IQRA – Diamond Jubilee Qirat competition’s National Finals held in Islamabad
Islamabad: (PR) The national finals of Iqra, a Qir’at competition organised by the Ismaili Muslim community, was held in Islamabad Serena Hotel. The competition is part of a series of activities to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the Imamat of His Highness the Aga Khan. Dr. Mohsin Naqvi was the Chief Guest at the event. The event was attended by prominent members of the sister communities, Qaris, and members of the Ismaili community.
Aftab Alam, Saliha Saleem and Erum Karim stood first in level one, two and three respectively.
The national final was the culmination of competitions held at the regional and local level with participants divided into three categories by age. The winners were given laptops while shields were distributed among the finalists of all levels.
“We dedicate our success to our teachers and parents. It is due to their hard work we were able to achieve today. It was a long journey from the local level to the national level and today we are proud that we have won the competition,” said winners.
The Iqra Qir’at competition was organised to appreciate the recitation of the Holy Quran that appeals to both the human mind and soul; and to highlight the Diversity of Interpretation of Qur’an within the Ummah and the contributions made by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in promoting and facilitating a pluralistic worldview of Quranic studies. It also provides a platform for members of the Ismaili Muslim Community to showcase their skills and to further develop their talent.
Appreciating the organisers, Dr Mohsin Naqvi said, “Firstly, I want to congratulate the organisers and students for the wonderful Iqra Qir’at Competition. I see a lot of hard work of teachers and students who participated at the competition. I look forward to see more such events in future.”
The Diamond Jubilee of the Aga Khan, which commenced on July 11th, 2017, marks 60 years of the Imamat of His Highness the Aga Khan, as the Spiritual Leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community. The Aga Khan acceded to the Ismaili Imamat on 11th July 1957, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III.
