Tashkent: On Sept 23, Uzbekistan’s top religious authority urged Uzbeks not to get involved in the conflict in Ukraine. They said that doing so was against the Islamic faith after Russia offered fast-track citizenship to foreigners who join its army. The Muslim Board said members of some “terrorist organizations” were recruiting Muslims to fight in the Ukraine conflict under the pretext of “jihad” or holy war. In reality, it said, it was not permissible for a Muslim to participate in any military action except to defend their homeland.
