Muslim Religious Leaders Discuss Cooperation in Combating Extremism,
on Social Issues in Central Asia
“The Role of Religion in Promoting Peace and Social Partnerships” conference brought together Islamic religious leaders and government officials from four Central Asian republics from June 8th - 9th. This USAID-sponsored gathering was the first opportunity for region’s religious leaders to meet as a group since the breakup of the Soviet Union fifteen years ago.
Participants included former muftis from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan; representatives of an independent union of Kazakh Muslims, Kazakhstan’s Muftiyat, Tajikistan’s Ismaili Muslim community, a Tajik opposition Islamic political party the Islamic Revival Party; and officials from state agencies on religious affairs from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Religious leaders discussed issues that are confronting Central Asian societies and identified ways in which they can contribute to resolution of those issues. The conference also laid out a blueprint for the future cooperation among Islamic leaders in the region. Religious leaders resolved to coordinate efforts for combating the spread of extremism and terrorism in the region, collaborate on labor migration and other social issues, standardize textbooks and curricula used in madrasas (Muslim educational programs), organize student and faculty exchanges between madrasas, and establish regional institutions to facilitate finding solutions to contemporary problems faced by Muslim communities.
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Region’s religious leaders gathered at a USAID-sponsored conference in early June
Photo Credit: David Hunsicker, USAID |
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