Muslim Students’ Int’l Quran Contest starts

Tehran, Jan 3, IRNA -- The fifth edition of the International Quran Competition for Muslim Students kicked off in a ceremony in the Iranian capital on Thursday afternoon. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, as well as Quranic figures and foreign dignitaries. It began at the conference hall of Tehran’s Milad Tower with recitation of verses from the Quran by Majid Faqih, winner of the recitation category in the previous edition of the competition. It was followed by a speech delivered by Hamid Reza Tayyebi, head of the Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, who said the competition aims to enhance Muslim unity, promote learning the Quran and get Muslim students acquainted with the Quranic activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. President Rouhani also addressed the opening program, stressing the importance of having strong connection with the Quran, especially among the youth and university students. The international competition will run for four days and the 66 participants from 47 countries vie for the top prizes in the categories of memorization and recitation categories./end