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Express-News – Oct. 7, 2006
Crackdown on charities threatens
to slow donation delivery
By Sarwat Husain
Greed and gluttony are the root causes of many personal, family and society problems.
According to Koran all things belong to God and the wealth given to you is to be held in Trust. "Those who are saved from the greed of their own selves, they are the ones who will prosper." (Koran 59:9).
Zakat (charity) is the third and the most important pillar of the five pillars of Islam. The other four are: declaration of faith, praying five times every day, fasting for the month of Ramadan and Hajj (pilgrimage).
In Islam, there are two kinds of charities: Zakat, which is 2.5 percent of one's assets and savings that are held for at least one year. It is obligatory of every Muslim. The other form of charity is Sadaqa , which is a voluntary giving. Prophet Mohammad said, "Even meeting people with a cheerful face is a form of charity."
Zakat translates as poor-due. It literary means "purify." Since the material world has a potential to distract us from our primary mission to surrender to the will of God, giving away a small portion of our worldly possessions helps one to let go of the desire to hoard and teaches one to rely on God for our needs rather than relying solely on oneself.
Although charity giving is mandatory in all three monotheistic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Islam is most specific about how much is to be given, who it should be given to and who it should not be given to. This is the Islamic welfare system where the rate is constant; the wealthy pays larger shares than the poor.
Zakat should be given to the most deserving: poor relatives, the needy, destitute, needy travelers, refugee relief foundations, widows and orphans.
It is given only for the love of God rather than for any personal gains.
The Koran states that all prosperity comes from God's favors and Grace. Therefore, we should pay it back through charity with a friendly and jovial spirit for alleviating the sufferings of others. Its recipient should not feel humiliated. "Kind words are better than charity that hurts." (Koran 2:263).
To qualify to pay Zakat, a person must be past puberty age. It is not due on children or the mentally challenged.
In the U.S., Muslims either send their portion of Zakat to their families and friends back home who distribute it to the neediest or it is given to the agencies that are designed to collect it, such as, mosques or charitable organizations.
The money given is then used to provide shelter, health care, education and other humanitarian work, such as aiding the victims of natural disasters and those suffering from war, displacement and famine.
Examples include the 2004 tsunami and volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, the earthquake in Pakistan, flooding in Bangladesh, the war in Lebanon, Palestinians living in refugee camps, Darfur and the many other countries with limited resources.
Ramadan is a crucial time financially for these groups since most Muslims will make their Zakat donations during this month. More is collected during Ramadan than during the rest of the year.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Muslim charities have been under increased scrutiny by Washington. American Muslims are facing a very difficult question regarding which charity their Zakat can be given without inadvertently being linked to terrorism.
Sadly, many of these charity organizations have been raided or closed down by our government linking their work to funding terrorism, creating a huge gap in the charity delivery service among the needy Muslim communities throughout the world. Most disturbing for American Muslims is to see that none of the alleged charities has been convicted of any crime. Five years later, it is still happening, resulting in the freezing of millions of dollars in bank assets.
The government's ban on charities that provide aid in certain countries only magnifies the miseries of the poor resulting in the unnecessary spread of diseases and deaths. Innocent men, women, elderly and children are the main victims.
Last year in Illinois, a coalition of Muslim and other religious organizations pushed the Illinois State Assembly to pass a resolution called "Charity Without Fear." The resolution called on the federal government to create a list of organizations that are safe for people to contribute to without fear of being questioned by the government. The Bush administration has made no move to respond.
With a need for a safe charitable organization to donate Zakat, Muslims continue to wait anxiously for the president's response. Until then, American Muslims put their faith and their Zakat donations in God's hands, hoping that it reaches those who are the most in need.
[Sarwat Husain is president of the Council on American Islamic Relations in San Antonio.]
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/stories/MYSA100706.01R.SPEAKOUT.254fdbf.html
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