Tashkent is becoming an important hub for international humanitarian diplomacy. The "I International Forum on Islamic Civilization: Path of Peace, Tolerance, and Enlightenment," which began its work today at the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, is recognized as one of the largest international platforms aimed at rethinking the scientific heritage of Islamic civilization, harmonizing it with the modern development agenda, and shaping new models of international cooperation. Bringing together hundreds of scholars, religious figures, heads of international organizations, and state delegations, the forum marks a new stage connecting Uzbekistan's cultural heritage preservation policy with global humanitarian dialogue.
Organized at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the forum was held in cooperation with the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, and Imam Termizi international research centers, the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, and ICESCO. The main purpose of the event is to widely demonstrate the true essence of Islamic civilization based on science, enlightenment, and humanism at the international level, to preserve manuscripts and cultural heritage, digitize them, and strengthen dialogue between different civilizations. According to international observers, the need for such dialogue platforms has grown even more in recent years during a period when debates related to religious intolerance, extremism, and Islamophobia have intensified in the world.
The forum is attended by ICESCO Director General Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Mohammad Al-Issa, Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, Mufti of Muslims of Russia Ravil Gaynutdin, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, IRCICA Director General Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, and many other distinguished guests. At the opening ceremony of the conference, the message sent to the participants by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was read out by Khairiddin Sultanov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The message emphasized that restoring and preserving the heritage of Islamic civilization in the country, supporting fundamental research, training highly qualified specialists, and expanding international humanitarian cooperation have become important priorities of state policy. It was also noted that strengthening dialogue between cultures and civilizations, passing on the heritage of great scholars to future generations, and objectively conveying the humanist essence of Islam to the world community are among the important tasks of New Uzbekistan's development.
Muzaffar Kamilov, Head of the Department for Religious and Educational Affairs of the Presidential Administration, assessed the forum as a practical result of the educational reforms being implemented in New Uzbekistan, expressing that it is a great honor to welcome participants on the ancient and hospitable soil of Uzbekistan — the homeland of great scholars who made an incomparable contribution to the development of world science and civilization — and at the magnificent Center of Islamic Civilization built at the personal initiative of the head of our state. In turn, ICESCO Director General Salim M. AlMalik noted in his speech at the forum that Uzbekistan's reforms in the humanitarian sphere in recent years are highly praised by the international community.
In his opinion, the policy aimed at preserving historical heritage, developing scientific research, and international cooperation in the country is of great importance not only for national but also for the entire Islamic civilization, and Uzbekistan's achievements in civil society, social justice, economic development, and foreign policy are a great source of pride for the entire Islamic world.
At the opening ceremony, a congratulatory letter sent to the forum participants by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also read out. It assessed the forum as an important initiative serving to strengthen peace, dialogue, and mutual trust in modern international relations, emphasizing that in today's conditions of growing Islamophobia, it is a shared historical responsibility to broadly demonstrate the true humanist essence of Islam on the international stage. Speakers at the forum specifically noted the contribution of Transoxiana's civilization to human development and expressed the need to further widely promote historical cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Termez, and Khiva as centers of global scientific and cultural heritage. Furthermore, the policies implemented in Uzbekistan for digitizing manuscripts, protecting historical heritage, and supporting academic research were highly praised by international experts.
The First International Forum on Islamic Civilization is shaping not only as a scientific conference, but also as a strategic platform aimed at strengthening mutual trust through cultural diplomacy, science, and enlightenment in modern international relations. This dialogue launched in Tashkent serves to connect Uzbekistan's rich scientific and spiritual heritage with the international academic arena, expand constructive dialogue between civilizations, and globally promote the values of Islamic civilization based on humanism, science, and tolerance. The initiatives put forward on the first day of the forum once again demonstrated that Uzbekistan's role in the field of humanitarian diplomacy is growing and that the country is turning into one of the important centers of international intellectual cooperation in Central Asia.
This forum, which serves as an important preparatory stage for the special presentations dedicated to Islamic civilization and the heritage of our ancestors planned to be held this year at the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva, as well as the UNESCO office in Paris at the initiative of the head of our state, will continue its work until July 11. Within the framework of the forum, four international scientific conferences dedicated to the heritage of great scholars are planned to be held in the cities of Samarkand and Termez.
