Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met a number of male and female reciters of the countrys national and international level Al-Quran (Qori and Qoriah) at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.

In the meeting with the president, the qori and qoriah were led by Said Agil Husin Al Munawar, general chairman of the Indonesian Qori-Qoriah and Hafiz-Hafizah Brotherhood Association (IPQOH).

Meanwhile, Jokowi was accompanied by the Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.

The Hafiz-Hafizah are male and female reciters who are able to memorize the verses of the Al-Quran.

On the occasion, the head of state expressed his gratitude as well as his highest appreciation to the Indonesian Qori-Qoriah and Hafiz-Hafizah Brotherhood Association, Lukman quoted Jokowi as saying.

Husin Al Munawar said that currently his agency (IPQOH) does not have a legal umbrella, so that it faces problems in seeking fund for the implementation of the Quran Reading Contest MTQ nationally and internationally.

"We expect the president to issue a Presidential Decree or the Presidential Instruction (Kepres/Inpres), so that there is a legal umbrella that can be used for seeking the fund for the implementation of MTQ and STQ," Munawar pointed out.

In response to the demand submitted by Munawar, the president asked the Cabinet Secretariat to prepare it.

"The (the president) welcomed the agency, because this reinforces the LPTQ so that the Musabaqoh-Musabaqoh (Quran Reading Contests) could be more vibrant and more widely conducted in an effort to understand the Al-Quran," Lukman added. (*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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