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Germany’s political and analytical publication Hauptstadtecho recognized the First International Islamic Civilization Forum, held for the first time in Uzbekistan, as a landmark event demonstrating the country’s spiritual, educational, and cultural progress, as well as its growing international standing. According to the publication, the forum, hosted in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez, promoted the noble values of Islamic civilization rooted in peace, tolerance, and enlightenment, strengthened dialogue among civilizations, and united international efforts to preserve the rich historical and cultural heritage. It further noted that the forum served as an important platform for presenting Uzbekistan’s initiatives to implement the vision of the Third Renaissance, integrate the legacy of its great scholars with contemporary development, and further establish the country as one of the leading scholarly and intellectual centers of Islamic civilization.

From 7 to 11 July 2026, Uzbekistan hosted the First International Islamic Civilization Forum under the theme “Islamic Civilization: The Path of Peace, Tolerance and Enlightenment.” The forum brought together nearly 300 participants representing 40 countries. The event commenced at the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan and continued at the Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex in Samarkand and the Imam Termizi International Scientific Research Center in Termez.

The participants of the forum adopted an address to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It reads:

“Your Excellency Mr. President,

We, the participants of the First International Islamic Civilization Forum including leaders of prestigious international organizations, representatives of foreign academic and educational institutions, ministers, muftis, distinguished scholars, and delegates from universities, research institutes, libraries, museums, and cultural institutions from more than fifty countries extend to you our sincere gratitude and profound respect.

First and foremost, we wish to emphasize that the First International Islamic Civilization Forum, convened through your personal initiative and steadfast support, rose far beyond the scope of a conventional international academic conference in terms of its substance, significance, and broad impact. It became a historic event of exceptional importance and received wide recognition from the international community.

There is no doubt that the forward-looking ideas and principles set forth in your message to the forum participants shaped the forum’s agenda, defined the principal objectives and direction of the discussions, and paved the way for the debates that remained at the center of the international community’s attention throughout the four-day event. These ideas provided the intellectual and moral foundation for meaningful dialogue and productive international academic cooperation.

We are confident that this forum, which brought together leading scholars and intellectuals from across the Muslim world, has inaugurated a new phase of global cooperation aimed at studying, preserving, safeguarding, and promoting the rich heritage of Islamic civilization an inseparable part of humanity’s shared spiritual, cultural, and intellectual legacy.

The decision to hold the forum in the historic cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez further enhanced its scholarly spirit and historical significance. It was on this blessed land that great centers of learning flourished for centuries, producing foundational works that made unparalleled contributions to theology, philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and many other fields of knowledge. Numerous ideas and discoveries that profoundly influenced the course of human civilization originated in these cities before spreading throughout the world.

We highly commend your initiative, put forward during the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2017, to establish the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan. We regard this initiative as one of the most significant international humanitarian initiatives of the past decade a historic step that ushered in a new era in understanding Uzbekistan’s rich history and cultural heritage as a unified civilizational phenomenon.”

This historic initiative has created unprecedented opportunities to unite the international academic community in conducting objective research into, and fostering broad recognition of, the unparalleled contribution of Islamic civilization to the advancement of global science, culture, and spirituality. At the same time, it has become an important milestone in shaping the intellectual and spiritual foundations of the New Renaissance — the Third Renaissance.

Today, more clearly than ever before, we recognize that this initiative has provided a timely and far-sighted response to the challenges and threats confronting the modern world. At a time when attempts are being made in various parts of the world to distort the humanistic essence of Islam, set cultures and civilizations against one another, and diminish the immense contribution of Muslim scholars to the development of world science and culture, you have offered the international community a constructive path founded on enlightenment, scholarly research, respect for historical truth, and the objective presentation of the authentic legacy of Islamic civilization. This has become an important step toward restoring historical justice, strengthening a culture of open academic dialogue, promoting mutual respect, and advancing international humanitarian cooperation.

Today, these noble aspirations have acquired particular global significance. Indeed, it is through the advancement of knowledge, the preservation of historical memory, and the integration of the intellectual potential of nations that mutual trust among states is strengthened, the fight against extremism, radicalism, and intolerance becomes more effective, mutual understanding among civilizations is deepened, and a solid spiritual foundation is established for peace, sustainable development, and shared prosperity. There is no doubt that your message, embodying these timely and far-reaching ideas, will remain a historic and guiding document for our collective efforts in the years ahead.

We are witnessing that, thanks to your far-sighted vision, wise leadership, unwavering commitment, and your ability to perceive the past, present, and future as a single, continuous historical process, the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan is evolving not only into a world-class scholarly and educational institution, but also into a distinguished international platform that brings together states, international organizations, leading scholars, research institutions, universities, libraries, museums, and centers of spiritual and intellectual learning. The Center serves as a vital platform for implementing joint initiatives aimed at studying, preserving, safeguarding, and promoting the unparalleled heritage of Islamic civilization.

