Al- habib Ahmed Ben Aboubacar Ben Soumeit (1861-1925)

A memorial day dedicated to the father of the first former mufti of Comoros al habib omar was held on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 in the city of Itsandra Mdjini. The theme focuses on peace, social cohesion, and the economy through the holy scholar al- habib Ahmed Ben Aboubacar Ben Soumeit. This cultural event was organized by al- habib Omar foundation, Ibnai Swafat association, the Management Committee of Itsandra Mdjini’s Heritage and sponsored by Tika, a Turkish NGO established in Comoros. Who was al habib Ahmed? According to our speaker and historian professor Idi Abdoulghaniou, al- habib Ahmed was born on 17th January, 1861 in the city of Itsandra Mdjini from an Arab father and a Comorian mother of Mzishe neighborhood. The young Ahmed lost his father when he turned 13. Dr. Abdoulwahab who was one of our lecturers said that the orphan boy received his first education and Arabic and Islamic instructions from the holy scholar Mwinyi Bahassane before traveling to the city of Hadramaout in Yemen to pursue his studies. The young student had a keen interest in literature, science and religion. The Comorian scholar wrote many books in various topics that deal with Islamic law, literature, biographies, etc. He was one of the first Comorian scholars to draw up the daily timetable for Islamic prayers for the country and East African countries as well. He was also the author of several prayers (including Rabana infaina bima anlamtana…) that people usually read when they finish Islamic lectures and conferences. The child of the country has traveled to many countries thanks to his immense knowledge. He was one of the prestigious Azhar Islamic university professors. He also worked as counselor for Mehmed VI Vahideddin in Istanbul who was the 36th and last Ottoman sultan from 1918 to 1922 of the Muslim Empire. Al- habib Ahmed worked in Zanzibar as cadi and member of the board of Islamic Waqf. He married a Comorian woman. And former mufti al- habib Omar was one of his progenies. He was buried in Zanzibar in 1925. Dr. Abdoulwahab thinks that al- habib Ahmed was inspired by the Shafi’i school and Sufism. Shafi'i is a school of thought within Sunni Islam. It’s one of the four major schools of jurisprudence (madhhabs): Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi'i. Shafi’i school is distinguished mainly by its methodology in deriving Islamic rulings. It prioritizes the Koran and authentic hadiths as primary sources. It uses analogical reasoning (qiyas) when texts are ambiguous. It rejects reliance on local customs (’urf), personal opinion (ra’y) and juristic discretion as sources. Abu Abdullah al- Shafi'i (767-820) was a Muslim legal scholar who played an important role in the formation of Islamic legal thought and was the founder of the Shafi’i school of law. The majority of Comorian scholars follow his legal methodology. Dr. Abdoulwahab explains the audience that Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam that focuses on personal experience of Allah, spiritual purification, and the pursuit of divine love and knowledge. “Al- habib Ahmed had the same level of knowledge like Imam Yahya ibn Sharaf al – Nawawi (October 1233 – 21 December 1277) who was a Sunni Shafi’i jurist and hadith scholar” he said. Dr. Ahmed ouleid discussed the tangible (buildings, clothes…) and intangible (habits and customs, oral traditions…) cultural heritage of the Comoros. He reminded the audience that Itsandra Mdjini is among the 6 Comorian cities selected by UNESCO to be candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage. He thinks it’s an opportunity for the country to boost the tourism sector and the economy as a whole. The conference ended with a presentation of certificates of recognition to four personalities who have served the country and the city: the Tanzanian ambassador in Comoros, scholar Said Hassan Charif and two famous personalities posthumously, scholar Said Omar Abdousoimad and great notable Mbaye Soilihi, peace upon them. May Allah bless and reward the organizers of this cultural event in our city.

