36 Humanitarian reform: fulfilling its promise? FMR 29 Worlds apart? Muslim donors and international humanitarianism by Mohammed R Kroessin

The contribution of the Muslim World to relief and in Yemen, Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan development is underestimated. and Kuwait. The cooperation of governmental aid agencies from The principles of charitable giving opinion regards Western and Muslim the West and the Muslim world and compassion enshrined in Islamic commitments to humanitarianism is a first for the international teaching through the Qur’an and as worlds apart. The parallel nature humanitarian community, which traditions of the Prophet Muhammad of the aid structures in the West has thus far been separated along still carry tremendous weight. The and the Muslim world has created a the OECD-OIC dividing line. redistribution of wealth in the form system that does not serve the best of charitable giving is an obligation interests of those affected by disasters, More needs to be done to bridge the on every believer. The Islamic- refugees and IDPs (most of whom are real and imagined gap between the based relief and development sector Muslim) or those plagued by poverty. West and non-traditional donors. has a 1,400-year-old tradition of Questions need to be asked as to why wealth redistribution in the form of Concerns about an apparent Western we have a parallel international aid zakat (obligatory charity), sadaqah monopoly of humanitarianism system. Fears about the politicisation (voluntary charity) and waqf (public have been further compounded of aid or proselytising need to be endowment) that continues to the in the aftermath of 9/11 as civil addressed and the debate about present day. In many countries society organisations in the Muslim universal humanitarian values ought state agencies collect zakat as part world and to a lesser extent also to be renewed. The Humanitarian of the public taxation system and in the West have been exposed to Forum is a step in the right direction numerous NGOs thrive in the unprecedented levels of scrutiny, but more must be done to ensure Muslim world. According to Saudi hampering their work and ultimately all forms of official development government figures, its aid to the affecting their beneficiaries.4 assistance are recognised and developing world, both through coordinated. We need a broader unilateral and bilateral funds, places In order to tackle some of the humanitarian reform process than it among the largest donors in the misconceptions about Muslim donor the one currently being discussed world. With aid levels at $4 billion agencies a number of initiatives have in order to help forge a more honest a year, Saudi Arabia is the second- been launched. The Humanitarian and open partnership between the largest donor after the USA. Forum5 was initiated by the British West and the Muslim world. charity Islamic Relief in June 2004 to However this aid flow is help foster partnerships and facilitate Mohammed R Kroessin (mohammed. predominantly to the Muslim world, closer cooperation between donors [email protected]) organised through the Jeddah- and NGOs in the West and in the works with Islamic Relief’s Policy based Organisation of the Islamic Muslim-majority world. By consulting and Research Unit (www.islamic- Conference (OIC)1 and its Islamic a wide spectrum of humanitarian relief.com) and is a Research Development Bank2, rather than stakeholders, an eclectic mix of Associate to the Religions and through the Development Assistance international non-governmental Development Research Programme Committee (DAC) of the Organisation and governmental agencies and the (www.rad.bham.ac.uk) at the for Economic Cooperation and Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement University of Birmingham. Development (OECD).3 In the West has been brought together to help 1. www.oic-oci.org this goes largely unrecognised, bridge the perceived gap between 2. www.isdb.org 6 because of a virtual parallel system in the West and the Muslim worlds. 3. www.oecd.org/dac which Islamic donor agencies operate. 4. See Kroessin, R ‘Islamic charities and the ‘War on Despite the amount of aid they The Forum supports NGOs in the Terror’: dispelling the myths’, Humanitarian Practice Network www.odihpn.org/report.asp?id=2890 provide, the oil-rich countries of the Muslim world with assistance in 5. www.humanitarianforum.org Gulf are not members of the OECD. capacity building, advocacy for a legal 6. Current members include: British Red Cross; UK Islamic donors lack representation framework for greater transparency, Charity Commission; UK Department for International Development (DFID); International Islamic Charitable and channels of communication to promotion of humanitarian principles Organization (Kuwait); ICRC; IFRC; IHH (Turkey); Imam the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and standards and improving Khomeini Relief Foundation; EMDAD; Mercy Corps; Muhamadiyyah Foundation (Indonesia); National Rural (IASC), the UN-convened forum communication and cooperation. Support Programme, Pakistan; Near East Foundation; which is the primary mechanism for As a first step, the Forum has set up Oxfam GB; Qatar Charity; Qatar Red Crescent Society; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; and global coordination of humanitarian Executive Committees in partnership World Assembly of Muslim Youth. assistance. As a result, public with governments and civil society