TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia is hosting an international level Quran Reading Contest (MTQ) in Jakarta, which will see 32 teams from 21 countries participating.
The MTQ, which was inaugurated by Religious Affairs Minister, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, will be held at the Istiqlal grand mosque in Jakarta from Tuesday to Saturday (September 1 to 5).
The participating countries include, among others, Morocco, Iran, Belgium, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Tunisia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, Egypt and host Indonesia.
"The event belongs to the world Muslim community and is aimed at bringing people closer to the Quran," the Minister stated, adding that the competition would cover the recitation and memorizing of 30 chapters of the Quran.
Saifuddin further said the Quran should become part of the lives of Muslims. The Quran must be practiced, and should be read in response to the problems of life and the challenges of our times, he pointed out.
The Quran is an important part of Islam, the minister asserted.
ANTARA
