In Uzbekistan, a global forum recalls the scientific heritage of Islam

More than 450 academics, religious leaders, diplomats and researchers from around fifty countries gathered in Uzbekistan for the first International Forum of Islamic Civilization. Organized in Tashkent, Samarkand and Termez, the event highlights the contribution of the Muslim world to science, education, culture and thought. Participants particularly wish to combat discourse that associates Islam with violence and extremism.

“Associating Islam with violence or extremism contradicts its true nature,” recalled Rustam Jabborov, scientific secretary of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. The discussions also focus on the legacy of great scientists like Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni or Ulugh Beg, whose work left its mark on mathematics, astronomy, medicine and philosophy. Several speakers recalled that certain modern scientific advances are still based on the discoveries of these major figures.

The forum is also interested in the use of artificial intelligence to preserve, classify and study ancient manuscripts. Nearly 100,000 manuscripts produced by Transoxiana scholars are now preserved in libraries around the world. The choice of Uzbekistan to host this meeting is not insignificant. The country has seen the birth or work of several great figures of Muslim thought and today seeks to make this heritage better known, which has long remained unknown outside of Central Asia. The organizers also want to give a concrete dimension to this meeting. Universities, museums and research centers are invited to develop joint programs, to facilitate exchanges between researchers and to digitize manuscripts in order to make them accessible to as many people as possible. More than 70 cooperation projects are to be presented in the fields of research, education, heritage conservation and digital technologies. The forum is scheduled to end on July 10 with the adoption of the Tashkent Declaration.

Beyond the speeches, this meeting shows the desire of several Muslim countries to speak out again about their own history. In a context marked by Islamophobia and confusion, recalling the place of Islamic civilization in the construction of global knowledge allows us to move away from a reductive vision of Islam, too often limited to questions of violence, security or extremism.