TEHRAN -- Prominent Qur’an reciter and memorizer Hamed Shakernejad has been appointed as Iran’s international Qur’an ambassador.
 The appointment was announced by head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) Muhammad Mehdi Imanipour during the third Qur’anic meeting in Tehran, titled “Islamic World’s Quranic Assembly: A Strategic Approach for Realizing a Unified Ummah.”
“In view of your outstanding capabilities, valuable experiences, and remarkable Qur’anic activities in the field of recitation and the promotion of the luminous teachings of the Holy Qur’an, especially at the international level, you are appointed as the Qur’an Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” his official appointment order read. 
The letter outlined Shakernejad’s primary mission, which is “to develop Qur’anic diplomacy by introducing and promoting the culture of the Holy Quran as a unifying axis of the Islamic Ummah.”
“We ask God Almighty to grant you success in fulfilling this cultural and spiritual mission,” said Imanipour.
Shakernejad holds a PhD in Qur’anic studies and is both a Qur’an reciter and memorizer. He has won top rankings in numerous international Qur’an competitions.
The third Qur’anic meeting was held by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization on Thursday, attended by more than 50 Qur’anic activists from 24 countries.
The meeting was part of the international section of the 32nd International Holy Qur’an Exhibition in Tehran. 
Participants included Qur’anic elites from Iran, Afghanistan, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Uganda, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Chad, China, Russia, Côte d’Ivoire, Iraq, Qatar, Cambodia, Guinea, Lebanon, Nigeria, and India.