The number of Muslims in Indonesia is around 215 million, while we can only provide 200 thousand copies per year.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas visited the largest Al Quran printing plant, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur'an, Medina, Saudi Arabia, to explore collaboration for the printing of Al Quran.

"Indonesian Muslims still fall short of the copies of Al Quran. The number of Muslims in Indonesia reaches around 215 million, while we can only provide 200 thousand copies per year," the minister noted.

Through an official statement issued here on Wednesday, Qoumas expects that the collaboration with the Saudi government to provide copies of Al Quran could be realized at the earliest.

The minister spoke of an early discussion held with Saudi Arabia's Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Minister Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Ash-Shaikh.

This collaboration to print Al Quran is part of a plan to build the Islamic Center in Indonesia, he noted.

Qoumas stressed that the collaboration to print Al Quran is important to provide copies of sufficient quantity and good quality in Indonesia.

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Meanwhile, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran 's Secretary General, Talal bin Razin Al-Rehil, welcomed the cooperation. He noted that the printing plant annually managed to print 18 million copies of Al Quran.

The secretary general asserted that the process to print and check Al Quran was conducted in a stringent manner. The 250-square meter building prints the Islamic holy scripture and translates them into various languages.

"Within our security system, we have a censor to detect possible misprint. Thus, if any errors are found, the machine will stop automatically. The quality of the print itself could last up to 100 years," he explained.

The vice religious affairs minister remarked that the demand to provide Al Quran in Indonesia remained high.

According to the ministry's data, the total requirement for Al Quran each year was over six million copies. Meanwhile, the ministry's Al Quran Printing Unit (UPQ) could only print 1,705,000 copies during the 2016-2020 period.

"The challenge for UPQ in the future is to fulfill the Indonesian Muslims' requirement for Al Quran that increases with each passing day," the vice minister affirmed.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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