The international conference «Religious Tolerance in New Uzbekistan» was held on November 16, 2024 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The organizer was the State Committee on Religious Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with the participation of religious communities and academic organizations of the country.
The forum, timed to coincide with the Day of Religious Tolerance established by the UN General Assembly (celebrated annually on November 16), was attended by leaders and representatives of Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and other communities, political and public figures, scientists and journalists from Uzbekistan, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Scotland and other countries.
On the part of the Russian Orthodox Church, the event was attended by Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Mid-Asian Metropolitan District, who addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. With the blessing of the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, the conference featured a report on the Priest Ilia Kashitsyn, Secretary of the Russian Orthodox Church's Department for Interreligious Relations and Executive Secretary of the Interreligious Council of Russia.
The opening of the forum was addressed by: Muzaffar Kamilov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan; Sara Noshadi, Head of the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan; Dr. Davronbek Makhsudov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of Uzbekistan; Zulaiho Mahkamova, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan; Sodik Toshboyev, Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of Uzbekistan; Rustambek Kurbanov, Chairman of the Committee on Interethnic Relations and Friendly Ties with Foreign Countries; Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar, Mufti, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan; V. N. Pak, Chairman of the Republican Association of Muslims of Uzbekistan; and Dr. Sara Noshadi.N. Pak, chairman of the Republican Association of Korean Cultural Centers, deputy of Oliy Majlis (Parliament); Metropolitan of Tashkent and Uzbekistan Vikenty.
Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church answered numerous questions from the media.
At the breakout session «Experience of Uzbekistan and other countries of the world in ensuring interreligious dialog and tolerance» the following speakers took the floor: a member of the Central Council of the Order «Chogye» Korean Buddhism Junggu Kwon; Bishop Jose Luis Sierra, Chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Central Asia; Elaine Duncan, Chairman of the Council of the Fellowship of United Bible Societies (Scotland); Mohd Rasmizi bin Abd Rahman, Professor at the University of Islamic Sciences (Malaysia); Arkady Isakharov, Chairman of the Jewish Community of Tashkent. Priest Iliya Kashitsyn in his speech spoke about the experience of building good relations between religions and peoples in Russia, noting the positive experience of Uzbekistan, where representatives of more than a hundred different ethnic groups live in harmony both at the level of religious leaders and at the household level.
The forum continued with a breakout session «Development of education and enlightenment: a way to strengthen interreligious harmony and stability». The third section of the Forum was devoted to the theme «The role of the UN General Assembly Special Resolution "Education and Religious Tolerance" in strengthening interreligious and intercultural dialog». State and academic figures, rectors and teachers of religious schools, experts from Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries spoke at the sections.
In the evening of the same day, church participants of the forum prayed at the all-night vigil in the Assumption Cathedral in Tashkent. Its Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan and Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy. The next day, in the Week of the 21st Pentecost, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated there with the participation of church guests from Russia. At the end of the service, a litany for all those who died in car accidents and a glorification of the Blessed Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom at the particles of their relics were celebrated. The relics were brought to Tashkent within the framework of the exhibition-forum «Joy of the Word», which is held by the Publishing Council in different regions of Russia and abroad with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. As part of the exhibition, after the divine service, a round table was organized with the participation of Metropolitan Vikenty, Metropolitan Kliment and guests on the topic of the correct use of the Russian language and the need to preserve it from foul language.
EVCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
