The National Press Center hosted a press conference on ‘Religious tolerance is a prerequisite of progress’ on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Committee for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Speaking at the event the participants noted a peaceful coexistence of people of different nationalities in Uzbekistan: they treat each other with warmth and friendliness, and it is not surprising, since religious tolerance has been inherent in Uzbek people from ancient times. Declaration of independence and commitment of the Uzbek government to the ideals of democracy and a temporal way of society development have gradually created legal equal conditions for the existence of religions in general and religious minorities in particular.

The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan ‘On freedom of conscience and religious organizations’ was adopted on May 1, 1998. It proved its efficiency in practicing religious freedom and conscience.

2,225 religious organizations of 16 different confessions currently operate in the Republic of Uzbekistan, including 2,050 Muslim organizations, or 92 percent of the total number.

People professing Islam have been provided with all conditions for free implementation of the five pillars, the obligations of Islam: full commitment to Islam, pray freely in mosques, donate ‘zyakat’, follow fasting on the month of Ramadan and go pilgrimage, the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

159 Christian organizations, eight Jewish communities, six Baha\'i communities, one Hare Krishna community and a Buddhist temple operate in Uzbekistan.

The freedom of religion, which is guaranteed by national law, has created all conditions for religious activity for all the rest citizens, the representatives of more than 135 national and ethnic groups that profess almost all trends of Christianity, Buddhism, Baha\'i, Judaism and the teachings of Krishna. The national legislation of Uzbekistan does not provide restrictions on the number of religious organizations or their terms.

Religious education system in Uzbekistan includes the Tashkent Islamic Institute, 9 madrasahs, Orthodox and Protestant seminaries. Tashkent Islamic University was established in September 1999 in Tashkent at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It had its first graduation of Bachelors in 2003, and Masters - in 2005. The university runs an academic lyceum.

A Council for Religions was established under the Committee for Religious Affairs to work closely with religious organizations, to assist different religious confessions, to elaborate together the proposals and measures on ensuring the inter-religious and inter-ethnic peace and accord in the society, cultural development, interfaith dialogue. The Council for Religions brings together the leaders of the Board of Muslims of Uzbekistan, Tashkent and Uzbekistan Eparchy of the ROC, the Roman Catholic Church, the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, the Full Gospel Center Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Jewish community of Tashkent.

The believers in Uzbekistan freely celebrate all religious holidays. For instance, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha and Ramadan-Adha, Christians - Easter and Christmas, the Jews – Purim, Passover and Hanukkah on a larger scale year by year.

With the overall assistance of the Uzbek government the believers of Uzbekistan go pilgrimage to the holy places: Muslims go to Saudi Arabia for the worship of Hajj and Umrah, Christians go to Russia, Greece and Israel, Jews - to Israel.

Over 80 thousand citizens of the republic had the opportunity to Hajj in Saudi Arabia and more than 1,000 citizens went pilgrimage to Russia, Greece and Israel, the holy places for Christians and Jews, over the years of independence. (Source: Uzbekistan Today News Agency)