Uzbekistan Conference Offers Forum to Discuss Islam, Democracy
A conference on the role of Islam in the development of civil society in Central Asia, co-sponsored by the USAID-funded National Democratic Institute, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Institute for the Study of Civil Society, and an Uzbek NGO, took place on November 26-27 in Tashkent.
The event was attended by more than 40 participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Great Britain, Israel, Russia, Pakistan, India, Kuwait, Japan, Turkey, and Germany, as well as observers from the diplomatic community, public organizations, and local university students. Participants discussed emergence of civil society and establishment of secular democracies in Central Asia, religious education in Uzbekistan, religious extremism, and links to terrorism that may present threats to regional stability. Speakers stressed the need for moderate religious education in the region and reviewed concepts of freedom and human rights as presented in the Koran.
 |
The conference in Tashkent gathered participants from 15 countries
Photo Credit: NDI |
Back to Top ^ |
