Many can't read the Koran

JAKARTA (JP): As many as 25 percent of Moslems in Indonesia cannot read the Koran in its original Arabic script, chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council said yesterday.

Hasan Basri said that one of the ways of reducing the number of people who are Koran illiterate is through Koran reading contests, both at local and national levels, which are being encouraged by the government, Antara reported yesterday.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Central Kalimantan's Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur'an (Koran reading contest) in Buntok, Barito Selatan regency, Hasan said he was not too worried about the high rate of Koran illiteracy because the number is declining.

"A Koran reading contest is one solution out of this problem," he said.

He also noted the rapid growth of Koran reading classes at Islamic kindergartens throughout Indonesia.

Official statistics state that approximately 87 percent of Indonesia's 194 million population are Moslems.

Hasan Basri said he was more worried about the shortage of religious teachers at schools nationwide.

He attributed this problem to a declining interest among people to take up teaching as a profession, particularly teaching religion. (emb)