An appeal for deprived Australian Muslims
Perhaps, most expatriate Bangladeshis would deem it more appropriate to send their Zakaat and Sadaqah money to the needy back home, and rightly so. However, as Muslims, we need to stand by fellow Muslims whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.
As we all know, Zakaat is one of the five “pillars” of Islam and those of us who are privileged must give this obligatory charity to those who are less fortunate. Coming largely from migrant backgrounds, many Muslims in Australia lack the support of social network and, thus, experience great hardship and isolation.
Keeping this in mind, you may wish to consider giving even a portion of your Sadaqah and/or Zakaat to the National Zakaat Foundation (NZF) in Australia. Please visit nzf.org.au to know more about the recently launched NZF. You will also learn about some of the heartbreaking stories of disadvantaged and deprived Muslim brothers and sisters and how NZF is offering a life-line to such people.
Just as the Salvation Army is a Christian social organisation offering help to the homeless, the hungry, the aged, the asylum seeker, and many others, the National Zakaat Foundation aims to become a Muslim social organisation in Australia that can reach out across language and cultural barriers to Muslims who need a helping hand.
In this holy month of Ramadan, please reflect on the importance of sharing in the caring of our fellow Muslims in Australia who may have no one else to turn to.
Mahjabeen Ahmad from Adelaide
