As a result of the large-scale, consistent and systematic reforms being implemented in our country, significant changes are taking place in the religious and educational sphere, alongside all other areas of public life. These transformations are particularly important as they are primarily aimed at ensuring citizens’ freedom of conscience, improving the quality of religious and educational instruction, further strengthening a healthy spiritual and educational environment, and consolidating the principles of tolerance and mutual respect in society.

On the 35th Anniversary of Our Independence

As we mark the 35th anniversary of our country’s independence and reflect on the path we have travelled, it is important to emphasize that one of the most significant outcomes of reforms in the religious and educational sphere has been the establishment of solid foundations for a modern system of religious education, a strong research environment, and the training of qualified specialists.

In recent years in particular, religious education has reached a new stage in terms of both quality and content.

The status and capacities of religious educational institutions have been expanded. The opening of the Mir Arab Higher Madrasa in Bukhara made an important contribution to the development of the system for training highly qualified specialists in our country. The establishment of the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan on the basis of the Tashkent Islamic University became one of the major institutional reforms in the field of religious education and Islamic studies. It also made it possible to further clarify and strengthen scientific and educational priorities. The introduction of a “4+2” dual education model at the Academy and religious educational institutions is contributing to the effective integration of students’ theoretical knowledge with practical training.

The launch of a master’s degree programme for the first time at the Imam Bukhari Tashkent Islamic Institute in 2024 created new academic and research opportunities in higher religious education. In the same year, the establishment of the Imam Termizi Islamic Institute in Surkhandarya Region further expanded opportunities for training highly qualified specialists in the regions.

It is also noteworthy that diplomas issued by religious educational institutions have been officially recognized as state-standard documents and granted status equivalent to those of secular educational institutions, thereby further enhancing the standing of the religious education system.

In order to ensure the systematic and fundamental study of religious sciences, specialized academic schools have been established in different regions based on their historical and scholarly traditions. These include the “Hadith” and “Kalam” schools in Samarkand Region, the “Aqidah” school in Kashkadarya Region, the “Tasawwuf” school in Bukhara, and the “Fiqh” school in Fergana.

These academic centres, on the one hand, contribute to the revival of the scholarly traditions of our ancestors and, on the other, provide a strong foundation for addressing contemporary religious issues through authoritative sources and a scholarly approach.

There is another important aspect to consider. Contemporary challenges in the religious sphere cannot be addressed solely through knowledge of religious sources. Today’s specialists must also understand social processes, legal relations, information technologies and global threats. For this reason, particular attention is being paid to integrating modern disciplines into religious education. Social, economic, legal and psychological modules have been incorporated into educational programmes. As a result, young people are able not only to study religious sources in depth, but also to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a broad and informed worldview.

The system for training, retraining and continuously improving the qualifications of imams and khatibs has also been fundamentally modernized. A modular training system has been introduced, enabling them to develop knowledge and professional skills in legal, social and political fields alongside their religious studies. In particular, the transformation of the Advanced Training Centre into the Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining in the Religious and Educational Sphere under the Committee on Religious Affairs has brought this area of work to a new qualitative level.

The Institute’s curricula and educational programmes have been updated in line with modern requirements, while special training modules covering socio-political, legal and other areas have been introduced for imams and khatibs.

The reason is clear: a modern imam or khatib is not merely a person who leads religious worship in a mosque. He also plays an active role in shaping the religious worldview of Muslims, working with families, educating young people, and strengthening peace and social harmony. Therefore, it is essential that religious leaders possess broad knowledge, remain alert to contemporary challenges and have a deep understanding of developments in society.

In recent years, considerable progress has also been made in strengthening the social protection of imams, khatibs and deputy imams serving in mosques. Today, more than 2,000 imams and khatibs and over 1,000 deputy imams receive stable salaries. The provision of centrally funded salaries for 208 chief imams and khatibs of cities and districts has also become an important step towards ensuring proper recognition of the work of religious personnel.

Providing the public with reliable and well-founded religious knowledge is another priority in the religious and educational sphere. The establishment of the Fatwa Centre under the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan has become an important step in this regard. Today, 25 experienced and qualified Islamic scholars work at the Centre, responding to religious questions from the public on the basis of authoritative sources. The fact that more than 1.5 million questions have already been answered through the Call Centre demonstrates the high level of public demand for reliable sources of religious guidance.

The operation of more than 30 Holy Qur’an and tajwid courses throughout the country is another significant achievement of the years of independence. More than 100,000 citizens have learned to recite the Holy Qur’an correctly through these courses.

Today, we live in a complex era in which the flow of information is virtually unlimited and different ideas and viewpoints compete with one another. Under such circumstances, the most effective way to protect young people from destructive influences is through sound knowledge and enlightenment.

Another important feature of these courses is that they enable people to acquire religious knowledge not from random or unreliable sources, but from qualified specialists.

In today’s world, religious and educational activities cannot be viewed separately from the information space. The establishment of the “Ziyo” Media Centre is one of the important initiatives designed to meet this need. The Centre produces modern media content aimed at promoting sound religious understanding, national and religious values, tolerance and enlightenment among the general public, especially young people.

Educational and religious content is also widely disseminated through television programmes such as “Hidoyat sari”, “Ma’rifiy suhbatlar”, “Imom Buxoriy saboqlari” and “E’tiqod durdonalari”, as well as the magazines “Hidoyat” and “Mo‘minalar” and the newspaper “Islom nuri”.

The number of websites operated by representatives of the religious sphere has reached 50, while the number of official social media pages has grown to 2,000, with a combined audience of around 20 million people. These figures demonstrate the substantial scale of information and outreach activities in the sector.

The publication of the journal “Moturidiylik” has also created another important platform for the academic study and promotion of the nation’s religious and scholarly heritage.

Today, we live in a complex age in which information flows are virtually unlimited and different ideas and views compete continuously. Under these conditions, the most effective way to protect young people from destructive ideologies is through sound knowledge and enlightenment. In this regard, the responsibilities of religious educational institutions, research centres, imams and khatibs, Islamic scholars, and media organizations operating in the sector are closely interconnected. They are united by a common objective: to provide reliable knowledge, strengthen a healthy religious environment in society, and pass on the rich spiritual and scholarly heritage of our people to future generations.

The next major task is to further expand existing opportunities, improve the quality of education, bring scientific research to an international level, and train religious-sector professionals who possess modern knowledge and remain committed to the interests of the Motherland and the people.

The large-scale reforms carried out in the religious and educational sphere during the years of independence contribute to preserving the national and spiritual values of our people, ensuring freedom of conscience, strengthening religious tolerance and interethnic harmony, establishing a healthy spiritual environment, and educating the younger generation in the spirit of knowledge, enlightenment and constructive values.

The reforms currently being implemented in this sphere under the leadership of the President are not limited to individual changes or modernization measures. Rather, they represent an important component of a consistent state policy aimed at upholding human dignity, ensuring rights and freedoms, and further strengthening an atmosphere of mutual respect, social harmony and tolerance in society.

Davronbek MAXSUDOV,
First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan