Framing Islamic Charity in Jordan
ISLAMIC CHARITY IN JORDAN
The Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan has served as pivotal moment in the history of humanitarianism in terms of the increasing role of non-traditional donor nations, namely Gulf states, and the role of non-normative Islamic humanitarian interventions. The role of Islamic charities in Jordan has a rich history steeped in local values and Muslim institutions, yet has only recently garnered serious academic attention by scholars such as Egbert Harmsen (Harmsen 2008) and Sarah Hasselbarth (Hasselbarth 2014). Their work has displayed the difficulty in drawing equivalencies between the global, normative humanitarian network and Islamic charity groups, who are often hesitant to include humanitarian concepts viewed as western with Islamic principles that have been used for centuries. In terms of ideology and praxis, Islamic charity groups generally diverge from normative humanitarian organizations by sourcing funding through charitable donations known as zakat, by adhering to a discourse of collective group rights over the rights of the individual, and by operating on the principle of martyrdom. These foundational concepts of Islamic charity inform the implementation of humanitarian assistance and education, and indicate an alternative model of humanitarianism that is distinct and attuned to local cultural contexts.It is important to note that Islamic charities have been operating in Jordan for many centuries, and therefore have extensive networks of local community groups who often serve as the initial point of contact for most refugees arriving in Jordan. The first assistance provided to Syrian refugees in 2011 and 2012 was channelled through the local Islamic charities present in every village. Given that over 80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in urban host communities and not refugee camps like Za’atari, Islamic charity groups are well positioned to offer aid and programming directly to refugee communities. This assistance is provided through the zaqat committees controlled by the mosques (Hasselbarth 2014, p. 8). Zakat committees are veritable community-based organizations, able to identify and distribute assistance to those most in need. Islam requires Muslims to give at least 2.5% of their wealth and assets to low-income families each year for zakat (mandatory alms). Global attention and international agencies focused heavily on the Za’atari refugee camp, which solidified the sensationalized image of the Syrian refugee crisis in the popular global consciousness. However, the reality of the situation was that the vast majority of refugees resettled outside these camps in host communities. The gap left by international aid agencies whose efforts focused almost exclusively within refugee camps was primarily filled by the local Islamic charities present in every village. As such, the dispersed and localized network of zakat committees allowed for their unique capacity to serve the various needs of refugees living in Jordan.
