In a world ridden with conflicts, wars, and much destruction and devastation, any talks of peace and tolerance bring in a fresh whiff of calm and fullfilment; an oasis of hope and possibilities, reminding us of a sense of purpose in life and setting narratives that are heard very few and far between.

Such a voice of sanity cropped up from the historic land of Uzbekistan, known as a cradle of human civilization, offering a fascinating blend of Persian, Turkic, and Islamic cultures. Uzbekistan has been working to preserve and promote its vast repository of ancient manuscripts and scholarly achievements, with recent initiatives such as the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent.

While much of the world is today engaged in geopolitical tussles and conflict, Tashkent held an international conference to discuss “Islamic Civilization: The Path of Peace, Tolerance, and Enlightenment”

The First International Islamic Civilization Forum, organized on July 7-11 in Uzbekistan’s three cities: Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termiz, was coordinated by the Centre of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan in collaboration with the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Imam Maturidi, Imam Bukhari, and Imam Termizi International Research Centers, the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, and the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan.

The Forum was unanimous in stressing the importance of peace, tolerance, education, interfaith dialogue and scientific research in countering extremism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and distorted perceptions of Islamic heritage. It recognized the historical contribution of Uzbekistan and the broader Transoxiana region to the development of Islamic and world civilization.

The event is co-organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in cooperation with the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. 

The event gathered top leaders – political, religious and academic – along with more than 300 speakers from 40 countries. Its program included a variety of conference sessions, cooperation agreements, book launches, visits to museums, historical sites, and cultural and diplomatic encounters. 

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in his welcome address, read by his advisor, Khayriddin Sultonov, welcomed the high-level international participation and noted that it “reflects growing global interest in Islamic civilization and its spiritual, scientific, and cultural heritage.”

The President said: “The world is undergoing profound transformations that underscore the importance of upholding the values of Islam, which emphasize human dignity and the pursuit of knowledge and creativity.”

The conferences, spread across the three historically important cities, focused on the history of culture and science, highlighting the scholarship that emanated from the Mawarannahr region, also historically known as Transoxiana, and from wider Central Asia. For centuries, the region made an indelible imprint in promoting the cause of Islam through its contemporary developments in all fields, including religious sciences and philosophy; manuscript heritage studies; archaeology, museology; cultural heritage preservation; digital processes; cultural diplomacy; advances in research and publications.

The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) lent its full support to the event. Its affiliated bodies like IRCICA and ICESCO were represented by their top leaders

On behalf of the OIC Secretary-General, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet praised Uzbekistan’s role in highlighting the Islamic cultural heritage and its historical significance as the homeland of great scholars such as Al-Bukhari, Al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Sina. 

Such events, he said, would help counter “current discourses of hatred and polarization” and stressed the importance of drawing on the Islamic civilizational model — rooted in reason and diversity.

The Ambassador reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to supporting initiatives to protect heritage, promote education and scientific research, and encourage intercultural and interfaith dialogue to spread the values of tolerance and peace.

The conference was concluded in Tashkent with the adoption of the Tashkent Declaration, outlining 10 global initiatives aimed at preserving, studying and promoting the intellectual, cultural and scientific legacy of Islamic civilization, Religious Affairs Committee of Uzbekistan reported.

The declaration, adopted by participants, expressed support for Mirziyoyev's 2017 initiative at the U.N. General Assembly, which called for restoring and promoting the humanistic heritage of Islamic civilization. 

It also described the establishment of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan as a milestone in expanding international cooperation in this field.