Bob CollinsI admit to being prepared for the worst when I went to the comments section of the Star Tribune’s story on Ahmed Burhan, a Hopkins school student, winning an international award in a Quran recitation contest. But maybe we’ve turned a corner.
There was nothing but applause. Minnesotans love nothing more than Minnesotans on the world stage and young Ahmad is one of us.
His victory caps a recent pattern of Americans doing better in the competition in recent years, according to Gulf News, which says this is the first time someone from the United States has won the prize, worth about $68,000.
For more than 11 minutes, he recited the Quran.
The Star Tribune says he began memorizing the Quran when he was 7, finishing when he was 11.
“All Minnesotans should be proud of the accomplishments of Burhan, who represented our state and our nation it this International Quran Competition,” said CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein in a news release.
In addition to the honor and the prize money, he also got the recognition of Indignant Minnesotan.
Number. One. In. The. World!!!
Ahmed is clearly a #MinnesotaHero https://t.co/uD22kuRTeT
— Indignant Minnesotan (@IndignantMN) June 6, 2018
