First Tamazight Translation of the Holy Quran

In an effort to promote Islam among the sizable Berber community, Algerian authorities have released a new translation of the Holy Qur’an in the Berber language, Tamazight.
The Algerian Religious Affairs Ministry funded the printing of 6,000 copies of a full translation carried out by its experts, while Saudi Arabia financed the printing of 5,000 more copies. All copies were distributed for free and the ministry plans to print more.
Berbers form around 20% of Algeria’s 33 million population. Most live in the northern region of Kabylie. Berbers were the original inhabitants of North Africa before the arrival of Arabs in the seventh century. There are around 20 million speakers of Tamazight across North Africa. Algiers says the move came in response to the increasing need of the Berber community to fully understand the meanings of the Holy Quran.