Ummah Charity
Credit: https://ummahcharity.org/
| Giver: | Registered Organization |
|---|---|
| Receiver: | Individual or unstructured/informal group |
| Gift: | Money |
| Approach: | Philanthropy |
| Issues: | 10. Reduced Inequalities |
| Included in: | Religious Giving |
Ummah Charity is a French NGO dedicated to providing humanitarian relief to people living under challenging conditions in France and throughout the world. The group’s work is rooted in Islamic traditions of social justice — notably zakat, a practice of donating alms. Through its diverse initiatives, Ummah Charity strives to cultivate a sense of solidarity between donors and recipients, promoting a sense of mutual responsibility among all members of society, regardless of their circumstances. Indeed, the charity takes its name from the word ummah, the Arabic term for the global Islamic community.
Established in the northern French town of Creil in 2010, Ummah Charity has since expanded its work into 27 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In France, the charity primarily provides financial assistance to economically vulnerable individuals and families through its Zakat fund. The organization disburses money to address a range of circumstances, such as alleviating debt, providing temporary aid for the unemployed and helping residents pay heating bills in the winter.
Overseas, Ummah Charity has undertaken initiatives to improve quality of life through infrastructure projects. With la campagne Forage (the Forage Campaign), for example, the group raises money to build sanitary drinking water systems in Mauritania and Togo. Ummah Charity also sponsors a project to assist children with autism in North Africa, and oversees the distribution of food and medical supplies in Senegal, Gambia and other Southern African nations.
To encourage the steady flow of funding it needs to sustain its work, Ummah Charity promotes giving as a regular and consistent practice. Through its Jariya (Arabic for “ongoing”) Program, the organization enlists donors to commit to monthly contributions. At the same time, Ummah Charity launches initiatives to confront specific crises as they arise. For example, the organization’s Or Noir (Black Gold) campaign raises money to provide heating oil to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
In the face of rising anti-Islamic sentiment in Europe, Ummah Charity’s ideal of universal cooperation transcends social and religious divisions. Operating in accordance with Islamic principles of charity and mutual aid, the organization remains committed to promoting a message of tolerance, generosity and solidarity.
Contributors: Maha Tazi, Stephen Meyer
| Source type | Full citation | Link (DOI or URL) |
|---|---|---|
| Book |
Clarke, Matthew. Development and Religion : Theology and Practice, 2011, 160–169. |
ISBN 978-0857930736. |
| Publication |
Clarke, Gerard. “Trans-faith Humanitarian Partnerships: The Case of Muslim Aid and the United Methodist Committee on Relief”. Academia.edu. 22 no.4 (2010): 510–528. |
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| Publication |
Kunst, J. R.; Sam, D. L.; Ulleberg, P. . “Perceived islamophobia: Scale development and validation”. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 37 no. 2 (2012): 225–37. |
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| Book |
Erdenir, Burak . Anna Triandafyllidou (ed.). Muslims in 21st Century Europe: Structural and Cultural Perspectives. Routledge, 2010 |
ISBN 978-0415497091. |
| Website |
2010-2022. “Ummah Charity”. Retrieved on October 2, 2022 |
https://ummahcharity.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjwm8WZBhBUEiwA178UnEfA4qu0t1gmHuHaRy9kcYGxGWSEGUGlvjOc6u0103sfs4rcQQP9ohoCqH0QAvD_BwE |