The American Zakat Foundation recently organized its charitable dinner to mark its 15th anniversary. The ceremony, which was held, was attended by a group of members of the Islamic community, in the presence of legal and religious personalities.
During it, traditional performances were presented by the Dabke troupe, in addition to a comic segment by artist Amer Zahir, in the Chateau del Mar in the suburb of Hickory Hills.
The American Zakat Foundation awarded Mrs. Ida Isma Tekioglu the Volunteer of the Year award and Mr. Demir and his wife presented the Appreciation Shield to Mrs. Oوغlu.
During the ceremony, the organizers of the Zakat Foundation highlighted the Foundation's primary goal at the global level, which is to empower the lives of individuals through its charitable work and innovative programs.
Khalil Demir, Executive Director of the Zakat Foundation, who opened the celebration during his speech, stressed the importance of Islam in establishing zakat, the difficulty faced by Muslims in late 2001, and the state of fear that prevailed at that time did not discourage those in charge of the foundation from establishing it.
Comparing the time when the foundation was founded when Islam fear had resurfaced, Mr. Demir spoke of his meeting in Portland with InterAction, which is the largest coalition of US-based international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on disaster relief and development programs. Sustainable.
Mr. Demir indicated that he discussed with his colleagues in the organization the current social climate in the United States, noting that his non-Muslim aides pledged to support the Zakat Foundation in solidarity and unity.
Salma Demir performed an improvisational poetry speech in which she addressed the difficulties of growing up within a multicultural background in a world ruled by separate identities, and spoke about being a Muslim from the Middle East and African Americans, and how the influence of society has left her feeling that she is neither black nor white enough.
Amal Ali, Director of Zakat Awareness, also spoke about the importance of not blaming others, but rather working on self-development, referring in the context of her conversation to stories from hadith - which are a phrase and are collections of traditions or hadiths about the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace. She compared the story in conversation with words from Dr. Martin Luther King, who encouraged self-cleansing before direct action.
Donation to charity is a means of self-purification, according to Islam, and zakat is an obligation in Islam as spending it means only for the poor and needy, who are stranded and those in debt and who are supposed to bring people together, according to Sahih's international translation of Surat At-Tawbah.
Main themes of the celebration included social responsibility, commitment and love for others and self-awareness to encourage people to fulfill their responsibilities and care for the less fortunate everywhere.
15 years of impact and creative humanitarian action can be celebrated through donation and zakat help in continuing to empower individuals across the globe.
