Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 21 December 2019 Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan, Rector of the International Islamic Academy (IIAU) Rustam Kasymov in Kuala Lumpur met with the Director of the Museum of Islamic Art of Malaysia, Said Muhammad al-Bukhari and a member of the Board of Directors of the Al Foundation -Buhari by Safiya al-Bukhari.

The Al-Bukhari Foundation was founded by the Malaysian businessman and philanthropist Saeed Mokhtar al-Bukhari in 1996 and it includes the Al-Bukhari International University, the Al-Bukhari Islamic World Gallery, the Museum of Islamic Art, as well as the al-Bukhari mosque. The Museum of Islamic Art of Malaysia is the largest museum in Southeast Asia. Masters from Uzbekistan participated in its design and construction.

Among the exhibits of the museum there are artifacts from Uzbekistan, including the Koran (Bukhara, the 18th century), an astronomical device - an astrolab (Bukhara, the 19th century), textile items - suzanne, a woman’s bathrobe (the 19th century), and utensils (Bukhara, the 18th century) , women’s jewelry made of gold and silver (Bukhara, XVIII-XIX centuries) and others.

At the beginning of the negotiations, the leadership of the Museum of Islamic Art expressed gratitude to the Uzbek side for their contribution and assistance in the construction of this complex, which is considered one of the leading and most popular museums not only in Malaysia, but also throughout the Muslim world.

Safiya al-Bukhari noted the interest of the International University of al-Bukhari under the Al-Bukhari Foundation in establishing cooperation with Uzbekistan. As emphasized, at present, there is a growing interest among Malaysians in the Uzbek national fabrics - adras and ikat, as well as other products of national handicraft. In this regard, al-Bukhari Foundation subsidiaries are considering the possibility of establishing their imports from Uzbekistan to Malaysia.

Al-Bukhari Foundation management expressed its willingness to explore the possibility of:

- allocation of scholarships to Uzbek students for study at Al-Bukhari International University;

- establishing cooperation with the International Islamic Academy, the Center for Islamic Civilization, the Research Center of Imam Bukhari and the Hadith Scientific School in the implementation of joint projects to study the rich heritage of the Islamic religion.

Following the talks, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the International Islamic Academy and the Al-Bukhari Foundation was signed.