Promotion of Islamic Values in and via Central Asia
The Silk Road has had a unique role in foreign trade and political relations leaving its mark on the development of civilisations on both sides of the continent. We can speak of a cross-fertilization of ideas, technologies and cultures that led to mutually beneficial developments on the cultural, social and economic levels for the peoples concerned. This can be seen in the major historical processes of early entrance of Islam in Central Asia, the formation of Madrasas, and the development of Sufism; the Silk Roads can thus serve as a model in order to learn how we can organise our contacts in such a way in the recent globalized world.