Religion and Society in Uzbekistan: history, modernity, perspectives

Republic of Uzbekistan is a country with multiethnic and multi-faith population. These values have been cultivated for millennia. From the ancient times the representatives of different ethnic groups, nationalities, religious beliefs and cultures inhabited the Uzbek soil. A number of historical and geographic factors have contributed to the diversity of religious palette of this land. Along with the victorious wars and attacks of powerful military and political forces in different epochs, one of the most attractive factors was its convenient regional geographic location, which served as the crossroads of trade routes. Undoubtedly, the Great Silk Road, while linking such ancient big cities of Uzbekistan as Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, Kokand and Khiva was the most famous. Most of those, who came here to wage wars or to develop trade relations, had settled here permanently.
These and some other factors have contributed to continuous expansion of religious diversity spectrum. On one hand, this provided an additional impulse to the common spiritual and cultural enrichment of the region. On the other, the accord and peaceful coexistence of different religions turned into vital issues of overall progress of our country, and the region as a whole, known as Central Asia in the world community. In the ancient times the mere fact of religious diversity impartially encouraged the best minds of this region to energetic search for the ways of establishing the good relations with representatives of various religions, enhancing mutual understanding among them for the sake of general prosperity of society. Yet in the Middle Ages such Central Asian thinkers as Iranshakhriy, Yakubi and Biruni, speaking in modern language, founded a completely new special science of various people’s religious beliefs, by explicating them without polemics, by comparing one religion with another just to envisage the essence of faiths and those ideas on which they are based. Spiritual and philosophic heritage of such great Central Asian thinkers as muhaddith Imam al-Bukhari (810-870, distinguished compiler of stories on deeds and examples of acts of Prophet Muhammad), mutakallim Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (died in 333/944-945 the Muslim theologian, who founded one of the two biggest Islamic theological schools - maturidiya), mufassir Makhmud az-Zamakhshari (1075-1144, famous interpreter of Qur’an and linguist), fakih Burkhanuddin al-Marginani (died in 1197, the well-known Muslim lawyer, the author of “al-Hidaya” Book), Sufi Bakhauddin Nakshband (one of the founders of Sufi nakshbandiya tarikat), Ahmad Yassavi (1105-66, the founder of Sufi yassaviya tarikat), Najmuddin Kubro (1145-1221, the founder of kubraviyya tarikat), Khoja Ahror Vali (1404-90, one of the prominent leaders of nakshbandiya tarikat) and many others adequately reflect the overall spiritual and intellectual atmosphere of accord and compromise in relations among different nations and religious representatives of our region for centuries. Hence, the religious and socio-philosophical thinking of Uzbek people has been refined over the centuries, and became a strong foundation for fostering and progressively developing the culture of tolerant inter-religious relations. Therefore, in reviving those spiritual values much work has been accomplished in modern Uzbekistan, - as it was highlighted by President Islam Karimov “if we want to build a just state, free society, we have to remember that the ways to accomplish these noble objectives go alongside with millennial religious beliefs”.
It is acknowledged that the wide majority of population of Uzbekistan practices Islam, which has been propagated strongly since the beginning of 8th century. Rich syncretic culture and very old multi-faith traditions of people in Movarounnakhr, the Arab naming of the present territory of Uzbekistan, offered various elements of local religious-ethic values, legal norms and customs to the Islamic practice. In effect, from the start of its expansion Islam has been accumulating specific features. Due to this, Hanafiy mazhab (denomination) of Islam could adjust to Uzbekistan and other countries of Central Asia. Almost half of the world Muslim population is recognized as the adherents of Hanafism.
One of the most important additional sources of Hanafite fikh – one of the major Muslim legal schools became the summation of local customs (urf or adat). In turn, it became more flexible, tolerant to representatives of other religions and cultures, and alien elements. This tolerance was favorable for simplifying the official business with foreigners, and promoting patience towards their stance including religious one.
