TASHKENT — Uzbekistan has opened the first International Forum on Islamic Civilization, bringing together more than 450 scholars, religious leaders, diplomats, researchers, and government officials from over 50 countries to explore the role of Islamic civilization in shaping modern knowledge and promoting global dialogue.

The five-day forum is being held across Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez and is organized by the Islamic Civilization Center of Uzbekistan. The event focuses on the historical contributions of Islamic civilization to science, education, philosophy, and culture while encouraging new forms of international academic and research cooperation.

In a message delivered during the opening ceremony, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the world is experiencing a period of growing conflict, distrust, extremism, and Islamophobia. He stressed that education, scientific cooperation, culture, and shared moral values remain essential foundations for peace, dialogue, and sustainable development.

One of the forum's central goals is to challenge stereotypes that associate Islam with violence or extremism. Organizers said the event aims to highlight centuries of scientific achievement by Muslim scholars and demonstrate that Islamic civilization has long encouraged learning, innovation, and humanitarian values.

Rustam Djabbarov, Scientific Secretary of the Islamic Civilization Center of Uzbekistan, said the forum seeks to remind the world of the significant contributions Muslim scholars have made to global civilization. He emphasized that portraying Islam as a religion linked to violence contradicts its true principles.

A major theme of the discussions is the lasting influence of Central Asian scholars whose work transformed mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. Participants highlighted figures such as Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, and Ulugh Beg, whose discoveries continue to influence modern science.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, said today's technological progress builds upon foundations laid by Muslim scientists. He noted that modern artificial intelligence would not exist without the mathematical principles developed by Al-Khwarizmi, while advances in astronomy owe much to scholars such as Ulugh Beg and Al-Biruni.

The forum also explores how artificial intelligence can help preserve, digitize, catalog, and study thousands of historical Islamic manuscripts. Experts discussed expanding international partnerships between universities, museums, research institutions, and cultural organizations to protect this shared heritage.

Researchers noted that nearly 100,000 manuscripts written by scholars from Central Asia have been identified in libraries around the world, with new discoveries continuing to emerge. Participants stressed the importance of preserving these works and making them more accessible through modern digital technologies.

Officials also described the forum as a sign of Uzbekistan's growing role in the Islamic and Turkic worlds, highlighting the country's rich cultural heritage and recent reforms that have strengthened international cooperation in education and research.

The forum runs through July 10 and is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Tashkent Declaration alongside the announcement of more than 70 joint initiatives involving universities, museums, research centers, and international organizations aimed at expanding cooperation in education, scientific research, manuscript preservation, and digital technologies.