President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the iftar event

In all regions, about 60,000 people, including elderly people, labor veterans, scholars, and intellectuals, representatives of various religions and denominations, people with disabilities, and those in need, were invited to the iftar tables.

The President's press service provided the text of Shavkat Mirziyoyev's speech at the iftar ceremony held at the "Ko'ksaroy" residence.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Peace be upon you, dear compatriots, respected elders!

Dear guests!

I sincerely congratulate you, dear ones, our entire nation, and all Muslims, both near and far, on the ongoing blessed month of Ramadan. I wish you all peace, tranquility, health, and prosperity.

In this blessed month, we express our immense gratitude to the kind and powerful Allah for allowing us to hold such a fruitful iftar ceremony together with our people in our beautiful homeland.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed guests participating in today's gathering – ambassadors of foreign countries, representatives of international organizations, and leaders of religious denominations for their high respect and attention to our homeland and people.

Dear friends!

As you know, in recent years, we have been doing a lot of work to preserve our national and religious values and to develop them based on the demands of the times.

In this regard, the noble idea of "For the dignity of man, for the happiness of man" is becoming our program of action. Based on this, ensuring the rights and interests of every citizen, regardless of their nationality, language, or religion, is becoming a leading priority in our social life.

The constitutional rights of our citizens in the field of freedom of conscience are being fully ensured, which is becoming even more evident this year during the month of Ramadan.

The good deeds commanded by our sacred religion – unity and solidarity, kindness and generosity, patience and contentment, moral values, and knowledge and enlightenment are becoming increasingly strong in our society. In particular, special attention is being paid to deeply studying the humanitarian essence of Islam, collecting and widely promoting the treasures of our great history and culture, and the rich heritage of our great scholars.

In pursuit of this noble goal, the Center for Islamic Civilization being established in Tashkent is generating great interest in our country and the international community as a major scientific and spiritual project being implemented for the first time in Uzbekistan.

This center embodies the achievements of thousands of years of development and confirms that Islamic civilization has developed in our country precisely on the basis of science, education, culture, and enlightenment. This place is particularly significant for us not only as a monument of the past but also as a call for our people and youth towards the future, inspiring them for great discoveries.

You are aware that the construction of a magnificent complex dedicated to our great compatriot, the Sultan of Hadith science, Imam Bukhari, is also progressing rapidly in Samarkand. Along with museums and scientific institutions dedicated to the life and activities of our great ancestor, a mosque for 10,000 people is also being built here.

If fate allows, this year we will jointly celebrate the opening ceremony of these two magnificent monuments – the Center for Islamic Civilization and the Imam Bukhari complex.

In order to further study the invaluable contribution of our people to the religion and philosophy of Islam, we have recently adopted another important decision.

This year, we will widely celebrate the 1155th anniversary of the birth of our thinker ancestor, one of the great leaders of the science of theology, Imam Maturidi. In particular, the holy sites of this great figure in Samarkand will be further beautified.

Most importantly, these efforts will be a new and significant step in scientifically studying the legacy of Imam Maturidi and the teachings of Maturidism in cooperation with our scholars both at home and abroad.

Dear friends!

Strengthening peace and harmony in our multi-ethnic society and enhancing friendship and solidarity among representatives of different nationalities and religions has always been at the center of our attention.

To this end, we will hold a prestigious international conference in the cities of Tashkent and Samarkand in September this year. This major event, named the "Forum of Dialogue of Declarations," is a logical continuation of the conference held in 2022 in the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara and will serve as a unique platform for educational dialogue among representatives of various religious beliefs.

At this point, I want to emphasize again: the peace and stability prevailing in our country is our greatest wealth.

We will continue to firmly pursue efforts aimed at preserving this invaluable wealth and strengthening the atmosphere of friendship, equality, and tolerance in our homeland. We will mobilize all our strength and resources for this purpose. This issue is especially important for the policy of freedom and openness we are pursuing in this complex time.

Dear compatriots!

New Uzbekistan is guided by new priority principles, including the social state status clearly defined in our Constitution, and is pursuing a people-oriented and humanitarian policy.

