ISLAMABAD, Mar 24 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “peace, mutual respect and solidarity”, in a message marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n
Celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time \u201cto come together, bound by our common humanity\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
The UN chief drew a parallel between the spirit of \u201cunderstanding and compassion\u201d which characterizes Ramadan, and the mission of the United Nations, \u201cto foster dialogue, unity and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn these challenging times, my thoughts are with those facing conflict, displacement and suffering. I join everyone observing Ramadan to call for peace, mutual respect and solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramadan is also known as a \u201cmonth of giving\u201d, and a high point in charitable giving motivated by faith, towards the displaced. Islamic philanthropy plays a growing role in supporting refugees worldwide, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.<\/p>\n
In a new report, UNHCR shows that its pioneering Refugee Zakat Fund has supported six million forcibly displaced people in 26 countries since its launch in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are new to this sector as a UN organization,\u201d Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees and UNHCR Representative to Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, told reporters in Geneva.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to offer a new platform to enable giving in places where Muslim organizations do not operate at ease, because of financial restrictions, because we need the large machinery of the UN to implement, like in Afghanistan, in Somalia and for the Rohingya,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cIslamic giving has always been there – we are the new kids on the block.\u201d<\/p>\n
UNHCR\u2019s Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report shows that some $38 million were raised through the fund in 2022.<\/p>\n
Khalifa highlighted how harnessing the central role of charitable giving in Islam has been key to the initiative\u2019s success. He explained the principle of \u201cZakat\u201d, or obligatory alms-giving, whereby Muslims need to contribute 2.5 percent of their unused savings to charity every year, adding that it was one of the five pillars of Islam.<\/p>\n
Khalifa also pointed out that, while resources from the fund are not exclusively dedicated to supporting refugees in Muslim countries, more than 50 percent of the forcibly displaced under UNHCR\u2019s global purview are in the Muslim world.<\/p>\n
The agency lists the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, the internal displacement situation in Yemen and the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon as the main \u201crecipient operations\u201d of proceeds from the fund since 2017. The contributions were distributed through cash assistance and direct provision of goods.<\/p>\n
While the fund represents a \u201csmall contribution\u201d to the budget of the agency, its positive impact is increasingly apparent.<\/p>\n
To continue leveraging the potential of Islamic philanthropy, last year UNHCR launched a new initiative in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, called the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees, it was pointed out.<\/p>\n
Khalifa said that the agency was increasingly looking to \u201cinnovative finance\u201d to generate new revenue streams for refugees worldwide.<\/p>\n
UNHCR notes that its Refugee Zakat Fund has been \u201cendorsed by several legal Islamic scholars and institutions\u201d to receive and distribute donations to eligible refugees and internally displaced people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Mar 24 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “peace, mutual respect and solidarity”, in a message marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time \u201cto come together, bound by […]<\/p>\n
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