President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo delivers remarks during the opening of the 30th National Local Quran Recitation Competitions (Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an) in 2024 held at the Gelora Kadrie Oening Stadium, Samarinda city, East Kalimantan province, Sunday (09/08). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Sunday (09/08) officially opened the 30th National Local Quran Recitation Competitions (Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an/MTQ) in 2024 held at the Gelora Kadrie Oening Stadium, Samarinda city, East Kalimantan province.
On that occasion, the President expressed hope that the MTQ will enhance their execution and reinforce crucial Quranic values such as honesty, justice, peace, and unity in daily life.
The President also expressed appreciation for this year’s innovative approach, including the incorporation of digital technologies like the e-MTQ, e-Macro, and e-Scoring applications.
“I sincerely hope that not only will the implementation of the MTQ improve, but more importantly, that the Quranic values of honesty, justice, peace, and unity will be more deeply practiced in our daily lives,” the President said.
In today’s digital age, he added, information is easily accessible and social media is dominant. Therefore, it is crucial for people to be more discerning in filtering the information they receive.
“Every social media user must act as their own editor, be able to distinguish between reliable and unreliable news, and verify what is true versus what is hoax or fake. Thus, today’s society requires a strong moral foundation, such as religion, to guide them,” he said.
The President went on to say that the MTQ not only showcased the skillful recitation of the Quran but also served as a moment to honor the Quran, embed its teachings, and strengthen the nation’s morals and spirituality across social, national, and civic life.
“Through this MTQ, we cultivate a love for the Qur’an, practice religion in a humane and open way, enhance national morals, and foster unity and harmony to advance our nation and state,” he stated.
Concluding his remarks, the President urged the qori and qoriah (Muslim scholars), hafiz and hafizah (those who have memorized the entire Quran), and mufassir and mufassirah (the writer of a commentary on the Quran) participating in the 30th National MTQ competition in 2024 to demonstrate their best abilities.
“Congratulations on participating in the Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an. May your involvement contribute positively to the development of Islamic outreach and the promotion of humanitarian values for the Indonesian nation and state,” he remarked. (FID/ABD) (RIF/MUR)
