S'pore Moslems urged to give alms

S'pore Moslems urged to give alms

SINGAPORE (AP): Because only 9 percent of Singapore's 120,000 working Moslems pay alms, the Islamic Religious Council will launch an advertising campaign and more active collection methods, according to a report published on Sunday.

Collectors will visit wealthy Moslem households instead of waiting for them to come to the mosque to pay, The Sunday Times said, quoting Singapore's mufti, Syed Isa Semait.

Broadcast and newspaper advertisements will encourage Moslems to pay, mosques will sponsor talks and exhibitions on alms, and from Dec. 21, brochures will be mailed to the 147,000 Moslem households.

"The payment... is an obligation that is still very neglected among many Moslems," said Mohammad Effendi Basri, the council's finance manager. "This neglect is so apparent that there is a need for a campaign to educate them about this religious obligation."