Deputising for King, Crown Prince attends closing session of Quran competition

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Wednesday attended the closing ceremony of the 32nd National and International Hashemite Competition for the Memorisation and Recitation of the Holy Quran for Men, organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs at the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque.

Awqaf Minister Mohammad Khalaileh said the competition was one of the first international competitions dedicated to memorising the Quran, and enjoys continuous support from His Majesty and the Crown Prince, embodying the Hashemite role of caring for the Holy Quran in terms of memorisation, recitation, and understanding, a Royal Court statement said.

Khalaileh said the competition is held annually in different iterations, with both national and international contests for males and females, and has showcased the Quran memorisation prowess of some 33,000 contestants since the competition was launched in 1993.

At the closing ceremony, His Royal Highness handed out certificates to the winners, who numbered 35 in the local competition and 6 in the international competition, as well as to the 9 members of the jury, the statement said.

This year, 3,645 contestants took part in the local competition, while 54 participants from 51 countries competed in the international competition.

Chief Islamic Justice Abdul Hafez Rabtah, Jordan’s Grand Mufti Ahmad Hasanat, and Royal Hashemite Court Imam Ahmad Khalaileh attended the ceremony.