Ramadan conferences in Itsandra Mdjini

A committee of young volunteers and some friends of a café had the genius idea to organize for the second time several conferences during the nights of the holy month of Ramadan in the city of Itsandra Mdjini. As the sacred month consists of 3 ashra (ten in Arabic language), a conference was scheduled at least for each week. Nevertheless, and due to some social events in the city, the first one was held on Monday 2, March 2026 which corresponds the 10th day of Ramadan of the Islamic calendar in Comoros. Professor Said Omar Dahalane was the guest speaker of the 1st conference held in the city.The topic was “uprightness and perseverance”. Dahalane said that all the prophets had to fast. According to him, to fast means to renounce some pleasures such as smoking, eating and drinking too much for the benefit of your health. He also talked about the night of fate known as “Laylatu al Qadr” in Arabic. He thinks it’s for the whole month of Ramadan. ‘’If you worship Allah during this month and you change your demeanor after Ramadan, this means you really and successfully caught the night of fate’’ he uttered. The second debate was held on Wednesday, 4 march. It was about “health and nutrition”. The guest speakers were Dr. Abubakar, Dr. Nahlwa Ahmed Rachid, Mrs. Fatima Hadji and Dr. Tadjidine Youssouf. According to Dr Abubakar, the first 1,000 days of an infant are vital and may determine his future in terms of physical and mental health. He suggests that parents should invest during that period for the benefit of their progeny. Nahlwa Ahmed Rachid is a holder of a PhD. in industrial microbiology. She focused her speech on cleanliness which is the basic of good health. According to her, parents should ensure the well-being of their children. She thinks that cleaning our houses while smirching our streets does not make sense. She took the example of microplastics that cannot be seen by our own eyes, but are everywhere in our food, including sea foods. Dr. Tadjidine discussed diabetes mellitus during Ramadan. In general, safe fasting and feasting is usually possible for the majority of people with type 2 diabetes if they follow medical advice. He recommended patients with type 1 not to fast even if they feel themselves quite well. Fatima hadji is a nutritionist. She insisted on the” first three years” theory of a child which can be crucial for their future. She also remembers the audience that the Koran suggests believers to be clean in their daily life. The 3rd conference was held on Friday 6 March. The theme of the talks “Malezi tsi ya mdzima” (i.e. education is not one person) was discussed by three professors from Itsandra Mdjini. Ahmed Rachid is a prominent Islamic scholar. In his view, giving a good name to your kid is a kind of prayer. “The aim of educating your offspring has nothing to do with making money in the future. An educated person is just a good person for the society,” he said. Idi aboulhaniyou is the regional director of “Msomo na Hazi” a governmental project backed by the European Union in Comoros. “Youngsters who dropped out of schools have a second chance to learn in a vocational school. Once trained, they can find jobs or create their own jobs,” he asserted. Echata Ahmed was also there to share her experience as an UNICEF cadre involved in children’s education in Comoros. The debate continued with a fourth conference on “education and training” after one week break. The guest speakers were Professor Elhadj Hassan, a Friday mosque preacher in Itsandra, Dr. Nourdine Basha and Dr. Sagaf from the University of Comoros. The 3rd ashra of the sacred month of Ramadan has been scheduled for the last conference on local development. Dr. Abdallah Nouroudine is the national director of “Msomo na Hazi”. As a guest speaker, he took the example of many developed and industrialized countries which left many of their own people in poverty despite their high GDP (gross domestic product). As they did not focus on the well-being of the human being, they failed, he said. Said Abasse is a political scientist doctor. He instanced the fishing industry to make his point. He asks himself why a fisherman is still poor despite his job. Does he lack imagination? He thinks that if a group of fishermen work together, they can buy a trawler instead of using dugout canoes. It’s the best way to develop their trade and prosper. Assoumani Saandi is an expert in public service and former minister. He suggests that each village or municipality should have a plan for their local development. In his opinion, every member of the community involved in a local project must be assessed and held accountable for any wrongdoing. Taoufik Youssouf is a cadre from Itsandra. He is also one of the customs and traditions spokespersons in the city. He was the last guest speaker. He was there to share his experience of what has been done in the last 30 years in his city. He argued that many infrastructures have been built or renovated such as mosques, community centers, libraries, sports field, etc., but they did not create enough jobs for the community. The two groups of young volunteers and a café who organized these series of conferences wish you a Ramadan Mubarak and happy Eid el Fitr!

