Spiritual revival and international cooperation

A value (qadriyat) is something very precious to people. The Uzbek people have created great values over the centuries, but in the Soviet period many of them were pushed aside. After independence they began to be revived. In 1989 the Uzbek language was given the status of state language. Navruz is an ancient spring festival; it is a time of kindness, caring, and of the start of farming work. In Soviet times it was not officially celebrated and was made difficult; from 1990 Navruz was revived and 21 March became a day off. In those days people hold hashars (communal work), plant trees, cook sumalak and help those in need. The religious festivals, Qurban Hayit (from 1991) and Ro‘za Hayit (from 1992), became days off. The names of our great ancestors were honoured again: the 550th anniversary of Alisher Navoi (1991) and anniversaries of Amir Temur, Imam al-Bukhari, at-Termizi, Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani and al-Maturidi were marked. More than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups live in Uzbekistan; they are equal before the law. Teaching is given in Uzbek and in six more languages: Karakalpak, Russian, Tajik, Turkmen, Kazakh and Kyrgyz (according to the textbook). Religious tolerance means people of different faiths respecting each other; many religious organizations of different faiths work in the country.