Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

<strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue
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Economic <strong>and</strong> Social Development
Philanthropic institutions are significant players
in shaping future agendas in Muslim majority
societies <strong>and</strong> in many <strong>West</strong>ern countries,
although in many different forms. Waqf <strong>and</strong>
Zakat, <strong>and</strong>fundamentalobligationsofcharity
that are integral to <strong>Islam</strong>ic beliefs, translate
into a wide array of individual <strong>and</strong> collective
support for disadvantaged communities.
Muslims in <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong> are a vital source of
support for Muslims in <strong>the</strong> developing world.
“ Before reconciliation, peace,
<strong>and</strong> productive dialogue can be
credibly attained, we must all
first be able to truly underst<strong>and</strong>
one ano<strong>the</strong>r’s historical
experiences, present
circumstances, <strong>and</strong> future
outlook – <strong>and</strong> information lies
at <strong>the</strong> heart of underst<strong>and</strong>ing.”
Eric Schmidt
Against this backdrop, controversy has swirled
around US-led efforts to impede transfers of
private funds out of concern for possible terrorist
ties. Some critics charge that <strong>the</strong>se controls
are a serious obstacle to many social <strong>and</strong>
philanthropic ventures <strong>and</strong> are a factor in growing
anger <strong>and</strong> suspicion within Muslim communities.
<strong>Islam</strong>ic Relief has played a particularly significant
role in spearheading efforts to draw attention to
<strong>the</strong> negative effects of curtailing legitimate
charitable flows. Ahmed Younis of <strong>the</strong> Washington-
based Muslim Public Affairs Council reported
ageneraluneaseamongMuslimcharities
regarding <strong>the</strong> government’s failure to set clear
guidelines for accepting <strong>and</strong> distributing
donations. “There is always fear that Treasury
will come back <strong>and</strong> reprim<strong>and</strong> us,” he noted.
<strong>West</strong>ern philanthropy is also focusing on Muslim-
<strong>West</strong> dialogue issues, with a wide array of
institutions supporting programmes <strong>and</strong> events.
These include established organizations,
among <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> Carnegie Corporation <strong>and</strong>
Ford Foundation, as well as newer philanthropies
such as <strong>the</strong> Guerr<strong>and</strong>-Hermes Foundation for
Peace, <strong>the</strong> Abraham Fund, <strong>the</strong> Three Faiths
Forum, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bill <strong>and</strong> Melinda Gates
Foundation. The activities of <strong>the</strong>se foundations
range from support for scholarships,
conferences, <strong>and</strong> programmes that bring
toge<strong>the</strong>r groups with diametrically opposed
views, to programmes specifically targeted at
youth underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> venture philanthropy.
The Ford Foundation’s Cairo office, which has
been in place since <strong>the</strong> 1950s, acknowledges
<strong>the</strong> widespread “concern that liberalization <strong>and</strong>
globalization will exacerbate poverty <strong>and</strong> religious
<strong>and</strong> ethnic difference.” At <strong>the</strong> same time, <strong>the</strong>
foundation expresses a sentiment shared by
many o<strong>the</strong>rs, that “this dynamic period presents
opportunities to improve livelihoods <strong>and</strong> imbue
civic life with new energy.”
As multinational corporations continue to exp<strong>and</strong>
<strong>the</strong>ir operations throughout <strong>the</strong> Muslim world,
<strong>the</strong>re is increasing focus on corporate social
responsibility <strong>and</strong> a broadening conception of
what it means. This fits within <strong>the</strong> marked
increase in attention to <strong>the</strong>se issues globally,
reflected in <strong>the</strong> emergence of <strong>the</strong> UN-led Global
Compact (which describes itself as “<strong>the</strong> world’s
largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative”)
<strong>and</strong> private sector events like <strong>the</strong> November
2007 Triple Bottom Line Conference in Paris,
which marked an innovative effort to explore
faith dimensions of <strong>the</strong> growing corporate
social responsibility movement. World Bank
work on <strong>the</strong> Equator Principles (which offer a
framework for project financing based on
socially <strong>and</strong> environmentally sustainable