Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem: EMC Education Committee is pleased to announce, on behalf of the Eritrean Muslim Council, the launch of an annual education related awards program, EMC Educational Achievement Awards. Our intention is to encourage and promote scholarship and productive citizenship within the Eritrean Muslim community.

EMC will grant 15 awards of $100 each coupled with certificates of recognition of the awardees’ achievements. Five candidates will be selected from each of the following three categories: (A) high school seniors, (B) undergraduates in freshman to senior years, and (C) recent college graduates (within last 12 months). The Education Committee encourages all eligible Eritrean Muslims to apply. Application and nomination forms can be downloaded from www.erimc.com/awards.html.

Islamic financing by Ismael Mukhtar (Re-produced from Manitoba Muslim Magazine, Issue 2 Volume 10 – May 2009). The recent economic meltdown, following the sub-mortgage crisis in the USA, the demise of some major American investment banks such as Lehman Brothers and the steep decline in stock markets, generated wide ranging discussions on what went wrong and how this could have been avoided. As part of this wide ranging discussion, there was an evident interest in Islamic financing and its existing banking systems. A number of magazines featured articles exploring the basic elements of Islamic financing.

Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem: Diabetes is a multi-organ disease which slowly affects several organs in the body. The most important part of the treatment is the initiation of prevention from the onset. The prevention includes lifestyle changes, Dietary counseling, and follow up with specialists including Diabetic Specialist also known as Endocrinologist and follow up with eye specialists known as ophthalmologists.

Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem: EMCHP FOCUS ON DIABETES. In the previous articles diabetes was defined, the risk factors were explained, and prediabetes conditions were discussed. In this article, I will try to summarize the many complications of diabetes if the disease is not properly managed. Your doctor will check your A1C level every two to three months. A1C is a blood test used to monitor your blood sugar control over the past two to three months. It is a crucial number that gauges your risk level for complications. A good A1C number is 6.5 percent or less for most people. If it is higher than that, the risk for complication from diabetes increases. Also, your doctor may use this number to change treatment plan for your diabetes.

(By: Leila Abdulrehim) Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem Pre diabetes is a condition where the blood sugar is above normal but not high enough to make diagnosis of diabetes type 2. Individuals with Pre diabetes have Fasting Blood Sugar level of 100-125mg/dl. Pre diabetes may be associated with or may increase the risk for heart disease and stroke. Pre diabetes should be approached by lifestyle changes including weight loss regular exercises, and diet modifications. This is easier said than done but by being proactive, consistent and interested to look after your health becomes the key factor to prevent or prolong diabetes type 2.