A CALL FOR ENABLING GLOBAL WELFARE
This International Conference of Zakat for Global Welfare is held in New York on May 28-29, 2014 hosted by the World Zakat Forum in collaboration with The Nusantara Foundation, New York. The members of the World Zakat Forum (WZF) are activists of zakat movement from Indonesia, Malaysia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, USA, India, Sudan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Yemen, Egypt and others.
The World Zakat Forum was established on 30th September 2010 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Forum is designed to facilitate a platform for zakat institutions and stakeholders to develop strategic dialogue on the concepts and ideas for zakat implementation, such as (a) discussing the wisdom, the objectives, and the benefit of zakat; (b) developing transparent, professional, and trustworthy zakat management; (c) analyzing contribution of zakat for societal empowerment; and (d) strengthening the contribution of zakat towards poverty alleviation and improvement of the mustahik’s quality of life. The Conference agrees that the word zakat used in this forum includes zakat, sadaqa, infaaq, Qulil ‘Afw and any other charity recommended in the shari'ah.
We acknowledge that the willingness and urge to pay zakat indicates the manifestation of faith to Allah SWT, thankfulness for Allah’s grace, improvement of individual and social character with a high sense of humaneness & philanthropy, elimination of greed and materialistic behavior, and purification of oneself including one's materialistic possessions.
The Forum also notices that manifesting itself as the absolute right of the beneficiaries (mustahik), zakat functions to help and empower them through upgraded life, especially for the poor and destitute. Zakat is intended to assist them in fulfilling their needs, worshipping Allah, avoiding disbelief in Allah, and eliminating the nature of envy and jealousy toward the rich. It works for circulating the worldly wealth in the society. Zakat is also for productive purposes breaking the vicious cycle of poverty through education, health, job creation, and consolidation of faith. Zakat also manifests social security.
After intensively discussing the theme of Zakat for Global Welfare for two days, the Forum resolves as follows:
1. The participants are committed to strengthen the role of the World Zakat Forum as a medium for setting common agenda to improve the wisdom, professionalism, good zakat management and quality of service.
2. Participants urge the sense of urgency to call for concerted action to improve global welfare by strengthening the role of zakat for poverty alleviation in each country.
3. Participants are committed to strengthen the partnership among zakat practitioners by networking, learning, benchmarking and sharing ideas.
4. Participants acknowledge that poverty is not merely about the financial deficiency, but also the mind and attitude challenges. It thus becomes the responsibility of the Ummah through Amil to implement more holistic approach to improve the welfare of mustahiks.
5. Participants agree to intensify the promotion of global zakat cooperation in general, and the World Zakat Forum in particular, by registering the Forum in the United Nations and other strategic world organization.
6. The presence of the Chapter of the World Zakat Forum is extremely needed. Hence, participants agree to endorse the proposed chapter as the World Zakat Forum (WZF) Chapter.
7. Joint zakat project is necessarily needed and the World Zakat Forum should undertake concrete action by establishing pilot project, which will be determined later on by the Executive Board of the Forum.
8. Participants severely condemn all crimes and atrocities against humanity, such as in the Rohingya case and other cases in all parts of the world, and call for international action to stop these atrocities forthwith.
In order to further streamline and broaden the role of the World Zakat Forum, to strengthen global zakat cooperation and work for the achievement of zakat objectives, we agree to appoint the following office bearers of the Forum for the period 2014-2017:
1. Secretary General : Ahmad Juwaini (Indonesia)
2. Deputy Secretary General :
- Mohamed Izam bin Mohamed Yusof (Malaysia)
- Elnur Salihovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- M Hoosen Essof (South Africa)
- Syed Zafar Mahmood (India)
- Mohammed A Rasiq Mukhtar (Sudan)
- Shamsi Ali (New York – USA)
- Mohammed Obaidullah (IRTI IDB)
- Irfan Syauqi Beik (Indonesia)
The headquarter of the Forum shall continue to be in Jakarta, Indonesia.
May Allah SWT bless our endeavors in upholding global zakat management for better future of the ummah.
New York, May 29th 2014
The World Zakat Forum
