Muslim Charities Forum
Encyclopedia
The Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) is an umbrella organisation for UK based Muslim-led charities whose primary goal is to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people around the world. It is also an associate member of Bond (British Overseas NGOs for Development), the UK membership body for non-governmental organisations.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Muslim Charities Forum is Dr. Hany El Banna
OBE, co-founder of Islamic Relief, and the Secretary is Syed Lakthe Hassanain, Chairman of Muslim Hands
.
, Human Relief Foundation
, Muslim Hands
and Islamic Relief
UK.
On 4 November 2009, the Muslim Charities Forum organised a workshop on Zakat
, or giving alms, one of the Five Pillars of Islam
. The focus of the workshop was to find a common view for the understanding of Zakat between several organisations working in relief and international development. The workshop concluded with a consensus that further sessions were needed with scholars and delegates on the concept of Zakat and to provide a general narrative on the general understanding of Zakat and other charitable giving and its uses.
On 10 December 2009, the Muslim Charities Forum organised a workshop on Institutional Funding & Partnerships. The aim of the workshop was firstly to identify opportunities to build stronger relationships between institutional donors and Muslim-led NGOs, and secondly, to promote partnerships both between Muslim-led NGOs and other types of organisations. The event was highly successful and very well attended, with participants from both Muslim and non-Muslim organisations, including the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), Bond, Muslim Hands, Euclid Network, Islamic Relief, DFID, CAFOD, and Oxfam GB.
On 22 January 2011, the Trustees of the Muslim Charities met with Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani. The Prime Minister said that it was heartening to note that the Islamic charitable and humanitarian organisations are performing well to serve
the cause of humanity in different parts of the world. He also lauded the contribution of representatives of the Muslim community in UK and elsewhere both for their community as well as for the country they are living in. The charitable organisations, he added, serve as a bridge between the country they are living in and the country of their origin.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Muslim Charities Forum is Dr. Hany El Banna
Hany El Banna
Hany Abdel Gawad El-Banna OBE is the co-founder of Islamic Relief, the largest Western-based international Muslim relief and development NGO, established in 1984 in Birmingham, UK....
OBE, co-founder of Islamic Relief, and the Secretary is Syed Lakthe Hassanain, Chairman of Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands - United for the Needy is an international NGO working in over forty countries worldwide to help those affected by natural disasters, conflict and poverty. The organisation was established in 1993 in Nottingham, UK...
.
Background
The Muslim Charities Forum has been established in 2007 by the initiative of Dr Hany El Banna and Ismayil Tahmazov and was formally registered as a charity in November 2008. The founding members include well-known UK based Muslim-led Charities such as Human Appeal InternationalHuman Appeal International
Human Appeal International is a British international development and relief charity based in Manchester. It was established in 1984.According to the United Kingdom Charity Commission the charity's goals are:- Alleged Hamas Links :...
, Human Relief Foundation
Human Relief Foundation
Human Relief Foundation ' is a charity set up by the United Kingdom in 1991.Since the last war on Iraq , HRF paid attention for the training courses for doctors....
, Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands - United for the Needy is an international NGO working in over forty countries worldwide to help those affected by natural disasters, conflict and poverty. The organisation was established in 1993 in Nottingham, UK...
and Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief Worldwide is a Muslim international relief and development organization consisting of a family of 15 aid agencies that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people...
UK.
Activities
The Muslim Charities Forum will help its members provide better services and raise awareness of the work members are doing abroad. It aims to improve British Muslim charities' contribution to international development by promoting the exchange of experience, ideas and information amongst the members, between networks of NGOs in the UK and internationally, with the Governments, and other bodies with the interest in international development.On 4 November 2009, the Muslim Charities Forum organised a workshop on Zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
, or giving alms, one of the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
. The focus of the workshop was to find a common view for the understanding of Zakat between several organisations working in relief and international development. The workshop concluded with a consensus that further sessions were needed with scholars and delegates on the concept of Zakat and to provide a general narrative on the general understanding of Zakat and other charitable giving and its uses.
On 10 December 2009, the Muslim Charities Forum organised a workshop on Institutional Funding & Partnerships. The aim of the workshop was firstly to identify opportunities to build stronger relationships between institutional donors and Muslim-led NGOs, and secondly, to promote partnerships both between Muslim-led NGOs and other types of organisations. The event was highly successful and very well attended, with participants from both Muslim and non-Muslim organisations, including the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), Bond, Muslim Hands, Euclid Network, Islamic Relief, DFID, CAFOD, and Oxfam GB.
On 22 January 2011, the Trustees of the Muslim Charities met with Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani. The Prime Minister said that it was heartening to note that the Islamic charitable and humanitarian organisations are performing well to serve
the cause of humanity in different parts of the world. He also lauded the contribution of representatives of the Muslim community in UK and elsewhere both for their community as well as for the country they are living in. The charitable organisations, he added, serve as a bridge between the country they are living in and the country of their origin.