The Filipino Muslim community in the Eastern Province has sent their compatriots a message of awareness regarding Islam during this holy month of Ramadan through a Qu'ran recitation competition held last weekend at the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar (IPSA). Sheikh Bajunaid B. Andi, head of the committee that organized the Qu'ran program, said the event hopefully educated other members of the Filipino community regarding the interpretations of the meaning of the Qu'ran and the importance of Ramadan. “The event was doubly significant because it was held during this holy month of Ramadan. The Qu'ran reading event was also held to encourage Muslim brothers to strive hard in learning the proper way of reading the Qu'ran, and to strengthen the intention and faith of the participants and the organizers,” Sheikh Andi said. The event was hosted by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Eastern Region Operation (POLO-ERO) in coordination with three Filipino Muslim organizations, namely, Western Mindanao Overseas Workers-TAUHID, Maguindanaoan Association in Eastern Saudi Arabia (MAESA), and the Ranao Overseas Tennis Association in Eastern Province (ROTA). Sheikh Andi, who works as an interpreter at POLO-ERO, said the winners of the Qu'ran recitation competition will c represent the region in the annual national competition hosted by the Philippines Embassy to be held at the Heroes Hall of the Embassy in Riyadh on Sept. 18. Other members of the organizing committee were Ustadz Abdulraof Agao, Ustadz Gaffor Bacaraman, Lex Pineda, and Julian Vasquez. The executive committee was composed of Labor Attache David Des T. Dicang and Welfare Officers Rolando U. Coquia and Edgar D. Lim. Labor Attache Dicang, praised the organizers and the cooperation of the Filipino Muslim community in the Eastern Province. As a prelude to holding the competition, a symposium on the values of Islam was held a week earlier. The symposium, which was attended by Filipino families, was organized by the Filipino Muslim organizations under the chairmanship of Udtadz Mufti Calvin. The Qu'ran competition opened with the reading of some verses from the Qu'ran by Ustadz Ben Daud Al-Haj. The master of ceremonies was Aldrin Sakili. Four contestants, namely, Abdulbasith U. Jakaria, Sakib U. Puddin, Abdullatif Usman Abu and Abdulgaffar Mukhtar, qualified to participate in the competition. Only two of these contestants were selected by a panel of judges. The board of judges, all Islamic scholars and teachers, was composed of Sheikh Emad Anwar Muahhad Ali Ad-deeb, Sheikh Hameed Hasan Khaleel, and Sheikh Abdullah Ewadh Ali At-Tuway. The winners of the contest, who were given seven minutes each to recite verses from the Qu'ran selected by them were Abdullatif Usman Abu and Abdulgaffar Mukhtar. The selection was based on diction (Tajweed), eloquence (Tarteel), melody (Tarannum), and voice (Sawt). Abu and Mukhtar will be accompanied by Welof Rolando U. Coquia during the final competition in Riyadh where they will compete with winners from Riyadh and Jeddah. __
