Ouagadougou: Moussa Diallo from the Nakambe region won the 7th edition of the National Quran Reading and Memorization Competition (CONALMESCO-225) in Ouagadougou on Sunday, organized by the Islamic association ‘An-nasr,’ AIB noted on site.
According to Burkina Information Agency, starting with 400 registered candidates from all over Burkina Faso, Moussa Diallo made it through all the preliminary rounds, placing among the 56 in the first round and among the 16 finalists. The jury members highlighted Moussa Diallo’s ability to manage his voice and his mastery of the Holy Quran. He demonstrated a confident attitude during the reading, not doubting certain passages. The candidates were assessed at four levels: memorization of the entire Holy Quran, memorization of half of the Holy Quran, memorization of 2/60 of the Holy Quran, and the category of those who cannot read the Holy Quran well.
Moussa Diallo expressed his satisfaction and thanked God for allowing him to win the first prize. He stated, “I am very happ
y and I also thank the organizers for this initiative. May God bless them so that they can continue their work.” His prize included a motorcycle, trophy, financial aid, certificate, and various other gadgets.
The competitions were organized in four categories with the following results: in the “two hizbs” category, Abdoulmalick Doumbere from the Haut-Bassin region won first prize ahead of Ismaël Diallo from the South-West. In the “reading” category, Samsoudine Ganemtore from the Center-East was the best, surpassing Moumouni Sawadogo from the Center. In the “thirty hizbs” category, Abdoul Hafize Kalmogo from the Center-South secured first prize, with Adama Kindo from Cascades coming second. Moussa Diallo from the Center-East also excelled in the “sixty hizbs” category, ahead of Mamadou Soumaïla from Sahel.
Nassirou Nikiema, president of the Islamic association An-nasr, recalled that the objective of the competition was to unite Muslim youth around the Holy Quran, encouraging them to understand and practice i
ts true message. He expressed satisfaction with the organization of pre-selections in all regions of Burkina, acknowledging the children’s efforts in learning the Holy Quran.
El Hadj Ahmad Taonsa, one of the sponsors, spoke on behalf of all sponsors, emphasizing the importance of the Quran as a guide to follow the path of God. He encouraged young participants to continue learning the Holy Quran to aspire to be like the respected sheikhs and religious scholars of Burkina.
The event was sponsored by the President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina Faso (FAIB), Aboubacar Yugo, and attended by several Muslim leaders, including Dr. Mohammed Kindo, Sheikh Ismail Derra, and the President of the Muslim Community, Moussa Koanda.