Rabat – Three Moroccan judges announced the winners of the second annual Bahrain International Quran Recitation, Global Cantor competition, held under the patronage of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Bahrain Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, at the closing ceremony on May 9.
In the presence of guests of honor such as Saudi prince Shaikh Saleh bin Awad Al-Maghamsi, Ahmed Mohammed Al-Khaldi, one of the Moroccan judges, announced the winners of the reciting category in Tarteel mode (slow recitation) who had scored 94.41 points of a possible 100.
Four Moroccans out of the five winners in the Reciting in Tadweer mode (medium tempo), were among the top five best cantors.
Moroccan Hisham Ali clinched the fifth place of the reciting category in Tadweer mode (medium tempo) with Tajweed.
Moroccan Mohammed Al-Arabi Qastali was at the top of the list, winning the award for the best cantor in Tadweer mode (medium) with 95.51 points, followed by Bahraini Mohammed Sameer.
Moroccan Younes Mustapha Gharbi and his fellow countrymen Younes Ben Abdulla Khouayli and Hicham Ali Alabdi, ranked third, fourth, and fifth respectively.
The Audience Reciter Award went to the gifted Moroccan cantor Khalid Abdul Salam Riyadh.
The Moroccan cantors were received with high praise upon their arrival at Mohammed VI International Airport in Casablanca, and the fans offered milk and dates, a symbol of warm welcome in Moroccan culture.
According to the Bahrain News Agency, the first year of the competition drew 5,000 participants from 83 countries, while the second featured a total of 7,000 contestants from 91 countries.
Shaikh Saleh bin Awad Al-Maghamsi delivered a statement on behalf of the guests of honor, lauding the presentation of “the competition amid the critical situation the Islamic World is going through,” and congratulating all those who participated in the contest.
According to the official website of the competition, the International Quran Recitations competition is intended to showcase the skill and attention paid to the Quran and encourage younger generations to memorize, understand, and recite the Quran.
