Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs is finalizing preparations for the opening ceremony of the inaugural International Traditional Islamic Book Reading Competition, scheduled for July 8, 2025

This opening event will also mark the official launch of the first traditional Islamic book reading competition (Musabaqah Qiraatil Kutub/MQK) to be held on an international scale and the first of its kind in eastern Indonesia. The main competition will take place at Pesantren As’adiyah Sengkang in Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, on October 1-7, 2025.

“This year’s MQK is special, as it is being held internationally and in the eastern part of Indonesia. The event is also being organized using a digital platform and carries the spirit of 'local to global,’” Director General of Islamic Education at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Amien Suyitno, noted in a statement from Jakarta on Wednesday.

Suyitno explained that the entire series of activities, from selection to reporting, will be digitally integrated through a digital system to enhance both efficiency and reach.

He noted that the 'local to global' approach will be applied to introduce the unique values of Indonesian Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) traditions to a wider international audience without compromising their cultural roots.

Foreign Minister Sugiono, Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives Marwan Dasopang, ambassadors from participating countries, national figures, as well as Islamic boarding school leaders from both Indonesia and abroad are scheduled to attend the opening of the international MQK event.

Participating countries include Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste, with Indonesia as the host country.

“The presence of these countries is expected to strengthen the role of pesantren as pillars of cultural diplomacy and as centers of Islamic scholarship in the region,” Suyitno stated.

Arskal Salim, Secretary of the Directorate General of Islamic Education, remarked that the digital-based implementation of the 2025 International MQK allows for broader participation from across Indonesia’s pesantren ecosystem.

“With a digital approach, this year’s MQK reaches more than eight thousand pesantren that participated in computer-based selection tests (CBT),” Arskal stated.

He stated that the use of digital platforms not only enhances efficiency but also aligns with the modernization of pesantren education while remaining rooted in classical Islamic scholarly traditions.