In this regard, allow me to give just one example. Last year, material assistance and benefits worth 16 trillion soums were provided to those in need. 51,000 children from low-income families were placed in kindergartens, medical assistance was provided to 176,000 of their family members, and 182,000 people were covered by social services.

Through the "Charity and Assistance" fund, expenses related to medical treatment, food, clothing, and utility payments amounting to 130 billion soums were covered for nearly 94,000 low-income families.

Within the framework of the "Women's Register," assistance amounting to 5 trillion 700 billion soums was allocated to 3.5 million of our sisters.

Since the introduction of the "Youth Register," social assistance amounting to 1 trillion 700 billion soums has been provided to 1.3 million needy young people.

Most importantly, these efforts are being carried out consistently.

Dear participants of the ceremony!

Another priority feature of New Uzbekistan is the path of "green development."

Today, a new ecological space is being created in our country. The "Green Space" national project is aimed precisely at this goal.

The state program being implemented this year, declared as the "Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy," is also an important step in this regard.

Recently, at the expanded meeting of the Interfaith Council held for the first time in the city of Khiva, representatives of religious denominations in our country adopted an appeal aimed at actively participating in this state program.

Of course, we gratefully note that respected religious leaders, scholars, and elders, as well as our broad public, are actively participating in the good works in our society.

This year, within the framework of the "Green Space" project, more than 10,000 trees and nearly 32,000 flowers were planted by religious leaders during the spring season, and 25 hectares of land were beautified at mosques and pilgrimage sites, which confirms this idea.

The many charitable works of our pilgrims are certainly a source of joy for all of us as they set a personal example in various good deeds.

Last year, under the leadership of Mufti Nuriddin Khaliknazar, our pilgrims put forward the initiative to become "the devoted servants of New Uzbekistan and the promoters of spirituality." To date, with their initiative, material assistance amounting to 6 billion 300 million soums has been provided to low-income families, those who have lost their breadwinners, and those in need.

We all sincerely thank them for their noble deeds.

Dear compatriots!

Currently, we all see and understand that the situation in the world is becoming extremely precarious and complex.

Unfortunately, most conflicts and disputes are occurring precisely in the Islamic world, which deeply concerns us all.

The risk of hotspots of unrest expanding at any moment and spreading to entire regions is increasing.

Strengthening unity and solidarity among Muslim countries to ensure peace and stability is more urgent than ever.

Another issue that should be at the center of our attention is related to the many threats aimed at poisoning the hearts and minds of our youth and leading their lives astray.

The role of our respected imams, experienced elders, community activists, and pilgrims in promoting knowledge and protecting our children from foreign ideologies is invaluable.

We all highly value your activities in this direction.

The advice of our great ancestor Bahouddin Naqshband, "Let your hand be in work, and your heart be with Allah," has become a life principle for all of us.

It is very important to teach our youth to work and pursue professions in nurturing them in this spirit.

In this regard, I believe that our respected elders, community activists, conscientious farmers, and entrepreneurs will teach the youth to work honestly and to strive tirelessly for the well-being of their families and homeland.

Dear friends!

During this blessed month, iftar tables were set up in nearly 9,500 neighborhoods for low-income and needy families, and charitable works were carried out.

In these local events, our muftis and imams also actively participated by visiting households.

I believe that such charitable ceremonies held under the slogan "Ramadan is the month of generosity, unity, and tolerance" serve to honor human dignity and further unite all our compatriots with pure intentions.

As our great Alisher Navoi said, "The work of the good is to do good." Indeed, this life is bright and enduring precisely because of goodness and kindness.

For this reason, during this blessed month of Ramadan, standing on the eve of Laylatul Qadr, we pray for peace and prosperity in our homeland and throughout the world.

May our lives always be bright, fruitful, and blessed like this!

May our prayerful elders be healthy!

May our kind sisters and brothers always stand by us like a mountain!

May our children be knowledgeable, skilled, and diligent youth who glorify our homeland to the world!

May our homeland be peaceful, and may our hardworking, noble people always be safe!