BAGHDAD, October 28 (IslamOnline.net) – Iraqi mosques and charity organizations tend to channel the Zakah money into productive projects to help provide for the poor, generate job opportunities for the unemployed Iraqis, in line with Fatwas making the practice legal.

In light of the deteriorating conditions that affected all walks of Iraqis’ lives since the US-led invasion in March, 2003, ways had to be find to face the chaotic situation in a country rich with its natural resources, but unlucky enough to use them for the welfare of its people.

“The mosque has used part of Zakah money last summer to rent a piece of land in Al-Yusefiya area (near the capital Baghdad), and employed a number of jobless, poor and needy Iraqis – entitled to Zakah money -- to tend to the land,” Sheikh Monzer Hashim Al-Basil, a mosque imam in south Baghdad told IslamOnline.net.

“The land revenues will be distributed among the poor workers and their families,” he added.

Sheikh Omar Heigel, a mosque imam in Al-Dura area, agreed.

“We are keen on directing Zakah money to establish productive projects such as groceries, to be run by those deserving Zakah.

“However, some rich people commit us to spending their Zakah money on slaying animals as sacrifices and distributing meat among the poor.”

The concept of investing Zakah money in productive projects to help employ the jobless and help the poor in a practical way is based on fatwas issued by prominent Muslim scholars.

“Prominent Muslim scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has urged in one of his books to direct the Zakah money to establish productive projects,” professor of the Islamic Sciences Faculty in the Baghdad University, Abdul Moneim Al-Heiti, told IOL.

“We respect such fatwa as it helps create new jobs and enhance self-dependence among the poor.”

Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Modarris, member of the Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), agrees.

“Part of Zakah could be given to the poor to establish productive projects with the aim of generating job opportunities and reducing the rate of unemployment among Iraqis fired from their jobs by the occupation forces.”

The AMS member, however, added it is forbidden for Zakah payers themselves to invest their Zakah money in productive projects.

“It would be a sort of taking money of the poor if the Zakah money is lost.”

But he urged Zakah payers to offer assistance in developing such productive projects in return for financial sums.

Khaled Al-Meshhedani, chairman of an Iraqi charity to facilitate marriage urged Muslims to pay Zakah money to charities of the sort.

“The charity has got a fatwa permitting Muslims to pay Zakah to our charity facilitating marriage to be directed to the poor,” he told IOL.

He added Zakah could be used by the charity to help poor Iraqis to get married.