Pray for Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, a doubly landlocked nation in Central Asia, was once part of the Persian Empire, conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. Once a thoroughfare for the Silk Road, it was a strategic point of conquest for many invaders. The nation’s rich heritage is beautifully preserved in its historic mosques, grand palaces, and towering minarets. Uzbekistan has a very young and rapidly growing population of over 38 million people, many of whom come from different ethnic groups. While its economy is expanding, it still struggles to create enough high-quality jobs for citizens living outside the major cities.

The combined influence of more than 100 years of Russian occupation and Soviet rule led to today’s system of government. As a unitary presidential republic, political power is highly centralized in the presidency, with limited checks from other branches of government. Despite implemented reforms, institutionalized corruption still exists at every level of government. Although Uzbeks have a 99 percent literacy level, all media is highly restricted and censored. Once a gateway to goods on the Silk Road, this nation now acts as a transit point for drug activity, particularly Afghan narcotics going to Russia and Western Europe.

Approximately 83 percent of people claim Islam, while less than 2 percent identify as Christian. Fear of the instability created by fundamentalism and terrorism has led to the limiting of religious practices in support of a moderate form of Islam. Yet fundamentalist sects and those who seek to establish Islamic law have still formed. All churches, regardless of denomination, must be registered with the government. Some, especially those in unregistered churches, face persecution, arrest, and torture from targeted attacks by government-controlled media and police. Despite increasing scrutiny and harassment, the Church continues to grow, mainly in urban areas, where about one-half of Uzbeks reside.