Kuwait City: In an attempt to reach out to a wide range of people of different cultures and backgrounds, Kuwait's Awqaf Ministry plans to distribute 250,000 free copies of Qur'an translations in different languages during the FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil.
According to the Kuwaiti daily, Al-Qabas, the ministry's Quran Board announced that it has held a tender for the procurement of the copies.
The board said the required quantity would be in four languages including Spanish, Portuguese, English and French. These copies, according the paper, will be distributed in hotels, stadiums and other public places.
The announcement, however, raised concerns about FIFA regulations, banning the distribution of any religious pamphlets within five kilometers from the cities where the competition runs.
Hosted by Brazil for the second time, the FIFA World Cup football tournament would run from June 12 to July 13, 2014.
Twelve cities are scheduled to host matches: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manuas, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Sao Paulo is set to host the opening match of the 2014 World Cup.
A total of 32 teams split into eight groups will be vying for the coveted World Cup trophy in Brazil, including six countries with a Muslim majority or large Muslim population including Algeria, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Earlier this month, it was announced that a special guide book has been published in Brazil for Muslim fans in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Titled "Salam (hello) Barazil", the 32-page booklet has been published by the Union of Islamic Associations of Brazil in cooperation with the Omani embassy in the South American country.
Head of the Union Muhammad Hussein Al-Zuqbi said the book provides Muslim fans with addresses of Islamic centers, places of worship, Halal restaurants and entertainment centers whose activities are in accordance with Islamic Sharia laws, according to OnIslam.net.
He said it also contains a brief history of Islam's presence in Brazil and the culture of Brazilian Muslims.
According to Al-Zuqbi, copies of "Salam Brazil" have been provided to airlines in Islamic and Arab countries to be distributed among Muslim passengers traveling to Brazil.
In another first, the organisers had in the month of April invited Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to give a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the FIFA World Cup, considered to be world's largest sports event.
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