Madar (Nouakchott) - Mauritania's Minister of Islamic Affairs and Original Education said that the country's hosting of the second edition of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques competition for memorising the Holy Quran and the Prophet's Sunnah is a recognition of its scholarly standing and of the role played by its scholars and mahadras (traditional Quranic schools) in serving the Holy Quran and the religious sciences.
Speaking on Sunday morning in Nouakchott at the opening of the competition, the minister said that organising the event reflects the strength of cooperation between Mauritania and Saudi Arabia in serving the Quran and the Sunnah, and opens wider prospects for scholarly and intellectual exchange between Islamic, Arab and African countries.
He added that the competition is an opportunity to strengthen scholarly and religious ties between the countries of the region, to encourage interest in memorising the Holy Quran and the Prophet's Sunnah, and to showcase talents and abilities in both fields.
For his part, the Saudi ambassador in Nouakchott said that the choice of Mauritania to host the competition for the second time reflects the depth of relations between the two countries, stressing that it is an occasion to strengthen contacts, cooperation and rapprochement among West African countries.
Prime Minister Moctar Ould Djay had overseen the opening of the competition, in the presence of a number of government officials, diplomats, scholars and imams.
The competition is organised by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance in cooperation with the Mauritanian Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Original Education, with 160 contestants representing 16 West African countries.
The contest is divided into two main tracks, the first devoted to memorising the Holy Quran and the second to memorising the Prophet's Sunnah, each comprising five branches.
