How Muslim NGOs can bridge the culture gap

Islamic charities are sometimes accused of favouring their own people or trying to convert the infidel. Moustafa Osman of Islamic Relief explains why such criticism is unfair, and argues that Muslim NGOs have a special role to play in peace-keeping and fundraising for humanitarian projects (first published in HAR autumn 2002)

Muslim NGOs have a unique role to play in humanitarian relief because they are able to bridge the gap between different cultures and faiths. They first became prominent in the late 1970s during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan when Muslim countries and communities around the world joined forces to help Afghans suffering from hunger and destitution. A second burst of Muslim NGO activity took place in 1992/3 at the time of the war in Bosnia. During this period the reputation of Muslim NGOs was enormously enhanced and it is no longer possible to ignore their contribution to humanitarian relief. Despite being portrayed in some Western media as perpetrators of violence and disruption, Muslims make up three-quarters of the world’s refugees. The fact that so many Muslims have had direct experience of suffering means that Islamic NGOs often enjoy a great deal of ready support. As a result, unlike their secular counterparts, the bulk of their funding comes from individual donations from the general public, as opposed to the institutional funding received from large governmental or multilateral donor organisations.

Unconditional help
The help extended by Muslim organisations is not limited to assisting other Muslims, but upon helping whoever is in need – without qualification, even an oppressor. Nevertheless, as religious organisations operating in today’s virulently secular world, the motives of Islamic NGOs are often mistrusted. For example, when Muslim NGOs are seen helping a Muslim community overseas, they are often accused of ’helping their own’. However, if the same NGOs help non-Muslims in some poor corner of the world, they are criticised for trying to convert people. I am sure that some Muslim charity workers would like to see people joining the faith through exposure to Muslim charities and their workers. However, Muslim aid organisations never make their help conditional upon someone agreeing to become a Muslim. That would be a complete anathema to the Islamic creed. It goes without saying that any Muslim NGOs that sign the Red Cross codes of conduct agree to deliver humanitarian aid regardless of the race, creed or colour of beneficiaries.
Where we do diverge from the mainstream secular organisations is that we firmly consider the introduction of Islamic values into society as vital for its healthy development. We feel that secular organisations concentrate exclusively on improving the material well-being of their target communities, often quite unsuccessfully, and that the model being aspired to – subconsciously or otherwise – is that of the Western way of life. Muslim NGOs, on the other hand, while not denying the benefits that can accrue from an easier material life, feel it is also essential that social and spiritual values, as embodied in Islam, are vital to social development. It has been said that ’man doesn’t live by bread alone’. We understand this as implying that bread must first be present – and we try and provide for this through our numerous relief and development projects. However, we also try to balance the equation by showing compassion, courtesy, benevolence and charity.

Islamic charities are sometimes accused of favouring their own people or trying to convert the infidel. Moustafa Osman of Islamic Relief explains why such criticism is unfair, and argues that Muslim NGOs have a special role to play in peace-keeping and fundraising for humanitarian projects Muslim NGOs have a significant role to play in building bridges between Western culture and its concept of development and Muslim communities. Non-Muslim NGOs often inspire mistrust and suspicion in Muslim communities as a result of the negative effects of colonisation in previous centuries. Equally, Western NGOs find it difficult to understand the culture of Muslim communities and vice versa, so that misunderstandings and clashes can occur between aid worker and beneficiaries.

This is what happened in the late 1980s when an NGO group from the West working in Afghanistan on family planning and mother and child health care distributed condoms amongst women and widows in the refugee camps. This strategy was interpreted as Western NGOs
encouraging Afghani women to commit adultery. Violence ensued and the Imam of one mosque urged his followers to burn down the NGO office. The policy of the NGO may have been the result of ignorance of Muslim/Afghani culture. Muslim NGOs, however, are in the enviable position of understanding cultural nuances, thus allowing them to address problems without offending local populations.

Peace-building
No one can deny the growing sense of a clash of civilisations between Muslims and the West, especially after Sept 11. Images of Muslim NGOs working together with non-Muslims therefore provide a good example of co-operation and tolerance between different faiths and cultures. An Islamic Relief project contributed to peace-building in Zevornik, a small city in eastern Bosnia dominated by Serbs, when tension was very high between the Serb and Muslim population in the region. No one from the Bosnian side dared go back to their home villages or even to visit their ruined homes because they were afraid of intimidation and provocative acts by the Serbs. Islamic Relief took the initiative of opening an office in the middle of the town centre and recruited Serb and Muslim staff. IR cars emblazoned with the organisation’s logo could be regularly seen travelling between villages and towns. This gradually helped Muslim families to gain confidence and build trust and eventually encouraged them to go back to their home villages and rebuild their houses without fear. On the other side, the project helped the Serb communities to get used to seeing Muslims working together with Serbs.

Muslim NGOs can often reach communities which may not be easily accessible to non-Muslim
charities. This may be because such charities are not accepted by the local communities or because of cultural misunderstanding or mistrust. Muslim NGOs are also able to deliver services in a way which suits the culture and the normal practice of local Muslim communities. In Kosovo and Bosnia for example, cities, especially Mostar, were torn in two. One area was highly dominated by Muslims and was difficult to access by non-Muslim NGOs due to the tense security situation. In this situation Islamic charities can help to reach those vulnerable members of society – providing them with often vital humanitarian aid.

Fundraising
No one can deny the size and the wealth of many Muslim countries. They are often enthusiastic about helping others as part of their religious beliefs. It is potentially much easier for Muslim charities to gain access to those countries and communities and to raise funding for large aid programmes. These examples of the special roles that Muslims NGOs can play make it clear that religious-based organisations must work together to provide effective humanitarian aid.