Ustaz Ravi first Muslim convert to judge National Quran Reciting Competition 

Kuala Lumpur, 2008 July 8, IQNA/Bernama

Well-known religious speaker Mohamad Farid Ravi Abdullah, also known as Ustaz Ravi, has been appointed one of 15 judges for Malysia's 51st National Quran Reciting Competition, the first for a Muslim convert.

Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Abdul Aziz said in a statement that Mohamad Farid's appointed was a recognition for Muslim converts in judging a Quran reciting competition.

"This shows that the government recognises anyone with the qualifications and capability regardless of his background," he said.

Mohamad Farid who appears regularly in various television programmes on Islam, including 'Forum Perdana', converted to Islam in 1990 and furthered his Islamic studies to the Master's level with specialisation in Quranic interpretation, at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Malaysia's five-day National Quran Reciting Competition began Monday night at Dewan Wawasan Jitra, near Alor Star.