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Organizations Help American Muslims with Ramadan Giving
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Several nonprofits are reaching out to American Muslims searching for vetted charities to which to donate Ramadan zakat (donations). Ramadan starts on Saturday, and the search for charities is gaining urgency, since Ramadan requires charitable giving.
But American Muslims are terrified of running into trouble with the Department of Justice, which has shut down a number of U.S.-based Muslim nonprofits on suspicion of terrorist-related activities.
I've found two groups trying to solve this issue: the Muslim Charities Accreditation Program (MCAP) and GlobalGiving's online Ramadan initiative.
MCAP started last year. It examines Muslim-run community programs. So far, it has chosen three: Umma Community Health Clinic in Los Angeles, the Islamic Networks Group in San Jose and the Inner City Muslim Action Network in Chicago. They are about to receive accreditation from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, said John Showalter, spokesman for Muslim Advocates, the San Francisco group that has organized the initiative.
GlobalGiving.com's three-year-old Ramadan initiative features 42 projects in more than 13 countries. It also provides a zakat calculator so donors can determine how much to give during the month of Ramadan. Muslim donors can scroll down and select projects run by reputable organizations that meet IRS guidelines and follow anti-terrorism laws, say organizers. It starts August. 21.
The program "allows Muslim Americans who want to give the opportunity to give online to carefully vetted projects whose due diligence we have done," said program officer Saima Zaman.
By
Jacqueline L. Salmon
|
August 18, 2009; 12:12 PM ET
| Category:
God in Government
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Posted by: Curmudgeon10 | August 19, 2009 8:33 PM
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Christianity is an ideology of intolerance and hate (witness its attitude towards gays). Both the US and Canada should halt immigration of Christians. It seeks to dominate and works towards a 'dominion' which I would call a new Dark Ages. It has no place in the modern world.
Posted by: coloradodog | August 19, 2009 8:26 PM
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Islam is an ideology of intolerance and hate (witness its attitude towards apostates). Both the US and Canada should halt immigration of muslims. It seeks to dominate and works towards a 'new caliphate' which I would call a new Dark Ages. It has no place in the modern world.
Posted by: robespierre | August 19, 2009 8:20 PM
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Islam is a hateful and dominating religion that should of never been allowed to be practiced here in the first place.
NY Muslims:Collect the Jizya from the Jews and Christians~Video
http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/08/ny-muslimscollect-jizya-from-jews-and.html
Michigan:Muslim Mob Surrounds and Attacks Christians~Video
http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/07/michiganmuslim-mob-surrounds-and.html
Posted by: Christopher3 | August 19, 2009 1:34 PM
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zionist organizations freely help establish apartheid israel's jewish only roads, build apartheid wall, ethnically cleanse palestine of palestinians and support any jew willing to move in thier homes. all above is legal, while muslims giving to feed poor in mali should be monitered.
Posted by: MumboJumboo | August 19, 2009 11:11 AM
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And the chilling effect of America's overbroad "anti-terrorism" laws continues.
This used to be a country where people didn't worry about going to jail for innocent charitable contributions. No more.
Posted by: DupontJay | August 18, 2009 11:45 PM
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I keep reading that Islam is a great religion that has been hijacked by a tiny minority of twisted individuals who practice terrorism.
But why is it that only a tiny minority of Islamic "charities" can be certified as non terrorist related? I don't get that.