Role of religious philanthropy in reducing poverty

Role of religious philanthropy in reducing poverty

Muhamad Ali, Jakarta

A conference on Islamic philanthropy involving participants
from Indonesia and other Muslim countries was held in Cairo last
week to seek common ground and alternative programs to improve
socioeconomic conditions in Muslim societies, the majority of
which are still mired in poverty.

Attempts to reduce poverty seem to have overlooked the
potential resources of civil society.

Most religious organizations, including the Nahdlatul Ulama
and the Muhammadiyah, have since the early 1900s become part of
civil society. They feel the need to improve civil life, largely
independent of state intervention, by strengthening the value of
voluntarism, which manifests itself in philanthropy.

Because of a lack of resources and political will on the part
of government, it becomes increasingly important that religious
people can take responsibility for their personal uplift and for
the betterment of their community. Effective religious
philanthropy is instrumental in creating and maintaining public
confidence in philanthropic traditions -- voluntary association,
giving and action.

Generosity and civic involvement are clearly shared by all
religions. In the Islamic tradition, for example, it is more
blessed to give than to receive. We also hear stories about how
giving something small makes a difference.

Islam, as with other religions, preaches voluntarism in the
sense of being caring, sharing with others or offering money to
those in distress. In Islam, there are concepts such as zakat and
sadaqa. In zakat it is obligatory for a person to give a portion
of his income in charity. In sadaqa the scope is wide, even those
who have nothing tangible to give can offer sadaqa in the shape
of a glass of water to the thirsty, or simply a smile and a kind
word. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, "The example
of Muslims in the matter of mutual love and affection is that of
a body. When one of its organs is affected with disease, all
other organs suffer from fever and sleeplessness in sympathy".

Islamic philanthropy is in itself a form of social capital.
There is a connection between religion and social capital
because, as we see, houses of worship have built and sustained
more social capital -- and social capital of more varied form
than any other type of institution.

Mosques, in particular, have provided a vibrant institutional
base for civic good works and a training ground for civic
entrepreneurs. Much stock of social capital is religious or
religiously affiliated, whether measured by association
membership, philanthropy or volunteering. Many mosques run a
variety of programs for members, from self-help groups to job
training courses to singles' clubs. Islamic institutions often
become a prime forum for informal social capital-building.

Islamic faith provides a moral foundation for civic
regeneration. Faith gives meaning to community service and good
will, forging a spiritual connection between individual impulses
and great public issues. Islam helps people to internalize an
orientation to the public good. Because faith has such power to
transform lives, faith-based programs can enjoy success.

We are aware that religion can exacerbate divisions but it can
also heal them. Religious exhortations can increase tensions, but
also reduce them. We also recognize that religion is both
disintegrative and integrative. Religious impulses can be self-
righteous, divisive and even violent.

The challenge is to find ways for religious leaders and
institutions to fit safely and comfortably into a society made up
of a virtual alphabet soup of traditions.

Therefore, the principles that guide religious involvement in
civic renewal must recognize that such efforts hold both
potential and peril. The challenge is to nurture religious work
grounded in love, not hate; in unity, not division. Here we
should endorse a number of principles, including strengthening
congregations as civic institutions, encouraging religious
collaboration to mediate the culture war between "modernists" and
"traditionalists", and encouraging interfaith collaboration on
social issues.

Religious institutions should show rededication to the mission
of reaching across congregations, denominations and religions to
promote a larger sense of community -- that is, to rebuilding the
stock of bridging social capital. If houses of worship explicitly
emphasize social capital as much as they do spirituality, they
will further both missions.

Given that religion is entangled with many public issues,
there is a role for religious institutions to play in helping
community to overcome the poverty, backwardness, incivility,
distrust, animosity and sometimes even violence that these issues
have engendered. Religious institutions can help people find ways
of working through these problems with mutual respect and good
will.

For building social capital through faith-based groups we
should increase funds for faith-based organizations, foster
collaboration between faith communities and secular service and
advocacy groups, promote values in secular organizations and put
more than money in the collection plate.

Religious institutions can create the initiative to reduce
poverty and overcome divisions by strengthening existing faith-
based efforts and promoting new networks of cooperation. We need
to endorse such collaborative efforts and urge that government
agencies, foundations, businesses and individuals take a closer
look at the feasibility of supporting faith-based collaboration
locally, nationally and internationally.

The writer is a lecturer at the Syarif Hidayatullah State
Islamic University (UIN), Jakarta. He can be reached at
Muhali74@hotmail.com