Plenary, 25 Feb 2004

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Official Report 421KB pdf

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Time for Reflection

Good afternoon. Our time for reflection leader today is Habib Malik, who is a director of Multi Ethnic Aberdeen Ltd and Scotland area manager for Islamic Relief.

Islam, like many other major religions, has a strong ethos of charity and regard for others. As human beings, we have an obligation to care for all people, especially those in need. That concept is central to Islam because one of the five pillars of the religion is to give zakat—the poor-due—which is a fixed percentage of one's savings. However, over and above that, the spirit of generosity should not be far from a Muslim's heart.

Charity is not confined only to helping Muslims. A narration from the prophet Mohammed—peace be upon him—states:

"He who sleeps on a full stomach, while his neighbour goes hungry, is not one of us."

There is nothing there to suggest that we limit ourselves to aiding people who adhere to the same religion as we do, given that Islam is above all divisions that are based on race, gender or religion. Furthermore, we are told in the Qur'an that God

"divided mankind into nations and tribes, so that they may know one another."

Kindness to others is a mark of faith and can mean helping people with one's time, effort or money. Additionally, the Qur'an states that

"God has blighted usury and made almsgiving fruitful,"

as one profits from the misery of others, while charity benefits both the donor and the recipient. To provide benefit to others, either directly by helping the needy oneself or indirectly through charities such as Islamic Relief, is highly recommended.

Islamic Relief had its humble beginnings in 1984 and was established in response to the terrible famine in Africa. Now, with the support of generous individuals, communities and organisations, it operates in more than 30 countries worldwide. Over the years, the organisation's reputation has grown among key players in the international arena and Islamic Relief is recognised as a leading agency in disaster response, with a proven track record in Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Afghanistan and, more recently, Iraq and the Iranian city of Bam.

The areas of long-term development that Islamic Relief concentrates on include education, health and nutrition, income generation, and water and sanitation programmes. In addition, we have a long-established orphans scheme, providing one-to-one sponsorship and general projects relating to the welfare of orphans and their families.

Islamic Relief has worked as an implementing partner on various international platforms with organisations such as the United Nations, the World Food Programme, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, Oxfam and many more. We believe that all people have a right to lead dignified lives and not be dependent on others. Hence, many of our long-term development programmes are geared towards empowering people with practical skills and knowledge to enable them to support themselves.

Generosity is also a trait of the Scottish people, so let us join together and try our utmost to benefit those who need our help, whether they are here at home or abroad. We are one people and, regardless of race or creed, we ought to come together to help to make a difference in the lives of people who have suffered through natural disasters or man-made calamities.