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Special Quran Memorisation Award for prisoners hailed

DUBAI - Ibrahim Bu Melha, Vice-Chairman of Dubai Justice Department, Dubai Attorney General and Chairman of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA), on Monday hailed the institution of a special Quran Memorisation Award for Ajman prison inmates.

He thanked His Highness Shaikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, for the move.

"The decision to constitute this award is a sign of the keenness of Shaikh Humaid to rehabilitate the prisoners and reform their behaviour before they complete their sentences and come out," Mr Bu Melha said.

Under the order instituting the award, the Ajman prison inmates who memorise the Holy Quran will gain, besides financial incentives, the priority of being pardoned, said Mr Bu Melha, pointing to the DIHQA's earlier move, which also dedicated one of its eight branches to encouraging male and female inmates of Dubai prisons to memorise parts of the Holy Quran or the entire Holy Book. In return they are rewarded by reducing years of their jail terms depending on the number of chapters they memorised.

Every three months, the DIHQA conducts a test for participants in the programme and decides accordingly on reducing their jail terms.

"It is a welcome move to have such an award in Ajman and I hope that all officials in Muslim countries will follow suit, because our experience with the prison inmates showed that by engaging them in memorising the Holy Quran their behaviour improved and it had a positive impact on their personality," Mr Bu Melha said.

• UAE