About Us

Committee of Religious affairs of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a state body created according to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "About formation of Committee of Religious affairs of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan" from March 7, 1992 for maintenance of the constitutional guarantees of the rights of the citizens on freedom of conscience irrespective of their relation to religion, equality of all religions, creeds both belief and requirements of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "About freedom of conscience and religious organizations", and also strengthening of connections of state bodies with the religious centres and organizations, coordination of their mutual relation with foreign countries.
Committee of Religious affairs has such structural divisions as a department of moslem organizations, department of education, department of confessions, department of the international connections and accounts department.
Committee of Religious affairs carries out advisory, information, expert and control functions.
Committee of Religious affairs for performance of the functions, assigned to it, has the following powers:
- to provide the tax of the information about religious organizations, communities and centres, religious educational institutions, religious publishing houses, and also control of performance of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "About freedom of conscience and religious organizations". In these purposes has the right to require of the chiefs of religious organizations the necessary information, and also to take part in measures, spent by them;
- to provide performance with religious communities, organizations, centres, religious educational institutions, religious publishing houses, officials and citizens of the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "About freedom of conscience and religious organizations", guaranteeing right of the citizens on definition of the relation to religion, on unobstructed confession of religion and performance religious traditions, and also on protection of interests of the citizens irrespective of their relation to religion;
- to participate on behalf of Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in development of the projects of the normative documents concerning freedom of conscience and activity of religious organizations, and also in preparation of official experts' reports;
- to represent when due hereunder to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan the reports on performance of the laws, normative acts accepted by Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and also decisions and decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers;
- to carry out work on religious questions in mutual relation with religious organizations, and also with the foreign religious ministries and establishments;
- to render at the request of religious organizations assistance in achievement of the arrangements with state bodies and necessary help on their questions requiring the decision;
- to provide an establishment of close interaction and cooperation of state bodies with all religious organizations located and functioning in territory of republic;
- to carry out policy of strengthening of mutual understanding and tolerance between religious organizations, communities, by the centres and their members and to carry out in this business organizing work;
- to carry out state policy of protection of interests of all religious organizations, past registration in the order, established in republic;
- to request and to receive from the ministries, state committees, departments and organizations of republic, and also local bodies of state management of the item of information and materials on performance of the Law "About freedom of conscience and religious organizations" and other decisions concerning religion;
- to carry out together with hokimiyats of provinces, cities and areas of republic uniform state policy of Uzbekistan in the decision of all religious questions;
- to take part in official registration of religious educational institutions;
- rendering by it of assistance in reception of the sanctions from the ministries and organizations; to supervise activity of educational institutions, educational programs and plans, to coordinate research works on religious subjects; to supply at realization of this activity rendering of the organizational, legal, methodical help.
Committee of Religious affairs organizes visiting sacred places outside republic, and also fulfilment Hajj and Umrah, training in religious educational institutions, direction of the citizens abroad for improvement of professional skill and exchange of experience, the reception of the foreign citizens on study, carries out realization of the international forums.
For years of independence more opportunity was submitted to than 32 thousand to citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan to carry out pilgrimage Hajj in Saudi Arabia and more to than 150 citizens pilgrimage in Russia and Israel, in sacred places for the christians and jewish. On the part of the state pilgrims there is an all-round help - organization special air flights, rendering of medical services, free converting of foreign currency reduced prices of the air tickets, fast and unobstructed registration of the visa documents.
The National program of training of personnel is introduced into activity of spiritual educational institutions and all efforts on perfection of education of the experts with new outlook, present experts in the area, patriots of a native land and nation are applied.
Committee of Religious affairs for the period of the existence has established bilateral connections with the appropriate ministries, spiritual managements, charitable funds, spiritual educational institutions more than 40 countries of the world.
The responsible employees of Committee of Religious affairs everywhere accept active participation in spent international measures, including: in November, 1997 at a conference of the Ministers of religious of the moslem states in Djakarta; in May, 2000 on International moslem forum "Moslems of Russia on a threshold new millennium" in Moscow; in August, 2000 in summit of the spiritual leaders of new millennium in headquarters of UN in New York; in September, 2000 at a conference "World religions on ways to dialogue" in Tashkent which has been carried out under aegis of UNESCO.
Now in territory of Republic of Uzbekistan function the Moslem board of Uzbekistan, Kaziyat of moslems of Karakalpakstan, Tashkent Islamic institute, 10 medreses and 1844 mosques.
The Moslem board of Uzbekistan is a republican body of management of moslem organizations, which is engaged in spiritual association of all moslems, rendering of spiritual support and charity to all citizens of republic. The board was organized in 1943 and since 1996 works under the present name.
The Moslem board of Uzbekistan will carry out activity on granting every possible conditions to the citizens for unobstructed departure of moslem traditions, on strengthening unity and unity of moslems, on development and establishment mutually advantageous the interconfessional relations in republic.
For education and maintenance of needs of religious organizations of republic, The Moslem board of Uzbekistan are open Tashkent Islamic institute and special spiritual educational institutions - medrese.
The Moslem board of Uzbekistan has the printed bodies - newspaper "Islom nuri", issuing two times per one month and monthly magazine "Hidoyat". At The Moslem board works the special publishing house "Moveraunnahr".
The Moslem board of Uzbekistan is in constant contact with more than 30 states of the world.
In territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan 177 religious organizations 14 various confessions, including: orthodox, catholic, lutheran, baptist, full Gospel, adventist and other christian churches, and also religious communities of the bukharian and european jews, bahai and krishnaits.
Owing to realization of policy of government of republic based on the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to the full answering to the international norms, in territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan the stability, interreligious and interethnic unity both observance of the rights and freedom of creed of the citizens is kept.
The construction of mosques, churches and houses of prays, and also their registration is made in assistance with local hokimiyats, bodies of self-management of the citizens and bodies of justice of republic. During registration especially is profound their sanitary and fire-prevention conditions are considered conformity of their Charters to the current legislation, condition of buildings and premises intended for realization of prays.
On May 1, 1998 by parliament of the Republic of Uzbekistan - Oliy Majlis the new edition of the Law "About freedom of conscience and religious organizations" was accepted. On the basis of the given Law on the Republic of Uzbekistan the applications more than 2200 religious organizations are considered. The religious organizations, Charters and which activity do not contradict the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan and current legislation conducting activity on maintenance of spiritual needs of the citizens, to introduction of charitable, creative and moral ideas, successfully have passed state registration and free function.
During 2000-2001 years Committee of Religious affairs considered more than 4000 applications of the citizens for religious questions and in interaction with the appropriate organizations and the enterprises for them accepted all necessary measures.
Residing in territory of republic of the representatives more than 130 nations and nationalities, and also their accessory to 15 various religious confessions lifts sphere of religion on more and more high steps of attention on the part of the state and government.
The legislation of the independent state - the Republic of Uzbekistan has created the thorough legal base adequate the international rules of law.
In all provinces and cities of republic during 2000-2001 years the scientific seminars on a theme "the Interethnic consent and religious tolerance" were carried out which put by the basic purpose the sanction of all religious problems, informing of the believers and citizens about working of the legislations in sphere of religion, and also its all-round distribution. More than 17 thousand representatives of the majority of nations and representatives of republic various confessions have taken part in work of the given seminars.
In Uzbekistan is paid special attention to existence of the rights both freedom of words and creed of the citizens, that the religious education, realization of charities, organization of pilgrimage, consolidation of cooperation and peace coexistence of the representatives all religious confession, having the identical right and equal before the law is especially underlined in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, freedom of reception.