Today, Abai University hosted a preventive lecture and discussion on the topic “Preventing Religious Extremism and Terrorism” as part of the “Law and Order” principle. The event focused on increasing students’ religious literacy, preventing the spread of the ideology of religious extremism and terrorism, and fostering legal awareness and social responsibility. The participants discussed a wide range of pressing issues facing society today.

The lecture was delivered by Dinara Sakhibkyzy Utebayeva, a member of the Almaty City Information and Outreach Group, a religious studies expert, and an expert at the National Center for Scientific and Technical Expertise. The speaker provided valuable information about the negative impact of religious extremism on society and ways to prevent it. The meeting also included detailed explanations of secularism, the advantages of a secular state, the concept of extremism, the key characteristics of religious extremist movements, and mechanisms for preventing their spread.

Particular attention was paid to developing young people’s critical thinking skills when consuming religious information, avoiding suspicious religious content on social media, and preventing exposure to destructive ideologies. Specialists encouraged students to approach all information critically and to rely exclusively on trusted and official sources when seeking information on religious matters.

During the preventive meeting, students had the opportunity to ask questions and exchange views with the expert. The open dialogue included specific recommendations aimed at improving young people’s religious literacy, while the important role of educational institutions in preventing extremism and terrorism was also highlighted.

Such initiatives not only contribute to improving young people’s legal and religious literacy but also help ensure stability and security in society and strengthen the values of peace and harmony. Many people are not sufficiently familiar with how to develop resilience to negative information or how to critically analyze it. Meetings with specialists undoubtedly help prevent such risks and strengthen young people’s ability to resist destructive influences.

As one of the leading institutions in the field of teacher education, Abai University prepares future educators and trains specialists who will provide knowledge and guidance to the younger generation. From this perspective, improving the religious literacy of future teachers is one of the important priorities. At the conclusion of the meeting, the importance of becoming competent and responsible educators capable of properly conveying the values of peace and harmony to their students was emphasized.

«Abai University» Media Center