A kingdom of beach volley

An international beach volley tournament was held in the city of Itsandra Mdjini from October 31 to November 2, 2025. The five countries of zone 7 of the Indian Ocean which were taking part in the championship are Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion and Seychelles. Mustapha Abdounour is the president of the Comorian federation of volley ball. He is also elected president of the African confederation of volley ball for the Indian Ocean zone since 2024. He is the boss and organizer with his teammate of that sporting event. It’s the second time that an international beach volley for zone 7 was held on the beach of the city. The presidents of the federations of volley ball of the Indian Ocean zone 7 were present to honor the event. Amir is the presenter of the beach volley contest. He is thankful for the companies that sponsored the sporting event. There are Yas (formerly Telma), Kenya airways, Kinaya, Aden water, Retaj hotel, to name a few. In addition, some local enterprises took the opportunity to display their products on the beach during that special weekend. Amir did not forget to thank mama Bairati and Mtsangani neighborhood for providing them all the chairs they need to welcome the visitors on the beach. The beach volley consists of two players for each team. There are teams for women and others for men. The final was held that Sunday. The finalists in the game for women are the Réunion versus the Seychelles. The Réunionese were dressed in black, blue and red undershirts whereas the Seychellois wore the marine blue jersey. The first set was won by the Seychelles team. The Réunionese succeeded in the second set. The women of Seychelles beat the Réunion team in the third and last set by 15 to 12. The final contest for men was between Réunion and Comoros. The first and second referees are respectively from Morocco and Comoros. The young boys of Réunion hardly won the first set by 21 to 19. They also are the winners of the second set by 21 to 16. Thus, the winners of this second edition of beach volley in Itsandra Mdjini are the girls of Seychelles and the boys of Réunion. The sporting event was honored by the presence of many cadres of the Comorian ministry of sports, the sporting federations of the hosting country, the French ambassador in Comoros, some notables from Itsandra Mdjini, and many visitors and tourists. Itsandra Mdjini is well-known for beach volley since the 1950s. According to some elders of the city, the game was start up on the beach of Itsandra by some professors, teachers, and instructors who used to work in the first French public schools built in Moroni and Mitsamiouli in that time. Therefore, the city is considered as the cradle or the kingdom of volley ball in Comoros. It was also an opportunity for the FIVB (International federation of volley ball) to organize a training of 11 Comorian referees, Level 1 from 20 to 24 October in the city of Itsandra. It was an indoor volley ball training conducted by Hassan Outidrarine, an international instructor from Morocco. Certificates of attendance were awarded to the trainees at the end of the tournament. In his closing speech, Mustapha, the president of the Comorian federation of volley ball thanked all the partners and sponsors who made the sporting event possible. “Your solidarity and cooperation mean a lot for us. We are confident and ready to welcome for the first time the Indian Ocean Islands Games which will be held in our country in 2027,” he said. Azali Said Ahmed is one of the cadres of the ministry of transport and tourism. He wishes to promote tourism, especially ecotourism in the country. He has recently been to Japan for the Osaka Expo 2025 in order to boost the Comorian tourism. “When an international sporting event is organized in Comoros, the teams and their delegates become consumers of what is made in our country. Hotel owners, restaurants, craftsmen, craftswomen, traders are the real winners,” he proudly said. A cabaret evening was held at the restaurants of Itsandra beach to close the event with all the guests of the beach volley zone 7 of the Indian Ocean islands. Itsandra Mdjini, November 3, 2025

Celebrating Eid al-Fitr in Comoros

While some Muslim countries celebrate the end of Ramadan this Sunday 30th March, 2025, Comoros islands and other countries have to wait until Monday 31st to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. This holiday corresponds to the first Shawal 1446 of the Islamic moon-sighting calendar. According to grand Cadi Said Othman, the expected naked eye moon-sight was confirmed by the cadi of the sister island of Mayotte. Therefore, Eid is declared by the Comorian authorities on news outlets and in mosques and the fun can begin. For those who have been observing Ramadan, the first thing to do was to give zakat al-Fitr to poor Muslims in the community before going to the mosque for the morning Eid prayer. Zakat definition Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It goes far beyond the celebration of the end of Ramadan. The Arabic noun zakat means “religious tax” which is a charitable contribution for the poor that the wealthy Muslims are required to pay annually. It is also known as zakat al-mal or sadaqat. According to Islamic scholars, zakat al-Fitr is different from sadaqat. It has to be distributed just before the two or three- day festival of Eid al-Fitr or as soon as the new moon was observed. For example, the husband has to pay for him, his wife and children - including the baby born between the new moon, and before the morning Eid al-Fitr prayer-. He can also pay for his parents who cannot afford. Zakat al-Fitr is only distributed to Muslims. How to give Zakat al-Fitr Zakat al-Fitr is traditionally given in terms of food, especially the staple food of the country or locality where the Ramadan fasters live. It can also be paid cash according to imam Hanbal followers. Concerning this year, it is the equivalent of €9 or $10 for those who live in Europe or North America or 3,000 KMF for those who live in Comoros. Anyone who can afford but does not pay it, his Ramadan is not valid. Zakat al-Fitr is a way for the fasters to purify their Ramadan. Ask Allah forgiveness Elhadj Hassan was the preacher of the Eid prayer at the Friday mosque of Itsandra Mdjini. His speech was focused on pardon and forgiveness. He exhorted the believers to ask Allah for forgiveness, as well as forgive others who may have wrong them. “This holiday is the best opportunity for anyone who may have behaved badly to beg pardon to their brothers and sisters in Islam. Whoever is willing to make the first step is the best and wins Allah mercy and salvation, “he said. National and international issues Hassan told the audience to not forget the Palestinian people and other Muslim communities from around the world who did not have the opportunity to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr in peace, joy and prosperity. Like an activist, Hassan suggested the Comorian government to refuse that France establishes a military base in the Comorian island of Mayotte. In his traditional television address from the mosque of the city of Mitsudje, Azali Assoumani, the president of the Union of Comoros said that it is the time to take stock of the country’s 50 years of independence. Knowing what was wrong and fix it is the best way to move forward for the next fifty years, he said. After the Eid prayer in the morning, people - especially the young ones - start visiting families, enjoying traditional doughnuts and desserts, collecting candies, and even celebrating at carnivals in the villages and cities of the country from sunrise till sunset. Chami Mouzawar Contributing writer