Editing Uzbekistan (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Uzbekistan}}

[[File:Le_minaret_et_la_mosquée_Kalon_(Boukhara,_Ouzbékistan)_(5658826884).jpg|thumb|right|Mosque of [[Bukhara]]]]

Uzbekistan is a secular country and Article 61 of its constitution states that religious organizations and associations shall be separated from the state and equal before law. The state shall not interfere in the activity of religious associations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://constitution.uz/en/clause/index#section7 |title=Constitution of Uzbekistan. Part II. Basic human and civil rights, freedoms and duties. |access-date=24 October 2020 |archive-date=9 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209112241/https://constitution.uz/en/clause/index#section7 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Islam in Uzbekistan|Islam]] is the dominant religion in Uzbekistan, although Soviet power (1924–1991) discouraged the expression of religious belief, and it was repressed during its existence as a [[Soviet Union|Soviet Republic]]. The CIA Factbook (2004) estimates that [[Muslims]] constitute 88% of the population, while 9% of the population follow [[Russian Orthodox Church in Uzbekistan|Russian Orthodox Christianity]], 3% other religions and non-religious,<ref>{{cite web|title=Uzbekistan|date=19 October 2021|publisher=CIA|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uzbekistan/|access-date=24 January 2021|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203042919/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uzbekistan/|url-status=live}}</ref> while a 2020 [[Pew Research Center|Pew Research]] projection stated that Uzbekistan's population is 96.7% Muslim and [[Christianity in Uzbekistan|Christians]] (mostly [[Russian Orthodox Church in Uzbekistan|Russian Orthodox Christians]]) comprised 2.3% of the population (630,000).<ref>{{cite web|title=Religions in Uzbekistan {{!}} PEW-GRF|url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/uzbekistan/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010|access-date=6 June 2020|website=www.globalreligiousfutures.org|archive-date=29 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129141645/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/uzbekistan/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010|url-status=live}}</ref> An estimated 93,000 [[Jews]] lived in the country in the early 1990s.<ref name="lcweb2">{{cite web |url= http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uztoc.html |title= A Country Study: Uzbekistan |publisher= Federal Research Division |date= 1988–1998 |access-date= 27 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130831195935/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uztoc.html |archive-date= 31 August 2013 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>
In addition, there are about 7,400 Zoroastrians left in Uzbekistan, mostly in Tajik areas like [[Khojand]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zoroastrians.net/2013/08/21/uzbekistan-zoroastrian-association-registered/|title=UZBEKISTAN Zoroastrian Association Registered|date=21 August 2013|website=Zoroastrians.net|access-date=24 July 2019|archive-date=6 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106080944/https://zoroastrians.net/2013/08/21/uzbekistan-zoroastrian-association-registered/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite the predominance of Islam and its rich history in the country, the practice of the faith is far from monolithic. Uzbeks have practised many versions of Islam. The conflict of Islamic tradition with various agendas of [[reform movement|reform]] or [[secularisation]] throughout the 20th century has left a wide variety of Islamic practices in [[Central Asia]].<ref name="lcweb2"/>

The end of Soviet control in Uzbekistan in 1991 did not bring an immediate upsurge of religion-associated [[fundamentalism]], as many had predicted, but rather a gradual re-acquaintance with the precepts of the Islamic faith and a gradual resurgence of [[Islam in Uzbekistan|Islam]] in the country.<ref>{{cite web|last=AFP|date=27 May 2019|title=Muslims seek voice in changing Uzbekistan {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/2019/05/491858/muslims-seek-voice-changing-uzbekistan|access-date=6 June 2020|website=NST Online|archive-date=6 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606194627/https://www.nst.com.my/world/2019/05/491858/muslims-seek-voice-changing-uzbekistan|url-status=live}}</ref> However, since 2015 there has been a slight increase in [[Islamism|Islamist]] activity, with small organisations such as the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]] declaring allegiance to [[Daesh]] and contributing fighters abroad,<ref>{{cite news|title= The Rising Islamic State threat in Central Asia|url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-central-asia-islamic-state-edit-20170203-story.html|newspaper= Chicago Tribune|access-date= 3 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170803221345/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-central-asia-islamic-state-edit-20170203-story.html|archive-date= 3 August 2017|df= dmy-all}}</ref> although the terror threat in Uzbekistan itself remains low.<ref>{{cite news|title= Uzbekistan's real problem is not terrorism, it's politics|url= http://www.politico.eu/article/uzbekistans-real-problem-is-not-terrorism-its-politics-aliyev-karimov/|newspaper= Politico|access-date= 3 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170803212101/http://www.politico.eu/article/uzbekistans-real-problem-is-not-terrorism-its-politics-aliyev-karimov/|archive-date= 3 August 2017|df= dmy-all|date= 6 September 2016}}</ref> (See [[Terrorism in Uzbekistan]]).

==== Jewish community ====
{{main|Uzbek Jews|Bukharian Jews}}
The Jewish community in the Uzbek lands lived for centuries, with occasional hardships during the reigns of certain rulers. During the rule of [[Tamerlane]] in the 14th century, [[Jews]] contributed greatly to his efforts to rebuild [[Samarkand]], and a great Jewish centre was established there.<ref name=JVL>{{cite web |date=30 July 2004 |title=Uzbekistan |website=Jewish Virtual Library |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Uzbekistan.html  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712005324/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Uzbekistan.html |archive-date=12 July 2015 |access-date=29 November 2015 }}</ref>
[[File:Bukharan Jews (before 1899).jpg|thumb|Bukharan Jews, c. 1899]]

After the area came under Russian rule in 1868, Jews were granted equal rights with the local Muslim population.{{r|JVL}} In that period some 50,000 Jews lived in Samarkand and 20,000 in [[Bukhara]].{{r|JVL}}

After the Russian revolutions in 1917 and the establishment of the Soviet regime, Jewish religious life (as with all religions) became restricted. By 1935 only one synagogue out of 30 remained in Samarkand; nevertheless, underground Jewish community life continued during the Soviet era.{{r|JVL}}

By 1970 there were 103,000 Jews registered in the [[Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic|Uzbek SSR]].{{r|JVL}} Since the 1980s most of the Jews of Uzbekistan emigrated to Israel or to the United States of America.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.jweekly.com/2002/09/20/bukharan-jews-now-in-queens-recreate-their-sukkot-memories/ | title=Bukharan Jews now in Queens recreate their Sukkot memories | work=The Jewish News of Northern California | date=20 September 2002 | access-date=30 July 2019 | archive-date=30 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730203728/https://www.jweekly.com/2002/09/20/bukharan-jews-now-in-queens-recreate-their-sukkot-memories/ | url-status=live }}</ref> A small community of several thousand remained in the country {{as of | 2013 | lc = on}}: some 7,000 lived in Tashkent, 3,000 in Bukhara and 700 in Samarkand.<ref>
[http://eajc.org/page277 Euro-Asian Jewish Congress] {{webarchive
 |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131224120130/http://eajc.org/page277
 |date= 24 December 2013 }} (retrieved 29 December 2013)
</ref>