Delegations from various regions across Indonesia have begun arriving\nin the city of Semarang, Central Java, to participate in the 31st\nNational Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur\u2019an (MTQ), scheduled from 11 to 20\nSeptember 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlhamdulillah, today we have received 847 participants and officials\nentering Central Java,\u201d said the Deputy Governor of Central Java, Taj\nYasin Maimoen, in Semarang on Thursday night. He was welcoming the\narrival of the Deputy Governor of Southwest Papua, Ahmad Nausrau, who\naccompanied the delegation at Tawang Station, Semarang.<\/p>\n
The Southwest Papua delegation arrived first, while the provincial\ngovernor, the Speaker of the Regional House of Representatives, and the\nregional secretary are scheduled to follow on Friday (11\/9).<\/p>\n
As of Thursday (10\/9), 847 participants and officials from 12\nprovinces have arrived, and 13 arenas have been prepared for the\ncompetitions and supporting activities.<\/p>\n
The welcoming atmosphere was warm. Upon arrival, Taj Yasin and Ahmad\nsat together in the VIP lounge of Tawang Station. Their conversation\nflowed easily, alternating between Indonesian, Javanese, and Arabic,\ninterspersed with smiles and laughter.<\/p>\n
A bond was further strengthened when Ahmad shared that he had\npreviously studied at Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He also shared a\npersonal connection to Central Java, as his wife, Ida Priyanti Nausrau,\nhails from Cilacap Regency, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Javanese, Ahmad mentioned that his arrival this time was\nnot only to accompany the Southwest Papua delegation to the National MTQ\nbut also felt like returning to his ancestral roots. \u201cI am coming home.\nMy wife is Javanese, from Cilacap. Clearly, this is not just about\nparticipating in the MTQ, but also about returning home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ahmad expressed his emotion at being personally welcomed by the\nDeputy Governor of Central Java and provincial officials, particularly\nas Taj Yasin also serves as the Chairman of the Tilawatil Qur\u2019an\nDevelopment Institute of Central Java.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe welcome was extraordinary. I am very moved and happy. I thought\nit would be a standard arrival, but the Deputy Governor and officials\ncame to meet us personally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, the National MTQ is not merely a competition arena,\nbut also a momentum to strengthen Islamic brotherhood, national unity,\nand togetherness between regions. \u201cFor us, participation is what\nmatters. Winning or losing comes later. The priority is how the values\nof the Al-Quran are internalised and practised in social life,\u201d he\nadded.<\/p>\n
Southwest Papua also intends to study the organisation of the\nNational MTQ in Central Java as a reference for their potential bid to\nhost the event in the future.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-mtq-delegations-begin-arriving-in-semarang-1789092129", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }