The Journal of the British Muslim Charity Sector
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FORUMTHE The Journal of the British Muslim charity sector Issue 3, WINTER/SPRING 2021 Contents Chief Executive Foreword Prevention is better than cure: 5 Fadi Itani 17 The case for supporting human rights defenders Applauding the efforts of the Muslim Kyaw Win 6 charity sector during the coronavirus pandemic The compliance of charities work Baroness Barran 18 with Islamic teachings Rehan Salim Leadership: Navigating through 7 challenging times The age of disinformation and Vicky Browning 20 industrial Islamophobia Bashir Ibrahim Together we can: How MCF responded 8 to the Covid-19 pandemic What are donors looking for when Anas Abu 21 they donate to charities? Atif Khan The first dive: A survey of the British 10 Muslim charitable sector Orphans programmes today and Dr Atif Imtiaz 22 tomorrow Jonathan Benthall Islamic charities between France and 12 the United Kingdom: A comparison. Adoption: Reviving a Prophetic Lucas Faure 24 tradition Shadim Hussain MotherKind Clinic: Reaching those in 13 need Remembering our raison d’etre Umar Rashid 26 Madiha Raza An integrated approach to education The implications of financial 15 in emergencies 28 legislation on charities : Azeema Ali The case of al-Barakaat Dr Samantha May Educating the excluded children of 16 Pakistan: A project for children living Promoting a faith inclusive in a brothel 30 approach to development Haseeb Khan Ajaz Ahmed Khan & Affan Cheema In this third edition we look at the sector’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. We include some shortened versions of papers (by Imtiaz, Faure, Rashid, Ali and Khan) presented at a conference on the sector held in January 2020. We also look at the effects of financial constraints that are placed on charities, the issue of adoption, reflections from a donor on the sector and an experienced leader in the sector. Acknowledgements MCF has a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, all of whom contributed to the production of this journal including: Abdi Aziz, Atif Imtiaz, Fadi Itani, Shams Begum and Bayan Kuwaider. We value your feedback and invite you to consider proposing contributions for the next edition of The Forum. Contact us via: [email protected] or call one of the team on 0203 096 1983 Readers are encouraged to quote and reproduce materials from this publication with due acknowledgement to the Muslim Charities Forum as copyright holders. We also request a copy of the publication is shared with us. Disclaimer: The opinions and views of the written articles are those of the authors, not of MCF. © Muslim Charities Forum, 2021 Take a seat at the table Join MCF’s membership today Muslim Charities are here to stay, and we will only get stronger together. The Muslim Charities Forum, founded in 2007, is the network of British Muslim charities dedicated to working for social good both at home in the UK and abroad. Our role is to collectively improve our accountability, transparency and efficiency as a sector – to contribute to a more just and sustainable world. MCF is changing the landscape for Muslim charities in the UK, we support our members through increased visibility, influence, networking, training, knowledge-exchange and representation. Call us for an informal chat about becoming a member on 0203 096 1983, or email us at [email protected], we will send you introductory information about member benefits. Invest in the future of the sector. MCF is mostly funded through our membership fees, we welcome the opportunity to discuss investment from Trusts, Foundations and individual philanthropists. If you are keen to invest in the future of the Muslim charity sector, to drive the change taking place, please do get in touch. We must not surrender our positive thinking FADI ITANI elcome to the third Covid has reminded us that whilst every edition of the journal country has faced it as a national priority it W ‘The Forum’ dedicated to has exacerbated already existent inequali- the Muslim charity sector. ties. Whilst many countries have been able It is an expression of to introduce hardship support to alleviate the growing maturity of the disruption to business and work, many our sector that we take time to pause and countries simply cannot afford to; meaning reflect. To together ask deep and difficult International NGOs have been required to questions about our future, whilst high- support ever larger communities at a time Fadi Itani is the CEO of the Muslim Charities Forum. Fadi has lighting opportunities to grow and learn. In when many donors have reduced their experience in the community and this edition you will read about the extraor- donations. charity sector for over 30 years. dinary story of how Muslims responded Prior to MCF, Fadi has held senior with great humanity to Covid-19 and its It is no secret that the entire charity sector posts at the Qatar Charity UK, Islamic Relief, The Humanitarian consequences. You’ll find case studies to faces extraordinary challenges, as they Forum and served as CEO of continue to do good in the shade of this Zakat House. pandemic. Yet this also makes adapting, collaboration and strategic foresight “ IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE essential to survival. Technology must be ENTIRE CHARITY SECTOR harnessed, actionable research conducted, FACES EXTRAORDINARY data and impact understood, we must CHALLENGES, AS THEY professionalise without losing the human- CONTINUE TO DO GOOD ity and sincerity of a sector that grew out IN THE SHADE OF THIS of the spare rooms of mosques. We must make working together the foundation of PANDEMIC. YET THIS ALSO our collective future. ‘The Forum’ inshal- MAKES ADAPTING, lah will continue and further grow to be COLLABORATION AND a place where insights and thoughts are STRATEGIC FORESIGHT collected, ideas triggered and the past, ESSENTIAL TO SURVIVAL.” present and future fused in the service of us all. Despite all the challenges we are all going learn from, a reminder on charity in Islamic through let us not surrender our positive teachings, discussions on human rights, thinking and instead strive to innovate in Muslim fostering, Islamophobia, orphan our solutions, plant hope and grow peace programs in the future, a donor’s perspec- in our world. This reminds me about an tive, leadership during testing times, the amazing saying of Prophet Muhammed experience of a field worker and an article (peace and blessings be upon him) about on financial de-risking and its victims. the end of times when he said, “If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be We are also honoured to have the Minister established and one of you was holding a for Civil Society Baroness Barran contribute palm shoot, let him take advantage of even with her appreciation for the efforts of one second before the Hour is established Muslim charities during this national crisis. to plant it.” Some of us might wonder but who will benefit from it, when the whole As shown in our report ‘The Neighbours world is coming to an end. Yet we are next door’, Muslim charities, groups, reminded that we are responsible for our mosques and individuals have fed, reas- efforts even when we cannot control the sured and served their neighbours bringing results. life to the Prophetic tradition. Through it all MCF has mapped, co-ordinated and offered support so their stories could serve as inspiration for further good works. 5 Applauding the response of the Muslim charity sector during the pandemic BARONESS BARRAN ivil society has played date. The crisis and restrictions brought communities during the Covid-19 crisis and continues to play a in to respond to it have clearly created and provide support through the Voluntary vital role in the response challenges for many in the sector, including and Communities Sector. I would like to C to Covid-19. The sector for organisations providing services for take this opportunity to thank the Muslim has mobilised; providing those affected by COVID. The intelligence charities and volunteers who saw their critical services, deploying gathered so far has contributed to the neighbours in need and stepped up to volunteers and complementing the delivery development of the Government’s £750 help. Ordinary Muslims from all corners of of public services. Volunteers up and down million support package designed to help the country put themselves on the front the country have come out in force in charities continue their vital work. line every day to help and support others; support for others in their local communi- and Muslim community organisations have ties. Muslim charities and volunteers have coordinated great volunteering efforts been an important part of that effort. throughout the crisis. I also wish to thank the Muslim Charities Forum for being “THE ROLE OF Covid-19 has created extraordinary uncer- a valued and collaborative stakeholder tainty for all of us, and at times like this, the ORGANISATIONS WHO throughout the pandemic. I would also role of organisations who have the trust HAVE THE TRUST OF THEIR like to encourage Muslim charities and of their local community is more important LOCAL COMMUNITY IS volunteers to keep up their fantastic work than ever. Local Muslim charities have been MORE IMPORTANT THAN as the country continues to respond to and involved in all sorts of community support EVER” recover from this public health crisis. from food banks, to youth activities, to providing companionship to those who are isolated, and crucially at this time, helping to build trust in the public health The Muslim Charities Forum has played a response locally. I have spoken to Muslim vital role in this response by being part of charities who have helped to distribute the Voluntary and Community Sector Emer- face masks, explain about testing and even gencies Partnership (VCSEP), which brings provide venues for test and trace.