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Uzbekistan hosts the first International Forum titled “Islamic Civilisation: The Path of Peace, Tolerance, and Enlightenment” in Tashkent, bringing together ministers, heads of religious and international organisations, and more than 300 speakers from 40 countries. The forum, launched on 7 July 2026, is organized by ICESCO in cooperation with the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, under the patronage of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Held under the theme "Islamic Civilization: The Path of Peace, Tolerance, and Enlightenment," the forum seeks to highlight the Muslim world's enduring contributions to science, culture, ethics, and human civilization while promoting dialogue, scholarship, and international cooperation. The programme includes four international conferences, ten general sessions, fifteen plenary meetings, and six specialised panel discussions focusing on Islamic history, Hadith studies, theology (kalām), manuscript heritage, archaeology, museology, cultural preservation, digitisation, and educational reform.

The forum runs from 7 to 11 July across Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez, and includes several international conferences devoted to Islamic civilization and the scholarly legacies of Imam al-Bukhārī, Imam al-Māturīdī, and Imam al-Tirmidhī. Among the key events are conferences titled “Al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ by Imam al-Bukhārī: The Book of A Nation,” “The Legacy of Imam al-Māturīdī: The Foundation of Moderation, Tolerance, and Enlightenment,” and “The Tirmidhi School of Hadith: Scholars’ Heritage and Contemporary Research.”

Imam al-Bukhārī (810–870 CE) is the compiler of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, regarded as the most authentic collection of Prophetic traditions after the Qur'an. 
Imam al-Tirmidhī (824–892 CE), renowned Hadith scholar and author of Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī.
Imam Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d. 944 CE), one of Sunni Islam's foremost theologians and the founder of the Māturīdī school of theology.

The international academic conference "Al-Jāmiʿ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ of Imam al-Bukhārī: The Book of a Nation," is taking place in Samarkand. Organised in partnership with the Imam al-Bukhari International Scientific Research Centre, the conference explores the enduring influence of Imam al-Bukhārī's masterpiece on Hadith scholarship and its continued relevance in the contemporary Muslim world.

In his opening address, delivered on his behalf by presidential adviser Khayriddin Sultanov, President Mirziyoyev emphasized that reviving, preserving, studying, and widely disseminating Islamic heritage remain among Uzbekistan’s key national priorities. ICESCO Director-General Dr. Salim M. AlMalik also highlighted Uzbekistan’s historic role in shaping Islamic and human civilization, recalling the contributions of scholars such as Imam al-Bukhārī, Imam al-Tirmidhī, Imam al-Māturīdī, al-Bīrūnī, al-Khwārizmī, and Ibn Sīnā.

The forum also underscores the growing role of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent as a major cultural and knowledge institution. Dr AlMalik praised the Centre’s work and noted that hosting the ICESCO Centre for Calligraphy and Manuscripts within it will strengthen efforts to preserve Islamic heritage, promote manuscript studies, and present the civilizational contributions of Muslim scholars to wider audiences.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the opening, ICESCO Director-General Salim M. AlMalik described the initiative as a reflection of Uzbekistan's growing role as "a global beacon showcasing the contributions of Islamic civilisation and its eminent scholars to science and knowledge."

The forum also highlights Uzbekistan's long-term efforts to revive its rich Islamic intellectual heritage through the restoration of historic monuments, preservation and digitisation of rare manuscripts, and the establishment of specialised research institutions such as the Center for Islamic Civilisation, the Imam al-Bukhari International Scientific Research Centre, the Imam al-Maturidi International Scientific Research Centre, and the Imam al-Tirmidhi International Scientific Research Centre.