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PRESS RELEASE 66th SUPREME COUNCIL SESSION OF AFRICA FEDERATION - ARUSHA The 66th Supreme Council Meeting was held on 27th October 2007 in Arusha. This meeting was an extra ordinary Council Session and was convened to deliberate on issues which needed to be dispensed with urgency. i. Education Board - Higher Education Policy. ii. Central Bilal Board - Update of Status of Bilal Kenya and Bilal Tanzania. The meeting was attended by Dignitaries, Elected Councilors, Nominated Councilors and a good number of Observers. Education Board - Higher Education Policy The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) of the Africa Federation was a subject for debate through the conference in 2004, and 2007. It was also debated upon in the Council Sessions of 2005 and 2006. These discussions lead to the adoption of the new policy which defined that students could only apply to Education Institutes which fell under the Affordable Category. This meant that the total cost of education per student would not exceed US$ 10,000 inclusive of Accommodation, Transport Meals and Tuition. The implementation of the policy brought about some dissatisfaction and the Office Bearers felt that the matter be discussed at the Council Session to identify a way forward to uphold the Unity which is paramount. At the meeting views were expressed for and against the implementation of the new policy which was put in place to be effective the intake for students in 2007. The conclusion was that while all present confirmed that we should send our children to affordable institutions. However on exceptional cases and circumstances we should also allow our students to seek admission in other institutions at the recommendation of the Host Jamaat and the Education Board of the Africa Federation. Applicants who would be approved by their respective Jamaats under such exceptional circumstances would have to submit their application (Through the respective Jamaats) accompanied by an irrevocable guarantee from the Host Jamaat covering the differential funding. It was further decided that a resolution to this effect should be tabled at the forthcoming Constitutional Conference as an item on the Agenda and be adopted. Central Bilal Board - Update of Status of Bilal Kenya and Bilal Tanzania. Another issue which has remained unresolved over the last three years since the inception of the Central Bilal Board was the harmonization of the Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania and Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya to recognize the status as an institution under the Africa Federation. Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania has since finalized and the necessary processes have been put in place to the requirements. However Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya has not managed to regularize to harmonize with the requirement and as this was a requisite to continue with the support as directed by the Council, the matter had to be brought to the council for further deliberation. The Vice Chairman presented the sequence of events as they have transpired over the last few years to the council. The Chairman of Bilal Muslim Mission, Alhaj Abbas Nasser also made presentations. After long deliberation the following was concluded. That, Bilal Muslim Mission Must amend their constitution to incorporate the following immediately. 1. Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya to be a subordinate body of the Africa Federation, 2. The Managing Committee of Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya be nominated by the Chairman of Africa Federation. 3. All the properties of Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya to be Vested in the Registered Trustees of Africa Federation. 4. The Trustees of Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya be Appointed by the Chairman of Africa Federation and these to be preferably the Elected Trustees of the Africa Federation. The Council directed that the Central Bilal Board incorporate the above amendments into the existing Constitution, and submit the same to the Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya by the 14th of November 2007. The amendments as proposed above would be adopted by the Bilal Muslim Mission General Membership by the 31st of December 2007. This would successfully conclude the regularization of the Bilal Muslim Mission status as being under the Umbrella of Africa Federation and the support would only continue upon successful conclusion of the above process.
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