Dear Brother Datoo
Although I have tried hard to give you benefit of doubt on the accusation of misusing your post as an editor, I am having a hard time doing so. I am therefore requesting your help on the following points so as to be able to come to a conclusion inshallah that you did not intend to serve this 'propaganda' knowingly.
Let me make it clear that I am posting this on a public forum because the 'propaganda' has appeared in a public forum (federation samachar) and you have posted your response to the accusations in a public forum (ask.or.tz).
visionary wrote:
The issue was and still is: In view of the deepening poverty in the community, which is not denied, what other alternative obligatory solution is there, if Zakaat is not the one for the community? And why not Zakaat? indeed in view of the Qur'anic verses and compelling Ahaadith quoted as it being for the poor.
Being an educated man I am sure you will agree with all thinkers, psychologists and philosophers that the process of problem solving involves the following steps (whichever process/model you choose to use):
1. Problem Definition
2. Problem Analysis : (including causes of the problem)
3. Generating possible solutions
4. Analyzing the solutions
5. Selecting the best solution
6. Planning the next course(s) of action.
Lets analyze what your writers and you have done with this process:
1.
You seem to have identified the problem of deepening poverty, thereby completing the first step.
2.
However, you have simple skipped the second step of analyzing the problem. You have concluded (erroneously) that the cause of the deepening poverty is 'zakaat' and nothing else! It seems the problem was identified with the cause in mind!
Here is an idea: Ask your writers to sit down and speak to those who are affected with poverty. Ask those who have means what they have done from their savings (not khums, not zakaat, but the remaining 80% which is theirs to keep) to help their brothers out of their misery. Ask Jamaats why they mistreat and take advantage of welfare cases? Ask your think tank about the motives of such a propaganda? Request your think tank to instead divert their energies to coming up with a self-sustaining project that can create employment for the poor.
3.
The 3rd step is altogether missing. Only one solution is offered. Therefore the 4th, 5th and 6th cannot be completed.
visionary wrote:These questions arise only because the rulings on Zakaat are well known, and what is looked forward to are the precise answers to help the cause.
To contend that there is no room to anyone for raising an alert about any challenges facing the welfare of the community, as serious as the poverty so graphically described in the Samachar, only because they involve the rulings of the Jurists which are not helpful in the matter, is to show lack of concern for the poor, and we all have to share a sense of remorse.
With due respect, do your writers and yourself claim to be more knowledgeable about Allah (SWT) and Islam than our Maraj'e?
Unless you do and can prove that you are, I am afraid you are in no position to contend their view on the matter.
You also seem to claim that you and I care more about the suffering ummah than our maraj'e do. Think about this for a moment and I am sure you will realize the absurdity of your claim.
Just to clarify the matter, your writers did not ask for precise answers, they fed a pre-planned answer down our throats. Its anybody's guess what motives were involved.
As to the problem of poverty do request your writers to follow the problem solving process thoroughly and you will come to the right conclusions.
visionary wrote:I have no right to ask whether your lack of any comments whatsoever on the painful poverty described means that the concern and feelings expressed in the samachar for our poor brothers and sisters were not valid.
Like I pointed out, from the past few editions of the samachar, it seems that a case was being built for one pre-planned solution. Hence the problem was identified after the solution. If the analysis was fair, all possible causes would have been analyzed resulting in a plethora of possible solutions (that do not accuse our maraj'e of being money-hungry)
visionary wrote:As an Editor, I strive to reflect the dynamism of our community whose status as a progressive thinking and religious community; its entrepreneurial spirit and its extraordinary cultural diversity are among its distinguishing strengths and is an example to other Shia organizations. It is in this light that we have focused on the issue of poverty in the community and are desirous for a solution.
Although this has nothing to do with the matter at hand, I would like to advice you to look at the facts on the ground. Corruption is prevalent throughout our institutions from World-Federation (need I say more?) to Africa Federation to individual Jamaats. There is no need to self praise ourselves as its not due and pride is severely disliked by Allah (SWT). We need to call a spade a spade.
visionary wrote:Finally, I differ that the articles showed "abuse and schism"; as you have suggested, for surely, showing pain and concern for the poor and asking for solutions, such obligatory as provided in Islam, is not a show of "abuse and schism".. Far from it!light that we have focused on the issue of poverty in the community and are desirous for a solution.
Our maraj'e have been abused by your writers accusing them of being money-hungry and therefore issuing false verdicts.
Dr Alidina has been misquoted in one of the articles.
The problem solving process has been jeopardized by skipping important steps resulting in a conclusion that is misleading to say the least.
Find me a better definition of abuse and schism!