In a meeting held at the headquarters of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, UNHCR and IIFA agreed to set-up an annual joint mechanism to verify compliance of the Refugee Zakat Fund with Zakat conditions. The meeting was also attended by several reputable jurisprudential bodies, including Secretary Generals of the Muslim World League’s Islamic Fiqh Council, Al Azhar Islamic Research Academy, and the Tabah Foundation for Research and Consultancy. All attendees confirmed IIFA’s coordination role in …
Category: Media Coverage
Let’s join hands to help displaced families secure food Today, refugee and internally displaced families are going through difficult conditions. This has forced such families to make desperate decisions in prioritizing monthly expenses, including medicine and healthcare, which often means they have to procure less meals for themselves and loved ones. UNHCR is working tirelessly to implement cash assistance programmes targeting most vulnerable refugee and internally displaced families, including families of widows and orphans, to help them secure immediate needs …
A special video from Raeda, a refugee mother in Lebanon, whom we met today while she observed the 6th of Ramadan. Remember them in your prayers.
With open hearts, glowing lanterns and delicious feasts, Muslims all around the world welcome Ramadan every year. The holy month, during which the Qur’an was revealed in, is dedicated for fasting, worshiping and charitable giving. One form of charitable giving is Zakat, which is also one of the five pillars of Islam. The act of giving Zakat not only purifies the contributor’s heart from selfishness and greed, but it also helps the poor and uplifts the entire community. What is …
UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund received more than US$ 35 million through Zakat, Sadaqah, and Sadaqah Jariyah donations in 2021, helping 1,275,000 refugees and internally displaced people in 14 countries. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, held a joint event today in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA). As part of the event titled “Islamic Philanthropy and its impact: sustainable partnerships and practical solutions”, UNHCR launched its “Islamic Philanthropy …
When we think of Falmata, the word that first comes to mind is “perseverance.” At only 12 years old, Falmata has faced tremendous hardship in her short life, yet she remains optimistic and headstrong in her plans for the future. Having lost her father at the hands of a violent extremist group and her grandmother and mother during displacement, Falmata has lived without a family for most of her life. Like many other separated and displaced children, Falmata has had …
Islamic finance is used towards contributing to environmental, social, and humanitarian projects, in line with the spirit of Islam. Hundreds of financial institutions are involved in Shariah-compliant transactions, making Islamic finance an established and recognised industry around the world. Its assets were estimated at $2.88 trillion in 2019 and are expected to reach $3.69 trillion in 2024. The growth of the industry fostered an increasing interest in developing Islamic social financial (ISF) tools, where Islamic finance is used towards contributing …
Um Abdullah, is a mother who sacrificed everything to care for her son. She lost her husband back in Syria and had to care for their only child alone. She spent many nights worrying and crying and unfortunately lost her sight. Now she relies on thirteen-year-old Abdullah to help her to survive. ‘Abdullah means the world to me… I am alive because of my son”, she expressed wholeheartedly. Abdullah’s whole life has been transformed since the war started. He told …
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are particularly vulnerable as many families live in one room inside already overcrowded camps. Many families are scared. Fatima is a refugee who lost her husband in Myanmar. She walked for days carrying her children across mountains and rivers to eventually reach safety in Kutupalong refugee camp. “We don’t have any money…so it’s a problem to have enough food.” Fatima told us. Mothers like Fatima rely on aid to survive away from …
On 8 April 2021, the UNHCR Refugee and IDP Zakat Fund was officially launched at a press briefing held in Abuja, Nigeria which brought together government officials, Muslim community, business leaders and UNHCR. At the launch, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, the Executive Chairman Sokoto State Zakat and Endowment Commission (SOZECOM) shared his commitment to alleviate the suffering of Nigeria’s most vulnerable internally displaced families and pledged NGN 1,000,000 from SOZECOM to the Refugee and IDP Zakat Fund. “We Muslims have …
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