Today, the president Mirziyoyev chaired a government meeting on measures to enhance the social environment and develop religious education, the presidential press service said.
Reportedly, over the past five years, more than 100 new mosques have been built in the country, 555 have been refurbished.
The quota for the Hajj has been doubled, with more than 60 thousand citizens performing the pilgrimage over the past seven years. The organization of Umrah has been regulated and put into legal order.
International centers named after Imam Bukhari, Imam Termizi and Imam Moturidi, as well as the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, have been created, which have become a platform for scientific research. Skilled specialists are being trained at the Tashkent Islamic Institute, the Mir Arab higher madrasah, the school of Hadith studies and the specialized educational institution named after Imam Termizi. More than 30 thousand citizens have completed courses in studying the Koran and Tajweed.
The memorial complexes of Abu Isa Termizi, Abu Muin Nasafi, Sultan Uwais Karani and Suzuk-ota have been restored. Work continues at the Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex and the Center for Islamic Civilization. The Waqf Charitable Foundation has repaired and improved 90 pilgrimage sites.
“At the same time, growing threats in cyberspace pose a serious challenge. Radical ideas are spreading through Internet that do not recognize borders and laws, which leads to the involvement of vulnerable groups, including young people into the illegal groups. It is necessary for the entire society to be vigilant, and for religious scholars and elders to show the right path,” the statement said.
It is expected that the creation of “Councils of Elders and Parents” in the country’s neighbourhoods, based on the experience of Kokand and Margilan, as well as the initiative of pilgrims of Uzbekistan “Let's become devoted servants of the new Uzbekistan and preachers of spiritual values” will help in this matter.
The president pointed to the need to continue such initiatives, strengthen the spiritual environment in mahallas and attract young people to education and work.
Responsible officials were given instructions to adapt those in need of social protection to society and ensure their employment, with particular attention will be paid to maintaining religious tolerance and interethnic harmony in the country, the meeting said.
As previously reported, officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service in the Tashkent region detained a group of 17 people gathered around a 17-year-old boy who had become involved in radical ideas via the Internet. According to law enforcement bodies, they intended to join the Islamic State.
