Muslim Board of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan eyes future as centre of Islamic culture

24.01.2018 1514 7 min.

Collaboration among the government, imams, elders, religious scholars, law enforcement and the film industry is already seeing results.

TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan is taking steps to solidify its reputation as a centre of Islamic culture and education as part of enhanced efforts to combat extremism among youth.

Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev last month urged "collaborative work" among elders, mahallas (neighbourhood associations), police inspectors, imam-khatibs and religious education consultants to prevent youth radicalisation.

"We must strengthen peace and stability in the country in every possible way and step up our fight against various security threats," he told parliament on December 23, as reported by 1news.uz.

Promoting Islamic education, culture

One way the government plans to prevent radicalism is through the promotion of Uzbekistan as a centre of Islamic culture and education.

These efforts appear to be gaining momentum.

The construction of a facility for the Centre for Islamic Civilisation in Tashkent is under way, and the city of Bukhara is preparing to serve as the world capital of Islamic culture in 2020 for the Asian Region.

Tashkent in 2007 held the same title, which is designated annually by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in Rabat, Morocco. Every year the organisation selects three world capitals of Islamic culture.

"The fact that [Bukhara] was granted recognition as a capital of Islamic culture ... affirms the distinguished contributions made by the city and its scholars to the development of Islamic civilisation," said Azamjon Abdurakhmonov, a teacher at Tashkent Islamic University, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan (DUMU) press office reported January 6.

Another effort aimed at raising Uzbekistan's status as a centre for Islamic culture is a nationwide Koran recitation competition.

Registration for the competition, organised by the DUMU, closed on January 15 with 5,000 applicants from across the country, as Regnum.ru reported.

Mufti Usmonkhon Alimov, head of the DUMU, called for the contest to take place at a highly professional level, and said that in the future it could become a springboard for Uzbekistan to host international Koran recitation contests.

The contest will be held progressively at the district, provincial and national levels, with the final competition scheduled in April.

Film industry, mosques join fight against extremism

Cinema can also be used to help combat extremism, including a movie being made about the 9th-century Islamic scholar and Bukhara native Imam al-Bukhari, according to Mirziyoyev.

Uzbekistani film director Rustam Sagdiyev has begun working on a two-part film about Imam al-Bukhari, Anhor.uz reported January 12. The government will finance the movie, and producers are planning to screen the film worldwide.

"If we need to, we will buy the most modern [film] equipment in Hollywood," Sagdiyev told Anhor.uz. "We'll invite international movie stars to appear in it."

Films about Islamic scholars can be broadcast in mosques and serve as an educational tool, the president said, according to the DUMU press office.

"Nowadays, when the struggle among ideas and ideologies to capture people's consciousness and worldview, especially those of young people, is intensifying around the world, we need to efficiently use the tremendous potential of the most mainstream form of art," Mirziyoyev December 29 said during a Tashkent meeting with representatives from the film industry.

"Imam al-Bukhari ... is one of the most famous Islamic scholars and collectors of hadiths," Otabek Mamarasulov, a regular attendee of the Minor Mosque in Tashkent, told Caravanserai.

"If Uzbekistan continues to promote its heritage, then more and more pilgrims will come here, and more and more Muslims will discover the true face of the country and contribute to mutual understanding," he said.

"The DUMU is planning to organise a small pilgrimage for Muslims from various countries, so they can visit Bukhara and places associated with Imam al-Bukhari," he said.

Rehabilitation of former extremists continues

Uzbekistan is also increasing the scope of its work on rehabilitating extremists who have served their prison sentences.

"We will continue improving the work done on social rehabilitation and helping those who have succumbed to the influence of extremist ideas return to a normal, healthy way of life," Mirziyoyev said December 23.

Caravanserai reported last October that Uzbekistan released or removed 16,000 former extremists from blacklists.

Among them were several notorious figures, including Zakhid Yuldashev, the brother of Takhir Yuldashev, the late founder of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). He was released last October after serving a 23-year prison sentence, a move made public on January 10.

"Uzbekistan is developing a system for rehabilitating former extremists," Amir Fayzullayev, an employee of the Yangi Khaet mahalla in Tashkent, told Caravanserai.

"This will be based on a presidential decree that explains all the specifics of work with such persons," he said. "Mahalla elders, the Union of Youth or the [national] Women's Committee will be responsible for [rehabilitating the former extremists]. Systematic work will be carried out."

The details of the decree are expected to be ready by June, he said.

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The admission of the Mufti of Uzbekistan Sheikh Nuriddin Khaliknazar to the prestigious organization is a high recognition of reforms in the religious and educational sphere.

3.07.2023 21238 9 min.

Congratulations from the Ulama (Highly prominent religious scholars) Council of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan.

Thanks to the Creator, the reforms in the religious and educational sphere carried out in the new era of our development are highly recognized in the Muslim world. In recent years, the full provision of freedom of conscience and faith in our country, the rapid development of relations with Arab-Muslim countries and the activation of cooperation with influential organizations are a clear confirmation of our opinion.

