The Role of Faith-Based Organisations in Emergency Humanitarian Aid: The Case of Celebration Church Internal in Harare Province

AbstractFaith-based giving in the U.S. constitutes over one-third of all charity (Giving USA, 2013). The proliferation of policy initiatives that promoted faith-based giving and giving to humanitarian aid organizations post George W Bush’s establishment of the Office of Faith-based initiatives and community Partnerships has been controversial, to say the least. But despite this, the sector has been robust. One segment of philanthropy that has been unnecessarily controversial is that of Islamic charity. With the attacks of September 11, 2001, there were a slew of legislative as well as Executive reforms that put Islamic charities under the scanner. Executive Order 13224 and the subsequent initiatives under the PATRIOT Act have reduced donations to Islamic charities, in the initial year. In this short paper, I argue that some of the restrictive measures in place – that apply to NGOs working in conflict zones – should be removed, so aid can reach the beneficiaries, so that NGOs’ offering this aid to not fear being targeted by U.S. law enforcement authorities. Given the massive refugee crisis we are witnessing, the role of Muslim NGOs in conflict zones may become crucial for long-term rehabilitation and resettlement.

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Faith-Based Charitable Giving and Its Impact on Notions of “Community”: The Case of American Muslim NGOs

Qualitative Sociology Review ◽

10.18778/1733-8077.11.4.07 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 138-161

Author(s):

Sabithulla Khan

Keyword(s):

Charitable Giving ◽

Humanitarian Aid ◽

Bill Clinton ◽

Economic Downturn ◽

Charitable Choice ◽

Faith Based ◽

American Muslim ◽

Faith Traditions ◽

The One

With the current economic downturn, increased levels of unemployment, and poverty, the role of non-profits has come into spotlight. Considering that there are over 1.5 million NGOs in the U.S.A., and a proliferation of faith-based organizations (FBOs), their role in social capital, civic engagement cannot be discounted (Salamon, Sokolowski, and Anheier 2000). The role of FBOs has also been recognized as being important, and this became a part of mainstream discourse with the Charitable Choice provisions introduced by President Bill Clinton and consolidated under George W. Bush. While there is a lot of literature on Christian FBOs, there is very little written matter on American Muslim NGOs, or comparative research. American Muslim FBOs have emerged in the last 20 years, as important players in both domestic and international humanitarian aid movement. I will examine the case of Muslim faith-based giving to organizations to analyze how charitable giving towards them is influencing discourse about the American Muslim “community,” and how it is best to understand their work “relationally” rather than in opposition to other faith traditions (GhaneaBassiri 2010). While the narrative of giving among American Muslims seems simple and there is also very little literature on this issue, my preliminary research points towards a complicated landscape of giving, which combines both local giving at the mosque level and giving at the international level to the Ummah (community) or brotherhood, through transnational humanitarian aid agencies such as Islamic Relief. I argue that giving practices are creating new forms of “relational communities” in America. This notion of “relationality” can be applied in philanthropy, and is evident in the global humanitarian aid movement, as I demonstrate. I ask whether this is forming a new “moral geography” that is more pluralistic and broader than the one that we are familiar, especially in the American context. A closer examination of this phenomenon offers us insights into how a community is imagined and created. This paper seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature on FBOs, and also that on American philanthropy.

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Re-examining the Policies in the Humanitarian Aid Sector – A Call for Greater “Value Rationality”

Nonprofit Policy Forum ◽

10.1515/npf-2015-0041 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Sabithulla Khan

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Humanitarian Aid ◽

Short Paper ◽

Patriot Act ◽

Conflict Zones ◽

Faith Based ◽

Value Rationality ◽

Restrictive Measures

AbstractFaith-based giving in the U.S. constitutes over one-third of all charity (Giving USA, 2013). The proliferation of policy initiatives that promoted faith-based giving and giving to humanitarian aid organizations post George W Bush’s establishment of the Office of Faith-based initiatives and community Partnerships has been controversial, to say the least. But despite this, the sector has been robust. One segment of philanthropy that has been unnecessarily controversial is that of Islamic charity. With the attacks of September 11, 2001, there were a slew of legislative as well as Executive reforms that put Islamic charities under the scanner. Executive Order 13224 and the subsequent initiatives under the PATRIOT Act have reduced donations to Islamic charities, in the initial year. In this short paper, I argue that some of the restrictive measures in place – that apply to NGOs working in conflict zones – should be removed, so aid can reach the beneficiaries, so that NGOs’ offering this aid to not fear being targeted by U.S. law enforcement authorities. Given the massive refugee crisis we are witnessing, the role of Muslim NGOs in conflict zones may become crucial for long-term rehabilitation and resettlement.

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Membangun Fondasi Keilmuan Ekonomi Islam: Telaah Metodologi Muhammad Akram Khan

JES (Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah) ◽

10.30736/jes.v1i2.12 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 152-170

Author(s):

Ahmad Ubaidillah

Keyword(s):

General Theory ◽

Empirical Evidence ◽

Inductive Method ◽

Ethical Values ◽

Institutional Conditions ◽

Faith Based ◽

Behavioral Parameters ◽

Science Methodology ◽

Islamic Society

Throughout my experience in tracking down and reading books on faith-based economics, in this case Islam, there are no books that specifically list the title of "Islamic economics". If there is, it is only initiated or introduced. Most books coming down to us still use the titles starting with the word, for example, system, concept, principle, or the doctrine of Islamic economics. Why do the authors of the book Islamic economics seem not dared to give his book title with label "science"? I presume that Islamic economics has not been considered as a science. In building a science, methodology is required. Islamic Economics also requires a well-established methodology to build the foundation of science. The study answers questions; how is methodology which is offered by Muhammad Akram Khan to build Islamic economics. The method used in this research is the study of literature with qualitative approach.The result of study concludes that Khan offers methodology of Islamic economics, if summarized, written as follows: First, Islamic economics uses a framework derived from the texts of divinity (revelation). Second, Islamic economics uses the inductive method, which gives witness to the truth or falsity assumptions and predictions about the two criteria of rationality and empirical evidence. Third, Islamic economy is built on ethical values such as justice, virtue, moderation, sacrifice, caring for others, in the analysis, as behavioral parameters. Fourth, Islamic economics is a normative discipline. Islamic Economics investigates ways and means to change the existing economy with Islamic economy. Fifth, Islamic economics ask different questions with conventional economics. Its attention is on welfare (falah) human and creating social and institutional conditions that maximize falah in society. Clearly, Islamic economics strongly supports research programs that help maximize falah. Furthermore, Khan elaborates several issues related to the methodology that often appears in the forum of Islamic economists. There are some problems that Khan proposes, they are the interaction with modern economics, the role of revelation, assuming ideal Islamic society, and the general theory of Islamic economics.

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