Iranian Expert to Join Malaysia Int’l Quran Contest’s Panel of Judges

IQNA – For the first time in nearly two decades, a Quran expert from Iran will be present in the judging panel of Malaysia’s international Quran competition.

Veteran Quran expert and teacher Gholam Reza Shahmiveh will serve in the 65th edition of the South Asian country’s international Quran contest.

According to the Quranic Affairs Center of Iran’s Awqaf and Charity Affairs Organization, an official invitation for the presence of this internationally-acclaimed Quran expert was received in the past few days, and thus, after about two decades, there will be an Iranian judge in the world’s oldest international Quran competition.

Officials at the center have cited the consultations Iran’s delegation to Malaysia in December of last year, as well as the effective role of Master Abdolrasoul Abaei in previous editions of these competitions, as the most important reasons for inviting an Iranian referee to the Quranic event.

Master Abaei, who died in April this year, was the last and only Iranian Quran expert to be present on the judging panel of the international Quran competition in Malaysia.

The 65th edition of Malaysia’s International Quran Recital and Memorization Assembly (MTHQA) will be launched at the World Trade Center Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) on August 2, 2025, and run until August 9.

A total of 72 Quran memorizers and reciters from 50 countries are set to take part in this edition.

Iranian qari Mohsen Qassemi will compete for Iran in the recitation category of the prestigious Quranic event.

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