According to the vice president, these moderate values of Islam were able to continue to maintain harmony in Indonesia at a time when several Islamic countries are in conflict with one another.
Of the 1,836 candidates from 34 provinces that registered, 1,555 caravans were recorded to have taken part in the MTQN competition in Medan and Deliserdang on October 7-12, 2018.
In his closing remarks, Kalla emphasized that the Holy Qur`an should not only be read in beautiful manner, but the noble values contained in it must also be applied with sincerity in daily life.
The vice president noted that development of the MTQ, with the appearance of various categories, demonstrates that the interest for reading the Qur`an is increasing in the younger generation.
In the meantime, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin noted that the successful implementation of the 27th MTQN was inseparable from a sound cooperation between the central and regional governments.
The minister expressed hope that the spirit of the MTQN would continue to leave an impression, as the goal of the Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran is to create awareness to love the Qur`an and practice it.
According to the minister of religion affairs, the sincere practice of the Qur`an in everyday life is vital to maintain harmony of the state and nation.
"We need energy to maintain the unity in diversity, and the National Qur`an Reading Competition is one such step," the minister stated.
While opening the 27th MTQN on Oct 7, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) remarked that such a religious event was among the various efforts to boost religious harmony.
The qaris, or male reciters, and qariahs, or female reciters, who competed in this year`s MTQN, were invited to not only have the impetus to emerge as champions but to also boost religious harmony.
Apart from improving and creating a network of cooperation and mutual understanding among them towards solidarity of the ummah, the Qur`an Reading Competition was also a platform for the participants to seek blessings from the Qur`an.
Competing in such National Quran Reading Competitions will give qaris and qariahs greater confidence and motivation to memorize Al-Qur`anic verses.
The competition is also intended to test the participants` mind, interest, and confidence in reading and memorizing the verses of Al-Quran.
While opening the MTQN in Medan, President Jokowi expressed belief that the event would also function to strengthen the nation`s unity.
"The MTQN aims to foster love for the Qur`an among Muslims and then practice it well for the benefit of the nation," President Jokowi remarked.
The head of state also expressed hope that the MTQN would serve to strengthen Islamic teachings that must be translated into daily life.
In this way, the president believes no more slander, hoax, and scorn news would be spread solely due to political interests and ego.
Furthermore, President Jokowi called on Muslims to foster a sense of brotherhood and unity and uphold harmony among the Indonesian people since all this is the strength and energy of Indonesia.
Jokowi, who wore traditional red Malay clothing, beat the Begud and Gondang IX to mark the opening of the 27th MTQN.
In the meantime, North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi was content that the province was pleased to host the MTQN.
For North Sumatra, the governor noted that the implementation of MTQN offered the necessary momentum and motivation to do hard work and make endeavors to provide the best contribution to the welfare of dignified North Sumatra people.
He said that not only Muslims but also other religious communities were delighted over the implementation of the MTQN.
On the occasion, the president also invited Muslims to ground the Qur`an, one of them being through the MTQN event in North Sumatra.
To ensure that this MTQ offers an injection of energy to ground the Qur`an in the day-to-day lives of Muslims, Jokowi has invited all parties to ensure that the MTQN does not end up being a mere routine biennial event to look for winners in the competition.
The MTQ must be able to promote the Al Qur`an to be the cause behind the realization of Islamic brotherhood, with a national perspective.
"In addition, our hearts should be peaceful by reading the Koran, and we must care for this peace and tranquility," Jokowi noted.
Through the MTQ, the head of state has also invited the community, especially Muslims, to be able to reflect on the meaning of the Qur`an and adhere to the instructions contained in it to build good character.
If the Qur`an is followed properly, he believes the presence of the Muslim holy book can be a source to benefit the people and nation of Indonesia.
Jokowi opined that imbibing the values of the Qur`an can suppress the occurrence of rifts in the community, spread of false information or hoaxes, slander, cheating, friction between people, and other negative things.
He noted that Muslims are the biggest assets of the nation, so they can also maintain unity and integrity as the capital of the nation`s progress and energy resources towards a prosperous country.
EDITED BY INE/H-YH
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
