extremism
The significance of this tour becomes sharper when viewed against its implicit contrast. While India builds partnerships with sensible Islamic nations, one country continues to stand apart – Pakistan. For decades, Pakistan has: Weaponised religion as state policy, Exported radical ideology beyond its borders, Sheltered terror groups under strategic pretences and Undermined Islamic credibility globally.
This contrast is not rhetorical, it is structural.
Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman derive legitimacy from stability and restraint.
Pakistan seeks relevance through provocation and grievance.
India’s message is unmistakable: The future of the Islamic world belongs to nations that govern responsibly, not those that outsource faith to terror.
Conclusion: Civilisational Statecraft in an Age of Extremes
PM Modi’s three-nation tour is not about optics. It is about alignment with reason. At a time when extremism shouts and polarisation sells, India is doing something unfashionable, but effective: Choosing moderation, Rewarding stability and Building trust quietly.
Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman are not India’s allies against Islam. They are India’s partners within the Islamic world. That distinction matters.
In the long arc of history, it is not those who shout the loudest who shape outcomes, but those who build patiently. India, once again, has chosen the longer road.
