Indonesia and Uzbekistan Discuss Cooperation in Religious Tourism and Islamic Education

Indonesia and Uzbekistan are exploring the strengthening of cooperation in the fields of religious education, knowledge exchange, and religious tourism. The closeness of history and the tradition of Islamic scholarship is considered to be the main capital to expand relations between the two countries. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochammad Irfan Yusuf, or Gus Irfan, conveyed this when meeting with the Deputy Governor of Bukhara Botirjon Shahriyorov in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on Monday, September 7. According to Gus Irfan, Bukhara and Samarkand have their own closeness to the Indonesian people because they are known as the center of Islamic civilization and learning that produces many scholars. "Bukhara and Samarkand have their own place in Indonesian society. Many figures who come from this area are known in Indonesia," said Gus Irfan. He assessed that the closeness could be developed into more concrete cooperation, ranging from inter-religious relations, knowledge exchange, to the development of tourism based on history and Islamic civilization. Botirjon welcomed the opportunity and said that Indonesia-Uzbekistan relations have been going well. "We are very happy that the relationship between Indonesia and Uzbekistan has been well established. We hope that this relationship continues and gets stronger," he said. He also highlighted Bukhara's position as one of the centers of Islamic education with a madrasah tradition that has been developing for a long time. The Grand Imam of Bukhara, who was present at the meeting, said that Bukhara's strength lies not only in its architectural heritage of more than 1,000 years, but also in its scientific tradition. "Madrasahs in Bukhara educate many local and foreign scholars," he said. Gus Irfan said the wealth of history opened up opportunities for the development of religious tourism which not only offered a spiritual journey, but also introduced the history, science, and heritage of the Islamic civilization. "The relationship between Indonesia and Uzbekistan has very strong capital. We have historical, religious, and cultural closeness," he said. The meeting in Bukhara is part of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's efforts to expand its international cooperation network with Uzbekistan.