Final Stage of ‘Iraqi Elites’ Quran Contest Underway in Samarra

IQNA – The final stage of the 15th national Quran memorization and recitation competition for “Iraqi Quranic Elites” began in Samarra earlier this week.

It has been organized by the National Center for Quranic Sciences affiliated with the Iraqi Shia Awqaf Department, with the aim of selecting the country’s best Quran reciters and memorizers to send to international Quran competitions.

The Askari holy shrine in Samarra is hosting the finals, which started on Thursday.

The Astan (custodianship) of the holy shrine is collaborating in holding the three-day stage under the slogan “Representing Iraq; an honor for all”.

The event began with the recitation of verses from the Quran by Is’haq Atiyah, the first place winner of the 14th edition, and then Qaisar al-Dujaili, a member of the Administrative Council of the Astan, addressed the attendees on behalf of the Astan’s custodian.

Welcoming the attendees and participants, he emphasized that the Astan supports activities that are carried out in service to the Book of God.

Rafi al-Amiri, director of the National Center for Quranic Sciences and general supervisor of the competition, said in a speech that the reciters and memorizers who are present in this stage are those who had the best performance in the preliminary competitions held by the Quranic units of the Shia Awqaf Department in Baghdad and various other parts of Iraq.

He noted that the judging committees include 68 judges in the recitation category and 10 judges in memorization.

The Quran masters, who are from Iraqi Quranic centers and institutions, are supervising the competition, he stated.

Al-Amiri also said that 60 reciters and memorizers have reached the final stage of this competition, and the top performers will be introduced to the organizing committees of international Quran competitions in different countries as Iraq’s representatives.

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