I was deeply touched by your story about Khurram, the little boy who died of cancer after so much suffering at the tender age of 12 years. At least his last days were in Rahat Kada among good people who look after fellow beings because they are fellow beings and not for their money. I commend Rahat Kada for all they are doing. May they grow and spread all over the country. I too did not know about them and they need lo be publicised more. I suppose there are some things we will never understand, like why God allows an innocent child too young to be capable of any great wrong lo suffer, while people who commit the most terrible ads against humanity and cause untold suffering to other innocent not only get away but enjoy all the fruits of life. I pray for Khurram and I'm sure God has taken away all his pain and replaced it with peace and happiness. I also pray for Khurram's family whose suffering has been doubly more because they were poor. May God bring them solace.
I suppose we will never know of God's reasons until we die, but at least we can do our bit for the helpless and suffering, especially children who cannot understand what is happening to them and suffer lerror along with their physical pain. One way is lo do all we can to help Rahat Kada to help others.
— Meherunnisa Latif |
But what does the government do with our Zakat ?
— Turn the money over to trusted charities instead.
notice that thouc who help the poor and helpless seem only to be the private, philanthropic, charitable groups and organisations, small or big, like Rahat Kada and Sattar Edhi Foundation. When organisations like these are the only ones capable of providing medical care, shelter, food and emergency work to the poor who constitute the vast majority, the public should press the government to turn over the responsibilities of health and social welfare to established and trusted groups like these where we know how our money is spent.
Upto this day none of us know where our Zakat goes. We have reason to believe that many recipients have nothing to do with charity, that many are political selections such as self-styled "religious" orphanages, and there are many ugly suggestions that go along with it. The press should make an enquiry about how our Zakat is spent because we have a right to know about own money and the government is supposed to be accountable to us. I for one resent giving the government instead of elsewhere when beggars and uoor and sick destitute continue to grow, and all those who should be getting '! never do.
An independent public enquiry should not be based on the figures the government provides as any functionary can cook them, but through the conditions and experience of the supposed beneficiaries. Then we can justify diverting the money to Sattar Edhi, Rahat Kada and others like them. To be poor as well as seriously ill has become a luxury the poor cannot afford yet have to endure, so it to these charitable works that our money should go.
- Akhtar Jan Baloch |
