PM proposes global zakat body for Muslim world
Malaysiakini.com
Nov 29, 2006

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proposed launching an international tithing body which would fund social and economic programs to address the plight of Muslims worldwide.

"My proposal is to use the institution of zakat (tithe) to serve as a pool of resources for the economic and social development of the ummah (Muslim community), beginning with those who need them most," he said.

Abdullah, who is the chairman of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said Malaysia was prepared to host the international tithe organisation if member countries supported the idea.

"I am confident that the establishment of an international tithe organisation can be realised within a short timeframe," he said at a conference on zakat, or obligatory alms made under Islamic law.

The premier did not specify who would contribute to the scheme, but zakat refers to the giving of a portion of an individual's wealth for the benefit of the needy, typically 2.5 percent each year.

"If we are given the opportunity, Malaysia stands ready to commit the necessary resources towards bringing into being an international tithe organisation. I would also like to offer Kuala Lumpur as the headquarters," he said.

Abdullah said the proposal to establish the tithing body was discussed and agreed during the OIC foreign ministers' gathering in June in Azerbaijan.

"We should not view zakat merely as charity for short-term relief for those in need. We should not merely feed the hungry with fish to eat. We should have programs to teach them to catch fish," he added.

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