Zakat Fund launches Ramadan campaign

The Zakat Fund is launching a media campaign to urge Muslims to give during Ramadan.

DUBAI // The Zakat Fund yesterday announced the launch of its eighth Ramadan campaign - and said it hoped to raise more than Dh70m for those in need.

The campaign will be launched in a series of television, radio and newspaper advertisements and will appear under the banner: "With participation we revive Zakat."

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"We seek to collect more than Dh70million ... and to raise the resources required so that we can benefit those who are in need across the UAE," said Abdullah bin Aqeeda Al Muhairy, the secretary general of the Zakat Fund, yesterday at the fund's headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

Fund-raising efforts have been stepped up in the weeks leading up to Ramadan, when Muslims typically give more charitable donations than any other time of the year.

During last year's Zakat Fund campaign, it raised Dh68m. This year, organisers say they hope alms givers will use various channels to contribute, such as e-banking, mobile phones, ATM machines and the organisation's electronic website.

Mr Al Muhairy explained that the purpose of the campaign this year is to implant the principle of contribution and participation in the hearts of children. He called on parents to teach their children about the importance in Islam of giving to others.

"We have adopted this campaign to also educate the public about the importance of charitable work and the benefits that are reflected on society as a whole."

Additionally, Mr Al Muhairy highlighted the organisation's commitment since its inception in 2003 to raise awareness about the obligation of Zakat. The Zakat Fund is a federal body that facilitates obligatory annual charitable donations by Muslims.

Mr Al Muhairy said the fund had 12,000 new case files between 2010 and yesterday from people who had applied for help and had been approved. In many cases, those who received assistance were widows, orphans and students.

The media campaign will seek to educate and remind Muslims about the need to pay Zakat to the poor. The Zakat Fund will make use of about 770 advertisements across several platforms.