Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 31 January, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan reviewed the draft "Concept of State Policy in Religious Affairs and Ensuring Freedom of Conscience for Citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan," which was prepared at the initiative of a group of deputies and adopted in its first reading.

The head of the initiative group, Deputy Jahongir Shirinov, presented a detailed explanation of the document. He emphasized that issues such as the introduction of norms characteristic of specific religions into public life, undermining gender equality, avoiding civic duties, rejecting social norms of morality and values, limiting access to medical and scientific services, and some state officials’ misunderstanding of the secular nature of the state could significantly impact the stability and development of society. The spread of ideas contrary to the state’s objectives poses a threat to its unity and social stability.

According to Shirinov, the lack of a clear state policy in religious affairs may lead to confusion about the principles of a secular state and fuel conflicts in society. He also noted that ignoring scientific and technological progress and its importance for the country’s development would hinder its efforts to take a rightful place on the global stage.

The concept consists of seven chapters and 41 paragraphs and aims to create equal conditions for citizens to exercise their right to freedom of conscience. This includes fostering mutual understanding and respect between various religious organizations, strengthening interfaith harmony, and ensuring religious tolerance in society. The concept also outlines ten key tasks to help achieve these goals.

The main objectives of state policy in religious affairs include ensuring equality before the law, preventing discrimination, reinforcing respect for multinational and multiconfessional traditions, creating conditions for the free exercise of conscience without coercive imposition of religious beliefs, maintaining secularism in politics, combating radicalization and extremism, and promoting science and culture in line with global achievements.

The document also defines the principles of state policy in religious affairs: legality, freedom of conscience, separation of religion from the state, equality, freedom of thought, interfaith dialogue, and mutual understanding.

Key priorities of the concept include ensuring citizens’ rights to freedom of conscience, strengthening interfaith relations, interacting with religious organizations through authorized bodies, and creating conditions for education in religious institutions. The concept also envisions supporting scientific research and training specialists in religious studies, conducting sociological surveys on religious and social processes.

Another important task is combating factors that threaten freedom of conscience, public safety, and order, including engaging with the media sector to prevent religious radicalization and the use of religion for political purposes.

Jahongir Shirinov stated that specialists in law, history, political science, philology, philosophy, and religious studies participated in the development of the concept. The experience of foreign countries, as well as the concepts of neighboring Central Asian states, were also studied.

The draft concept and the bill for its approval were adopted in the first reading without additional questions and sent for public discussion. Deputy Alisher Kadyrov noted that there are some inaccuracies in the document that will be corrected in the second reading.