Gontor Calligraphy Festival Receives Positive Response from US Muslims

Ponorogo, East Java (ANTARA) - The International Calligraphy Festival, organised in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor (PMDG), has received appreciation from Muslim guests from the United States, who noted that the participants’ works reflect talent, perseverance, and Islamic civilisational values.

This appreciation was expressed by international calligrapher Al Muhandis Bassem Zbeeb from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Prof. Dr Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat from Maryland, USA, during the festival’s closing ceremony at the New Meeting Hall of PMDG, Ponorogo, on Thursday.

“Participating in the competition is far warmer than merely engaging through social media. Communicating directly with the participants has been a truly beautiful experience,” he said.

Meanwhile, Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat assessed that the quality of the calligraphy displayed by the participants demonstrates the high level of ability and creativity among the students (santri).

“This shows how talented the students truly are. They are capable of producing extraordinary works,” he remarked.

According to Imam, Islamic calligraphy possesses not only aesthetic value but is also closely linked to scholarly traditions and values derived from the Al-Quran. He plans to introduce the experiences and findings from the festival to both the Muslim community and the general public in the United States.

“I want to demonstrate that Islamic civilisation has made a significant contribution to the development of science and art in the world,” he said.

The leader of PMDG, KH Hasan Abdullah Sahal, stated that the festival serves as a means to strengthen brotherhood among calligraphers from various regions and countries. According to him, the use of Arabic script, which has flourished across the globe, is part of the Islamic civilisational heritage that must be continuously preserved and developed.

The International Calligraphy Festival took place over three days from 8–10 September 2026, under the theme “Writing Civilisation, Preserving Heritage, Towards Gontor’s Second Century”. The event brought together calligraphers, academics, artists, teachers, students, and alumni from several countries to strengthen networks and the development of Islamic calligraphy art.