Developing a “Just and Balanced Society Index (JABSI)” on the Basis of Maqasid Al-Sharia
By Zahid Bukhari, Ph.D.
Archive for category Religion & Development
House Testimony on “Significance of Zakah in Islam and Charitable traditions of Muslims in America”
Oct 3
Testimony Before a Joint Hearing of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the House International Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Non proliferation
May 4, 2005, 2:00 PM, 2128 Rayburn House Building
Hearing entitled: “Significance of Zakah in Islam and Charitable traditions of Muslims in America”
Dr. Zahid H. Bukhari
Director, American Muslim Studies Program (AMSP), Fellow, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
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The United States Census Bureau produces quality data about almost all aspects of the nation’s people and the economy. One can find in its annual reports personal data on class, race, ethnicity, gender, age, education, profession, occupation, income level, marital status, place of birth and origin of immigrant country. Besides the details of households’ facilities, the census reports also include data on Americans’ agricultural and industrial activities and resources. However, it is quite astonishing that the information on the religion of the American people is totally absent from the national census. These socio-economic variables are especially important in understanding the human behavior. While we question most of these variables, the “R” question is conspicuously absent. Several other developed countries including England, Canada and Australia, on the other hand, include the religion question in their censuses.
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The twentieth century has seen the immensely important impact of four institutions on making social change and development in various societies of the world. They are: 1) Nation States; 2) International Organizations; 3) Multi-national Corporations and 4) the NGOs. The role and scope of the NGOs have expanded tremendously during the recent decades, especially in the fields of emergency humanitarian aid and social development.
By some estimates, there are as many as 20 million NGOs working around the globe.