- The innovative system has made the process of assessment faster, easier, and more accurate with no room for misjudgment or miscalculation.
Dubai – The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has come up with something new, smart, and innovative in the 19th edition of the global competition with the first of its kind electronic arbitration system.
Ibrahim Mohammed Bu Melha, Head of the Award Organising Committee and Adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, said the smart arbitration system is in line with the smart government initiative launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make mobile government services available to citizens.
“The first of its kind electronic arbitration system which comprises two screens; one for the contestants to randomly pick up the questions and one for the arbitrators to easily tick the mistakes, alerts, and remarks, if any, and of course score the total mark. Based on each and every arbitrator’s remarks, the contestants’ scores are finally calculated.”
The innovative system, generated by the award organising committee, has made the process of assessment faster, easier, and more accurate with no room for misjudgment or miscalculation, he added.
“All the arbitrators have been trained well on the new electronic system that each of them will have full details of all contestants’ name, age, country, and Rewaya on five separate screens for them all.”
Also, competitors have a separate screen with 100 different groups, which each has three diverse questions, he said. “Each contestant randomly and transparently picks one group which instantly appears to the arbitration committee that started asking him; a process that is totally done in public.”
Bu Melha said the arbitration screen includes different symbols, such as the ‘Front Slash’ which means a deduction of half mark if clicked whereas ‘X’ stands for the cut of one full mark when forgetting a verse.
“As for Tajweed or recitation errors, they are symbolled by letter ‘O’, which deducts half mark if pressed, and finally an icon with the word ‘delete’ which is clicked if a contestant makes so many mistakes when answering a question and that means he loses full mark of the question.”
The arbitration committee can also go back to amend the score of any contestant during the examination of the three public questions, he said. “However, the 1-5 mark for the beautiful recitation is only scored in the final fifth question.”
Shaikh Mohammed Tamim Al Zoubi, head of the arbitration committee, said all participants are assessed as per three criteria: memorization, along with perfect and beautiful recitation as Almighty Allah has instructed Muslims to recite the Quran as it was perfectly revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon) him.
“However, 70 per cent of the mark is given for the level of memorisation while 25 per cent is specified for the competence of recitation, and five per cent for beautiful voice and lack of hesitation.”
He said not all memorisers have the chance to appear in public on the stage, and sometimes a few are sent back home. “They need to clear mandatory initial qualifying tests during which they may make up to maximum two mistakes.
“Later, they have to answer two questions and finally give answer to three more questions at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.”
He said they have developed some of the award conditions and rulings based on the arbitrators’ remarks and the recommendations of other international Quran contests.
“However, all arbitrators need to be perfect full Quran memorisers, have full command of the rules and arts of recitation, be fully aware of different schools of Quran Rewaya, and have participated in other international Quran awards,” he said, noting that the organising committee has a big database of high caliber arbitrators. “We may only choose the same arbitrator if needed in later years.”
Meanwhile, the award activities are now broadcast in every nook and corner via mass media and on the internet. “We have used all possible channels to spread the message of the award and its diverse activities on printed, audiovisual, and social media, apart from the award smart applications.”
/KHALEEJ TIMES.
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