Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 14/08/2007
TASHKENT – UZBEKISTAN 14 – 16 AUGUST 2007 Your Excellency Mr. Rustam Kasimov Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairman of the International Forum “The Place of Uzbekistan in Islamic Civilization”, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Assalamu Alaikum At the outset allow me Mr. Chairman, to congratulate you and the Government of Uzbekistan for taking this timely and significant initiative in organizing this conference. I would also like to thank you for the kind invitation extended to me to visit your wonderful country and to participate in this auspicious forum. Mr. Chairman, your speech this morning has been most illuminating in bringing out the rich Islamic history and traditions of Uzbekistan. The Islamic civilization has been built on the values of peace and tolerance and compassion for all humanity. Islam’s glorious past is manifested by its magnificent contributions in the field of science and culture. Uzbekistan’s contribution in this regard is truly extraordinary. Islam in Uzbekistan dates back to the days of the Third Caliph of Islam, Osman ibn Affan. Indeed, some of the founders of Islamic tradition and universal scholars were natives of this region. Over the centuries, the region between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya developed in such a way as to make of this country one of the cradles of world civilization. Uzbekistan can take pride that its place in Islamic history reflected in the bravura of Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, indeed match the contemporary cultural centers of Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba and Istanbul. The declaration of Tashkent by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference’s specialized organ ISESCO as Islamic Cultural Capital 2007 of the Asian region is a fitting recognition of Uzbekistan’s place in Islamic civilization. One wonders, without the contributions of such illustrious figures as Ibn Sina, Khwarezmi, Biruni and Ulugh Bey, would human civilization be able to reach its present status in philosophy, in various fields of science; mathematics, astronomy and medicine? Would the traditions of Prophet Mohammed reach us if Imam Bukhari and Imam Tirmizi had not recorded collections of the Prophet’s teachings? Would we be able to develop our present understanding of the Holy Quran without the works of Abu Layth Samarqandi and Zamakhshari? Would Islamic law reach its present level of sophistication, weren’t the contributions of Serahsi and Nasafi? Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Sadly the pride that we take in the rich traditions and glories of the Islamic civilization of the past has been mellowed in our present time due to multiple historical factors of centuries of foreign colonization and occupation. We have fallen back in keeping pace with the technological advancement of the 21st Century. Most of the Muslim world today is straddled with the formidable challenges of poverty alleviation and social and economic development. This has to be addressed with a sense of urgency. We need to invest in our vast human resource, especially the development of our youths and the advancement of women by empowering them into a constructive and productive force. The OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action that was adopted by Heads of State/Government to the 3rd Extraordinary Summit held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah on 7-8 December 2005 provided a road map and a new vision to meet the challenges of the 21st Century towards bringing about overall development of Muslims of the world. The successful implementation of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action is the collective responsibility of all the member states as it is surely a panacea for a brighter future for the coming generations. Our rich cultural history and tradition would be a constant source of inspiration for us to do this job well. I would be remiss if I do not take this opportunity to mention that in our present day, the sanctity and good name of Islam is being undermined and defiled by in many parts of the world. This new and formidable challenge that the world of Islam is faced with is better known as Islamophobia that seeks to malign and defame our great faith. There is no denying that a small minority of people who profess terror in the name of Islam have tarnished Islam and has done enormous damage to its reputation. Unfortunately this has been exploited and exacerbated by sections of the media to symbolize the acts of the violent minority with Islam. Nothing could be more distant from the truth. One of the tasks entrusted to the OIC General Secretariat under the Ten-Year Programme of Action was to combat Islamophobia. In this, the challenge before us is to enlighten the global community with correct aspects of Islam which are: (1) that Islam is a religion of moderation and tolerance and open to dialogue with others; (2) that it condemns extremism and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations as these contradict Islamic and human values and are a global phenomenon not connected with any religion; (3) to counter the malicious propaganda that seek to defame Islam and discriminate Muslims. I feel pleased to state here that at the 34th ICFM held in Islamabad in May this year, the Foreign Ministers of the member states were unanimous in giving their full support to the General Secretariat to engage with the Western world and to strongly put across our position that the so-called Islamophobia is the result of insufficient knowledge or understanding of Islam and that it would be a grave error to draw link between Islam and terrorism. I sincerely believe that Islam and the West could and should live and co-exist together in peace and harmony as the common denominators that link them outweigh their differences. I also believe that we can bring about a historical reconciliation by engaging in a constructive dialogue. The proactive role taken by the OIC General Secretariat in engaging the Western world towards a constructive dialogue towards better understanding and appreciation of Islam now appears to be bearing fruit. I believe that a realization that defamation of Islam would be self-defeating and that it has to be substituted by a culture of mutual understanding and accommodation between civilizations, is gradually taking shape. The initiatives being undertaken by different institutions and governments in Europe and in the USA on inter-cultural dialogue underscores the point. In conclusion let me re-iterate my felicitations at the initiative taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to organize this conference. I believe that the deliberations of the conference will not only serve to enthuse a renewed sense of pride in the people of Uzbekistan of their Islamic identity but will also inspire them doing what is necessary to project and uphold the true image of Islam and interests of Muslims. The magnificence of Islamic culture and heritage that is so abundant in this country makes it all the more incumbent on the Government and people of Uzbekistan to perform this role well and I am sure they will. Please accept my very best wishes for successful outcome of this conference. I thank you.