Science and technology days at the IUT

IUT students with the French ambassador, Mr. Etienne Chapon The Science and Technology days were held at the university institute of technology (IUT) of the University of Comoros from Wednesday 17th to Thursday 18th December 2025. The institute is located in Moroni, Hamramba neighborhood. The aim of this first edition is to raise awareness in terms of innovation, training and student’s personal initiatives with the partners of the development of the country. Many students, professors, teachers, professionals and educational advisers attended the event. After the traditional welcome address by Ahmed Bacar, the director of the technical school, three speeches were respectively delivered by the French ambassador in Comoros, the rector of the state university of Comoros, and the minister in charge of the national education. Ibouroi Ali Toibibou, The rector was thankful about this initiative set up by the IUT. “This initiative matches our mission of public service institution which is to train, innovate, and contribute to the development of our nation,” he said. “These days are yours. Take this opportunity to introduce your projects, display your innovations, show off your talents, learn, exchange, and expand your networks,” the rector added. In his speech, Etienne Chapon, the French ambassador reminded the audience about the big infrastructure project that extends the buildings of the IUT in order welcome more students in the 2026/2027academic year. The project of modernization of the technical school is backed by the AFD (French agency for development). It will create 11 new training programs and welcome approximately a thousand students, he said. The diplomat also underlined the scientific and university cooperation between his country and the Comoros in order to meet the challenges of 21st century. Bakari Mvoulana is the Comorian minister of national education. He delivered his speech both in French and Comorian languages. According to him, the themes to be discussed in the panels, workshops, and exhibition halls demonstrate that our students have the ability to rise to the challenge set by the modern world. Approximately twenty booths are staffed by students from the university institute of technology of the University of Comoros. They cover various areas such as agro-food, digital and construction industries, and commerce. To illustrate, some students display a ‘Smart Home’ in which you can use a magnetic card to open the doors of your house and do other many things. Soidiki abdoul-malik is a sophomore student in Management (GEA.2).He has a genius idea. His agro-food project is simple. He wants you to eat delicious bread and cakes made from local breadfruit. Rahmatullah Said Assoumani is an IUT alumnus in Management. Her project is related to ‘Production and marketing of organic fries ‘in the country. Her goal is to reduce imports of frozen products and introduce consumers to healthy and locally sourced food. Nadjim Ahamada dreams to innovate. He launched DIGICOM. He wants to modernize management practices in the country’s parastatal and private institutions. His project involves setting up a comprehensive digital platform enabling the centralized management of employees, archives, contracts, QR code time tracking, correspondence, and general administration reports. After the opening ceremony, a panel of experts was set up to discuss some topics related to the development of the country. Panel №1 was about ‘AI, &Machine learning in Africa.’ It was chaired and led by Mr. Taoufik, a counsellor at the ministry of transport and ITC (information and technology communication). According to the ITC expert, AI (artificial intelligence) needs data to function normally. “No data, no AI. It’s like a car which cannot move without fuel,” he uttered. Dr. Abdoulkarim Mohamed Taki is a Maths professor at the IUT. He thinks that AI does not need data for logical reasoning, essay and dissertation. It can perfectly do the job, he explained. Taoufik took the opportunity to remind the audience an AI study tool for students called Google Notebook LM which is a great tool for creative projects. It can help you (students)organize research, summarize sources, then brainstorm, draft, and refine your text with AI suggestions such as quiz, summary, PowerPoint, flash card scripts, etc. Last but not least, one of the panelists reminds the students who attend the discussion to be careful as AI cannot replace your natural intelligence. The second panel dealt with ‘Job, entrepreneurship, and innovation.’ Laila Said Hassane is the former director of Meck Moroni. She was the chairwoman of this panel. According to her, employment is a kind of dynamo for the economic growth of a country. “Job creations mean an increase of purchasing power among young people who are in the employment market. It is also a factor of social stability for parents who may retire. Thus, we should avoid a gap between youth training and what companies really need,” she said. What’s the Comorian government’s insight in terms of jobs for youths? Djamil is the secretary general in the ministry of economy. He had his say. The slogan ‘a youth, a job’ has finally come true with a bill enacted by the government. “There are now many incubators for start-ups. Focal points are set up in the municipalities of the country. 2 billion KMF public funds are available to support youngsters who have projects in sectors such as blue economy, agriculture, tourism, and craftsmanship,” he proudly said. Chamsidine is the president of the Comorian chamber of commerce and industry. He thinks that the private sector is the real engine in terms of jobs creation as the public service employment is limited. “We should help the small enterprises which invest in the agriculture sector in order to reduce food imports,” he claimed. The president was thankful for Exim bank initiative that supports 10 women every year in entrepreneurship. “Despite many hurdles to overcome in terms of load shedding, water supply, bureaucracy, technical know-how, the government should roll out the red carpet for every entrepreneur,” he suggested. Mohamed Housseine Madi is the assistant director for ANPE (national agency for employment). According to him, many small and medium businesses including foreign ones have received authorization to open business in the country. “Did they create enough jobs? I am not sure of that because many complex and slow bureaucratic procedures do not facilitate the business environment,” he said. Panel 3 was about ‘Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty’. Karim Athoumani is a computer engineer from Yas Company. He was the moderator. He thinks there is a security and integrity territory issue for our public services in terms of information and personal data to be discussed. What are the threats for the Comoros? Ben mohamed, an engineer and consultant has his say. “Account hacking, blackmail via email, extortion of files and emails, sharing of false information, manipulation of individuals, suspicious links are major concerns everywhere and for everyone,” he said. Do we have control over our national digital infrastructure? Elyachourtu Hassan took part in many cybersecurity contests in East Africa region and won. He thinks there is no digital sovereignty without a national strategy. According to him, the national digital development agency (ANADEN) should have a coordinated strategy at the national level. Despite the 2022 cybersecurity law, nothing is done to prevent and respond to hacking attacks of our public institutions such as banks, public companies and ministries. Hassan said that east African countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda are advanced in terms of cybersecurity. It’s also the case for Mauritius Island after a hacking attack. Housni is an engineer from Comore telecoms. He knows that the state company does not have skilled people for cybersecurity. Thus, he imagined that scenario. Is the state telecom company able to track hackers and restore its website system in case of a hacking attack? Elyachourtu Hassan has the answer. He thinks it’s better to prevent than to cure. As actions speak louder than words, he suggests training and awareness programs in our schools and institutions. Panel 4 dealt with ‘Data protection and public data’. Chamsidine Soudjay is a cadre from ASECNA and active member of ACTIC (ICT Comorian association). He talks about the 2014 data protection law. Are there software programs to protect our data in case of hacking? That’s far from certain. He complains about the difficulties in the country in accessing public administration data. As our data is not computerized, paper archives can easily be lost, he said. Soudjay suggests the creation of a national data center to save and protect them. A roundtable discussion was organized that Thursday to debate ‘the lead role and place of IUT in the future’. Professor Ouleid Ahmed was the moderator. Dr Abdallah Nouroudine, director of Msomo na Hazi project and the rector of the University of Comoros were the main contributors. May Allah bless the IUT. Chami Mouzawar Contributing writer