We are confident that in the years ahead, the Center will rightfully take its place among the world’s leading institutions in the humanities and evolve into a major cultural, educational, and academic hub where innovative ideas, joint research initiatives, and long-term international partnerships flourish.

We have been particularly impressed by the comprehensive reforms being carried out in the Republic of Uzbekistan to preserve and promote the nation’s spiritual, scholarly, and cultural heritage. The Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, the restored Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex, the Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, and Imam Termizi International Scientific Research Centers, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, the Imam Bukhari Tashkent Islamic Institute, and many other unique institutions stand as clear evidence of the country’s consistent state policy aimed at preserving historical memory, advancing fundamental research, and strengthening international humanitarian cooperation.

In short, the Republic of Uzbekistan one of the ancient cradles of Islamic scholarship, culture, and enlightenment is today further consolidating its historic role as one of the world’s leading centers of humanitarian cooperation, academic research, and dialogue among civilizations.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

The fact that the First International Islamic Civilization Forum was held under the theme “Islamic Civilization: The Path of Peace, Tolerance and Enlightenment” deserves the highest recognition. These timeless and inseparably interconnected values, which embody the humanistic essence of Islamic civilization, remain as relevant to the contemporary world as ever.

This great heritage constitutes an inseparable part of the cultural, spiritual, and intellectual wealth of humanity. Therefore, its preservation, comprehensive study, and transmission to future generations are a shared responsibility of international organizations, states, the global academic community, and all those committed to strengthening peace, mutual understanding, and cooperation.

We fully endorse the Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the forum, as well as the Roadmap for the preservation, study, and promotion of the heritage of Islamic civilization, and regard these documents as a solid foundation for long-term international cooperation.

We sincerely hope that you will continue to steadfastly support the initiatives set forth in these documents and maintain your leading role in their implementation. This will further strengthen international cooperation, help preserve our shared spiritual heritage, and promote Islamic civilization more widely as a source of peace, enlightenment, and mutual understanding.

With a view to translating the forum’s resolutions into practical action, we intend, in consultation with you, to put forward the initiative to establish a World Alliance for Islamic Civilization.

We are confident that this Alliance will serve to coordinate joint research programs, support the training of highly qualified specialists, expand academic exchanges, implement international publishing projects, preserve and promote cultural heritage, and further strengthen humanitarian cooperation among nations.

The decisions adopted during the forum clearly demonstrate that, although this noble initiative originated in Uzbekistan, it has today gained broad international support and is evolving into a shared endeavor of the global academic and intellectual community. We once again reaffirm our readiness to unite our intellectual, scholarly, and moral capacities in implementing these decisions and in preserving the great heritage of Islamic civilization for future generations.

We are confident that the decisions adopted on the historic soil of Uzbekistan will serve as a solid foundation for a new phase of international cooperation in the study, preservation, and promotion of the heritage of Islamic civilization. By adopting this Declaration, we once again reaffirm our shared and profound responsibility for implementing these decisions and express our unwavering commitment to working together with you to preserve this great spiritual and intellectual heritage an inseparable part of the common heritage of humanity and to advance the ideals of peace, enlightenment, and mutual respect.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

We extend our deepest gratitude to you, as well as, through you, to all the organizers of the forum and to the multinational people of Uzbekistan, for hosting the First International Islamic Civilization Forum at the highest level and for the sincere and generous hospitality extended to all participants.

We wish you good health, lasting happiness with your family, and ever greater success in your noble and responsible service to the prosperity of the people of Uzbekistan.

We also wish you continued success in the consistent implementation of the “New Uzbekistan” Strategy, in laying the firm foundations of the Third Renaissance, and in further strengthening Uzbekistan’s distinguished reputation and standing as one of the world’s leading centers of science, education, Islamic civilization, humanitarian cooperation, and dialogue among civilizations.

May Almighty Allah bless all your noble intentions and righteous endeavors, granting them abundant success, goodness, and prosperity.

May the decisions adopted at the First International Islamic Civilization Forum contribute to strengthening mutual understanding, justice, and cooperation among the peoples of the world.

May the Lord of the Worlds grant peace, national unity, prosperity, and continued progress to the hardworking, hospitable, and noble people of Uzbekistan, who created a great civilization with a history spanning three millennia. May He further strengthen the creative potential of the nation and bless the fulfillment of all its noble aspirations and ambitions.

Respectfully,

Participants of the First International Islamic Civilization Forum