Blind Muslims in Kazakhstan who have just started to learn to read the Quran in Braille. The teacher is Askar Shakirov who took the initiative to learn Quraanic Braille with us when he was studying at the International Islamic University here. Askar wants to come back to Malaysia to do his Masters degree in Fiqh. Inshaa Allah we will be sponsoring his studies as many Kazakh Muslims are only learning about Islam now after decades of living under Communism. Askar is possibly the only one in his country who can teach the Quran in Braille. He is sighted but growing up he had a close friend who was deaf, which made him aware of the needs of the disabled.

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Alhamdulillah for the 6th year we are running the summer Quran memorisation camp for the blind in Gaza. This year the camp will be followed up by a competition open to all blind people in Gaza ( no upper or lower age limit!) to memorise Surah an Nisa so many students are hoping to take part.

I got a lesson this afternoon on how our welfare system is failing the poor, the blind and the orphaned.

Sagita from Sabah , has low vision and categorized as legally blind. Her father died last year and her family moved to her grandmother's house which grandma shares with 2 blind brothers.

Her widowed mother applied for zakat aid in Tawau over a year ago and Baitulmal promised to visit but nobody has turned up yet. So they receive no aid.

Alhamdulillah at last week's conference for the International Union of Braille Quran Services in Istanbul , Alfitrah foundation donated Islamic Braille books including surah Yasin, selected surahs frm the Quran , book of daily doa and Arabic Braille guides to 2 organisations- Albasiir School for the blind in Somalia , and Yardan school for the blind in Kazan, Tatarstan. IBQS will also organise training for their teachers at the Alfitrah office in Kuala Lumpur inshaa Allah.

In the photos are Alfitrah trustees Haji Othman and Norma with Abdulaziz from Tatarstan and Abikar from Somalia.