RIYADH, 5 October 2006 — The World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) has seen a substantial drop in its collections because of the government’s restrictions on donations.
“We are facing difficulties. We have told the government that we are not against the regulations and, in fact, we welcome them. Still, the situation is not healthy for charitable organizations. The Shoura Council is currently discussing a regulatory framework for the acceptance of donations. The council calls them regulations but because they are so strict, I call them the death of charity.”
WAMY Secretary-General Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaibi made these remarks in a chat with newsmen at an iftar party that the organization hosted for a large gathering, including diplomats, businessmen, donors, volunteers and other guests.
Referring to the regulatory framework, he said it was bound to affect their collections, whether for WAMY or for local organizations. In fact, some small organizations might fade away, he said, adding that the impact this year would be even greater following the decline in share prices and losses which the shareholders suffered.
He assured the prospective donors, however, that WAMY’s operations were transparent and that money donated would be used for the purpose specified. He said WAMY branch offices were doing very well in Canada and Brazil, but that in the US operations had reached a standstill.
Referring to the coming WAMY conference on youth and social issues in Cairo on Nov. 22-23, Dr. Al-Wohaibi said the conference would coincide with the elections of a new secretary-general of WAMY. “The new council will come up with a new plan and strategy. Usually, the change is less than 50 percent. We hope that the strategy for WAMY which we approved this year will be the backbone of activities.”
In reply to a question on the source of WAMY’s problems, the secretary-general said the problem has more to do with the West than with Arabs. “That’s why we are putting in greater efforts to reach out to the West, including the US.”
At the gathering, Dr. Al-Wohaibi said that recent events had proved beyond doubt that Muslim NGOs were important partners and could play a vital role in getting to affected areas that were either inaccessible to Western organizations or had proved dangerous for them to operate in. This shows the need for coordination and partnership. “I’ve had to admit that we have a long way to go, but I assure you that WAMY has made the decision to take the first steps. Our motto is ‘From Dialogue to Engagement.’”
In an overview of WAMY’s activities, the secretary-general said that it was able to provide scholarships to some 500 young men and women, who otherwise had no way of pursuing college education. “Over the years, our scholarship program has made it possible for thousands of students all over the world to obtain degrees in various fields of study, get decent jobs and lead happy lives.”
He pointed out that WAMY was sponsoring over 30,000 orphans. With its help and that of its donors, these young boys and girls could get food, shelter and proper education. “We have a number of programs and short training courses in different countries in which thousands of young people learn important skills such as time management, team work, computer skills, foreign languages and the like.”
Speaking on behalf of his country, Spain’s Ambassador Manuel Alabart referred to what he called the challenging times. “Problems between the East and the West are not lacking. Peace, tolerance and dialogue are dire needs, and Ramadan is a very appropriate month to encourage them.”
The ambassador said that the need of the hour was to engage in dialogue in the spirit of cooperation. “To bridge the gap, a dialogue between the East and the West is needed more than ever.” He pointed out that in September 2004 Spain’s Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero launched an initiative called “The Alliance of Civilizations.” Launched at the UN General Assembly, it was co-sponsored by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and endorsed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