The rise of Amir Timur (1336-1405) to power - the founder of Timurids State was owed to the identical spiritual atmosphere. Obviously, during his rule and the one of his successors Islam played an important role in socio-political and spiritual life of Movarounnakhr. Noteworthy that Amir Timur perceived Islam as the religion free from fanaticism and tolerant toward other faiths. It is significant to mention the words of the king of France Karl VI over this matter. In particular in his message to Timur he wrote: “We are grateful to Your Excellency for your benevolence and many favors, bestowed by Your Excellency to many Christians. We are ready to go towards the benefits of your people and, where it is possible, (offer them) equal and even more”.
During the period of political partition of Bukhara Emirate, Khiva and Kokand Khanates (17th - 19th centuries) the role of Islam in socio-political and spiritual life on the present territory of Uzbekistan did not weaken, in some places it has even strengthened.
However, from the middle of the 19th century the major moral damage was caused by the czarist Russia’s expansion into our land. The establishment of colonial rule regime came along with the insult of religious beliefs of our land inhabitants. The break up of centuries-long built balance and accord in religious life, as well as partial improvement in disposition toward Christianity as of the religion of conquerors were the least negative effects of czarist Russia’s aggressive policy in Central Asia.
Soviet authority equipped with atheistic ideology aimed at even more decisive war against religion. The spear of destructive atheism in Uzbekistan was clearly directed against Islam. In fact, all Muslim religious schools, above all, the Mosques were barbarously destroyed; the most influential spiritual figures were physically eliminated. However, the illusion of triumph of atheism in Uzbekistan shaped by the efforts of powerful communist propaganda machine was comparable to a time bomb. Apart from breaking the harmony, the underground activity of the influential part of clerics and creation of illegal religious structures were the consequences of aggressive atheistic policy against centuries - long relations among the representatives of various religions. In the West they were called as the supporters of “parallel” or “alternative” Islam. Radical activists of Islam were nurtured within such structures. They could legalize their activity within the overall socio-political liberalization, which took place in the last years of the Soviet Union’s existence better known in history as “perestroika”. They have directed their efforts with an apparent break up of the Soviet Union. Apart from other damaging effects, it has negatively affected the state of interethnic and inter-religious relations of the country. As a result, the so-called “Russian speaking population”, mostly the representatives of Slavic nation, emigrated from Uzbekistan in the 1980s-90s of 20th century.
However, Uzbekistan could preserve its multinational and multi-faith status despite such difficulties. Uzbeks – the representatives of titular nation constitute about 78 percent of population of modern Uzbekistan (over 25 million people). Nevertheless, more than 130 nationalities of various beliefs live in here, as well.
Nowadays, officially over 15 religious associations operate in our country. It is essential to mention that the affiliations of various nontraditional faiths such as Krishna, Behais and others also operate here along with traditional Islam and historically rather extensively represented Judaism and Christianity. It would be interesting to our audiences to know that the religious organizations of such confessions as Christian-Presbyterian, Evangelist, Protestant and Buddhist are widely represented in religious life of modern Uzbekistan. In total there are about 60 of them.
Ideological chaos characterized all post-Soviet states and the crush of communist ideology caused an unprecedented activeness of various new political forces including the nationalist and radical religious ones pretending for a status of a national ideological leader. Under such conditions to restore the harmonic interethnic and inter-religious relations was a difficult task but turned into the vital interest of the state.
From the first days of its independence (September 1, 1991) as the strategic goal of new Uzbekistan was announced the creation of democratic legal secular state and civil society based on pluralism. Such critical issue for the state did not endure a straightforward approach to religious questions. Establishing social relations and defining an actual place of religion as one of the potential social levers controlling the actions of an individual developed into the principal of the state policy. It was clearly reflected in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted on December 8, 1992. Article 31 of the Constitution fully guarantees the freedom of conscience, prohibits propagation of religious ideas in forceful manner. Article 57 forbids the formation of associations and parties on the basis of national and religious differences. Finally, Article 61 of the Constitution declares the separation of religion from state. In regards of this principal issue, all of the aforementioned along with a firm personal stance of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov enunciated in his public speeches had a great effect over the general evolution of religious situation in the country, and especially over the state of interethnic and inter-religious relations. The representatives of non-native nationalities, who do not practice Islam and those who do not adhere to any religious beliefs whatsoever gained the confidence for a steady future. The natural state of harmony was restored after some disarray in interethnic and inter-religious relations. It was reached by the additional improvement of legal basis, which guarantees an equal development of all religions on civilized and democratic basis, excluding any privileged position of whichever religion in social life.
