On the way of tolerance and humanism

From the first days of Independence a process of the renaissance of spiritual bases of the society is going on in Uzbekistan. A religion is considered as a power to shape a people’s vision based on principles of moral and preservation of the rich spiritual heritage of the people.

The Law «On freedom of conscience and religious organizations» was adopted in the Republic in 1991. This Law had reflected a new attitude of the state toward religions and believers. Its main provisions are convincing proves of respectful attitude in our society toward faiths, traditions and culture of multinational and multi-confessional people of Uzbekistan.

All legislation of the Republic is built on the basis of extirpation of both any religious exception and discrimination on religious criterion, and match to provisions of the Overall Declaration on Human Rights and the Resolutions of UN Security Council
The Article 61 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan announces, «Religious organizations and associations shall be separated from the state and equal before law. The state shall not interfere with the activity of religious associations». Moreover the state displays the sincere interest in humanitarian enlightenment activities of religious organizations as well as creates conditions for spiritual moral development of their members.

The shaping of new state-confessional relations, ensuring the freedom of faith in the society, as well as recognition the right on existence of different confessions gives a positive result. There are no religious struggles in Uzbekistan. There is an environment of inter national and confessional tolerance.

Muslims of Uzbekistan are peaceful people in their essence, and they are very deeply morally rooted. For ages the Islam had been considered by peoples of the region as a faith, as a moral, as a conscience and as enlightenment, and it played a great role in education of people in the spirit humanism and fairness.

A great job is going on in the country to use effectively Islam religion and its great potentials as a rich spiritual and cultural heritage. During the years of independence 2000 mosques have been built or reconstructed, and 10 madrasahs have been opened. The Islam University was established on the initiates of the President Islam Karimov.

The state pays a great importance to the religious enlightenment. Thus one of the holy books of Islam – Koran, which for many years was prohibited, now becomes available for any believers. For the first time in history Koran was translated and published in Uzbek language. The Uzbek edition of Koran contains also complete comments to each surahs. Now any educated has a possibility to scrutinize the content and meaning of the holy book by him (her) without occasional comments.

The renaissance of religious holidays by the state was a great importance for the feeling of believers. So, from year to year all people celebrate such holidays as Kurban-Hait, Ramadan Hait, Iyd Ramadan, Navruz in broader scale. Due to effort of the state the conditions for restoration of holy places were established, 15 religious complexes were built up, 9 great Islamic mentors were perpetuated. Tombs of outstanding religious activists, which were abandoned in the past, are now place of pilgrimage. They are burial-vaults of Sheikh Ubaidulla Akhrar, Imam al Bukhary? Sheikh Abudulla, Khalik Khijduvany, Sheikh Arif Rivaki, Sheikh Ramitany, Sheikh Muhammad Bakhautdin Nakshbandy and others. All conditions are being created in the country to scrutinize further the Islam.

Each year more than 400 believers pilgrimage the holy places under overall support of the leadership of the republic. According to conducted polls, every fifth (22%) Muslim had pilgrimage to Mecca during the years of Independence.

On question «What is your attitude to the process of religious renaissance in our country?» were received the following answers: «Positively, I support these processes and I participate in them actively» - 37,8%; «It is all right, although I don’t participate in them but I respect religious feelings of others» - 35%; «Neutrally, I don't care» - 7,1%; «Despite I am religious believer, but I conduct secular way of life» -13,6%; «Negatively, I am sure that excessively growing influence of a religion on social life can influence negatively on secular bases of the state» - 1%. 5,3% of respondents find themselves difficult to answer.

On question «What do you think, are the rights of believers discriminated in Uzbekistan?» 82% of respondents said «No», and only 3,9% answered «Yes». The rest 14,1% of respondents find themselves difficult to answer.

On question «Have you all necessary conditions to utilize your religious needs?» 39,4% of respondents said «Yes, in sufficiently level». To the answer «Yes, there are all necessary conditions» jointed 23,8%. 23,5% said «Yes, there are some conditions». 4,4% - «No, there are no conditions». 8,9% of respondents find themselves difficult to answer on this question.

As it commonly known, in the last years some religious extremists and international terrorists shifted their undermining activities. The people of Uzbekistan expresses extreme negative attitude toward them, and it considers them as a major threat to stability of both our society and national security of the country. That is why the absolute majority (93,7%) of people express their negative attitude to religious extremists and terrorists.

Any manifestation of religious extremism is alien for the people of Uzbekistan, and it strongly declares inadmissibility of any destabilizing activities threatening democratic foundations of our independent state.

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This release was published on openPR.