The UN chief drew a parallel between the spirit of “understanding and compassion” which characterizes Ramadan, and the mission of the United Nations, “to foster dialogue, unity and peace.”
“In these difficult occasions, my ideas are with these dealing with battle, displacement and struggling. I be part of everybody observing Ramadan to name for peace, mutual respect and solidarity.”
Islamic philanthropy
Ramadan is also referred to as a “month of giving”, and a excessive level in charitable giving motivated by religion, in the direction of the displaced. Islamic philanthropy performs a rising position in supporting refugees worldwide, the UN refugee company (UNHCR) stated on Friday.
In a new report, UNHCR reveals that its pioneering Refugee Zakat Fund has supported six million forcibly displaced individuals in 26 international locations since its launch in 2017.
‘New children on the block’
“We’re new to this sector as a UN group,” Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the Excessive Commissioner for Refugees and UNHCR Consultant to Gulf Cooperation Council Nations, advised reporters in Geneva.
“We needed to supply a brand new platform to allow giving in locations the place Muslim organizations don’t function relaxed, due to monetary restrictions, as a result of we’d like the massive equipment of the UN to implement, like in Afghanistan, in Somalia and for the Rohingya,” he stated, earlier than including: “Islamic giving has at all times been there – we’re the brand new children on the block.”
Central position of charity
UNHCR’s Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report reveals that some $38 million have been raised by the fund in 2022. Mr. Khalifa highlighted how harnessing the central position of charitable giving in Islam has been key to the initiative’s success. He defined the precept of “Zakat”, or compulsory almsgiving, whereby Muslims must contribute 2.5 per cent of their unused financial savings to charity yearly, including that it was one of many 5 pillars of Islam.
Aiding probably the most weak
Mr. Khalifa additionally identified that, whereas sources from the fund aren’t completely devoted to supporting refugees in Muslim international locations, greater than 50 per cent of the forcibly displaced underneath UNHCR’s international purview are within the Muslim world.
The company lists the Rohingya disaster in Bangladesh, the inner displacement state of affairs in Yemen and the Syrian refugee disaster in Lebanon because the foremost “recipient operations” of proceeds from the fund since 2017. The contributions have been distributed by money help and direct provision of products.
‘Modern finance’
Whereas the fund represents a “small contribution” to the price range of the company, its constructive influence is more and more obvious.
To proceed leveraging the potential of Islamic philanthropy, final 12 months UNHCR launched a brand new initiative in partnership with the Islamic Growth Financial institution, known as the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees.
Mr. Khalifa stated that the company was more and more seeking to “revolutionary finance” to generate new income streams for refugees worldwide.
UNHCR notes that its Refugee Zakat Fund has been “endorsed by several legal Islamic scholars and institutions” to obtain and distribute donations to eligible refugees and internally displaced individuals.