The World Zakat Forum (WZF) has invited the "zakat" (almsgiving is treated in Islam as a religious obligation or tax) agencies around the world to help provide aid for the Palestinian people, following United States President Donald Trump`s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel`s capital.

"This fundraising, which is in anticipation of a humanitarian crisis that can occur as a result of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, is part of a sense of brotherhood and solidarity among Muslims around the globe," WFZ`s secretary general Bambang Sudibyo said in a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

WZF strongly rejects all claims that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. In addition, WZF encourages member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to increase political pressure to ensure the safety of Al Aqsa Mosque in Palestine as the first "kiblat" and one of the most important sites for Muslims in the world.

The forum also calls on the United Nations to take important steps to ensure peace between the Palestinians and Israelis as well as avoid any kind of action that could undermine the peace efforts of both countries.

WZF itself is an established forum to facilitate a platform for alms institutions and related parties to build a strategic dialogue in concepts and ideas for zakat implementation, such as policy discussions, goals, and benefits of zakat.

The forum also works to build transparency, professionalism, and zakat management trust. In addition, WZF analyzes the contribution of zakat in the social field of community empowerment, strengthening zakat in improving the welfare and quality of life of the beneficiaries of zakat.

Currently, WZF members are representatives of agencies and experts from 21 countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Kingdom, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Sudan, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States.

Sudibyo, who is also Chairman of the National Zakat Agency (Baznas), remarked that his agency has been actively supporting the Palestinians` struggle to achieve its independence since 2009

Source: ANTARA