Recently, the chairman of Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, Mufti Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar Hazrat was accepted as a member of the International Council of Muslim Ulama and began to work in the ranks of this international organization. It has been a great result of significant work in this sphere. Also, this status is an international recognition of reforms in the religious and educational sphere carried out in new Uzbekistan and is a high assessment of the contribution of the ulama of our country to the development of our religion.

The letter addressed to Muslim Board of Uzbekistan by the chairman of the International Council of Muslim scholars, professor Dr. Ali Muhyiddin Karadoghiy, reads:

- The International Council of Muslim scholars wishes you constant health and success, expressing its high esteem. I send my sincere greetings and high reverence to you and to Muslim Board of Uzbekistan...

I am pleased to inform you that the Chairman of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, Mufti Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar was accepted as a member of the international Muslim Ulama Council of His Highness.

We believe that the participation of Mufti Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar's Highness in the ranks of the International Muslim Ulama Council will further develop our joint efforts in the service of Islam and muslims all over the world.

At the same time, a separate letter from the Head of this International organization to the Chairman of Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, the virtuous Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar hafizahullah Hazrat, begins with such sentences:

- The International Council of Muslim Ulama wishes you to always be healthy and successful, expressing its highest respect and reverence.

We ask Allah to help you to be active member supporting the activities of the organization, to help in the service of the Muslim community, to make your contribution to the realization of its goals in solving various problems...

It should be noted that professor Dr. Ali Muhyiddin Karadoghiy expressed satisfaction in his letters that he had the opportunity to cooperate with the Ulama of Muslim Board of Uzbekistan. It was hoped to strengthen solidarity among Muslims and find a joint solution to existing problems. He also expressed confidence that these cooperation ties will serve as a solid foundation for these higher goals and will provide the basis for the exchange of scientific and educational experience.

It should be noted that the acceptance of Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar's Highness in this prestigious organization is the result of the 35 years of hard work with the support of Allah in spreading the enlightenment of Islam and ensuring the need for Muslims.

In the Mufti activities of the Shaykh Hazrat, there are worthy contributions to the reforms of our country particularly, the launch of research centers, the establishment of a Fatwa Center, the opening of mosques and madrasas, Quran courses, improvement of activities of researches of the heritage of Ulama and a sharp increase in the number of pilgrims, of course.

The proposals of the Mufti Highness at international conferences in Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Germany and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan were highly appreciated in the international arena as a solution to religious and educational reforms and problems that afflict Muslims.

Sheikh makes regular appearances in our country and foreign media. In particular, the number of permanent observers on social networks is more than 2 million 200 thousand people. 10 books and CDs, DVDs have been published describing the themes of Allah's spiritual upbringing, decency, enlightenment, child-rearing, parental veneration, and feelings of love for the motherland.

Mufti Highness were elected to responsible duties such as the supreme governing bodies of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan — the Council of Ulama, the Chairman of the Supreme Jury, the Chairman of the international scientific council of the Imam Moturidi International Research Center. He was also awarded the scientific title "Honorary doctor" by the Scientific Council of the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan.

The next rank and status of Mufti Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar imposes honor and responsibility on His Highness.

As additional information, the International Muslim ulama council is an independent, prestigious organization formed in 2004 by 50 Ulama. It is headquartered in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

The goals of the organization are: to increase the status of Ulama in society, to develop proposals for solving problems of communities, and to make practical efforts.

The organization's tasks are: to broaden the education of the Islamic religion, to bring the teachings of Islam to the public through modern media and propaganda, as well as to build on science and moderation in every activity and to deal with important issues in the lives of Muslims.

The organization’s structure and form of government: the council is headed by the secretary-general and his three deputies. The council also includes such chapters as "admission to membership", "fikh and fatwas", "culture, ideas and studies", "Islamic issues", "working with the media and the public", "translations and interpretation", and "dialogue".

The International Council of Muslim ulama has done several important things in its history. In particular, it made a worthy contribution to the establishment of peace in the Darfur region of Sudan.

It has produced fatwas on "against kidnapping and trafficking" and "on the grave sin of killing innocent people". It also publishes its own attitudes and statements on the unrest in certain countries.

Currently, the Council has 46 of the most prominent influential Ulama members in the Muslim world. The late Sheikh Mohammed Sadiq Muhammad Yusuf Hazrat had been a member of this organization during his lifetime.

The participation of Mufti Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar Hazrat, Chairman of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, in this organization serves as an important factor in further strengthening Uzbekistan's cooperation with the Muslim world, finding solutions to the problems ahead of us and strengthening the solidarity of the Islamic community.

Also, the appropriate participation of the members of our country in international conferences makes an important contribution to the world community to further promote the scientific heritage of our scholars and bring to a new level the work in the direction of combating against ignorance.

Ulama Council of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan,

June 27, 2023, Hijri 1444 year 9-Zulhijja,

Tashkent City

Muslim Board of Uzbekistan

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