Iranian Qur’an reciter ranks first in Malaysia competitions

Alizadeh, a Qur’an reciter from Khorssan Razavi province, was awarded by the Malaysian king and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahed Hamidi at Saturday night.

Iran’s cultural attaché Ali Mohammad Sabeqi also attended the awarding ceremony which was broadcast live on Malaysian TV.

Reciters from Brunei and host Malaysia and Canada came second to fourth respectively behind Alizadeh.

Jurors from Malaysia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco and Brunei judged performance of the reciters from different countries.

Alizadeh as the first contender grabbed a gold ingot worth of 70,000 Ringgits ($ 16,300) as well as 40,000 Ringgits ($ 9,300) in cash.

Iranian reciters have so far managed to win first positions in 11 rounds of the international contest while the host Malaysia has come first in 30 rounds of the event.

Two years ago, another Iranian reciter, Mohsen Hajji Hassani Kargar had won the first rank in the same contests before being martyred in a tragic stampede during 2015 Hajj congregation in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

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