Obviously, all of these were not reached at once. There were hardships on the way of achieving the current harmonic state of inter-religious accord, which turned into one of the main factors to intensify the democratic processes in Uzbekistan. Occasionally they were tragic, in the form of bloody terror and destructive extremism guised by the religious slogans.
It is recognized that any kind of religious extremism, including the Islamic one, is based upon the use of extreme methods in ideological, political and social practice. These methods pose danger to the national security of one country or the whole group of states. The same type of threat was confronting the new independent states of the post-Soviet Central Asia, including Uzbekistan. The dynamic formation and growth of the organizational structures of radical religious movements raised the scope of threat. They have attempted to join to the political movements, affiliations and parties – the actual mechanisms legitimizing their probable arrival to power.
So, in the early 1990s the radical religious forces repeatedly tried to establish such parties in Uzbekistan. The branch of Islamic Party of Uzbekistan and the so-called Islamic Party of Turkestan were among them, though their attempts were unsuccessful. However, under the pretence of Islamic and humane masks the radical forces were able to establish militarized organizations in some regions of Ferghana Valley of Uzbekistan, where people are deeply religious. Such organizations as “Adolat” (“Justice”), “Islom lashkarlari” (“Warriors of Islam”), “Odamiylik va insoniylik” (“Humaneness and humanism”) and others were among them. At the same time, the “Hizb-at-tahrir al-islami” (“Islamic Party for Liberation”) and some other foreign structures intensified their efforts with an aim to draw Uzbekistan into their orbit of control. Their activities have undermined the internal political stability, caused interethnic and inter-religious tensions in society along with continued deterioration of political and religious situation in neighboring Afghanistan.
Radicalization and politicization of religious conscience under a focused influence of organized forces even with the use of forceful methods in some places necessitated an adequate response of legal nature. In May 1998 the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of Uzbekistan approved the “Law on freedom of conscience and religious organizations” of new edition, which became an important document. This law reinforced the administrative and criminal liability for the use of religion in political means that fuels interethnic and inter-religious enmity. All of these prove that the process of preserving and strengthening of an interethnic and inter-religious accord within the progress in establishing civilized society in Uzbekistan was not always smooth.
Lately the fundamental changes are taking place in the world politics triggered by the firm consolidation of international movement against any forms of terrorism and extremism, which unfortunately act under the pretence of religious slogans. The positive fundamental changes in political and military situation of Afghanistan, due to the liquidation of dangerous sources of international terrorism, have had a favorable effect on social and political situation in Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan and contributed to further deepening of an inter-religious accord. The state took all the necessary measures in order to benefit from the positive interethnic situation to create the atmosphere of further reinforcement of religious tolerance in society. State efforts are aimed at various aspects in this direction. Steady improvement in legal basis of an inter-religious accord, expansion of network of educational activity, which objectively familiarizes with various religions and the culture of inter-religious dialog, as well as the resolution of existing socioeconomic, demographic and environmental problems, which negatively affect the evolution of inter-religious accord in the country, are among them.
The recent significant growth in the activity of non-governmental non-profit organizations (NGOs) shows the progress in this sphere. They have made a valuable and effective contribution to religious education and fostering significance of the idea of unity amid the multiplicity of various parts of population. The Republican Center of al-Imam al-Bukhari is one of such organizations that actively participates in various similar projects. In 1999 the international inter-religious political forum on “Religion and Democracy” was held in Uzbekistan under the initiative of our Center and the Fund of Conrad Adenauer in cooperation with some other Uzbek and foreign partners. As a result of this important international event the “Tashkent Resolution against international terrorism and extremism” was adopted, which called upon the UN to declare the year 2001 “Year of enhancing inter-religious accord in the struggle against international terrorism and extremism”. Document received a proper international resonance but, unfortunately, its main idea was left without realization. We hope that the ideas offered at the said meeting would be considered further and contribute to the general initiative of strengthening the inter-religious solidarity in the struggle against all forms of violence not only in our region, but also throughout the entire world.