in
Kuwait, and Saudi Sheikh Saleh Al-Hassen, for their sincere efforts to
serve Islam and Muslims.
Al-Hassen
is the director of the National Dialogue Center in the kingdom and an
IICO member of board.
Prince
Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Minister of
Defense, made the declaration Monday.
"The
award is a proof of appreciation for charitable work," Al-Hejji,
or 'Uncle Yusuf' and 'the model for philanthropists' as Kuwaitis call
him, told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, December 27, commenting on winning
the award.
Since
1984, Al-Hejji has been the chairman of the IICO in Kuwait, one of the
largest charitable organizations in the Islamic world.
"My
charitable efforts are nominal compared to what Muslims need
especially in the field of education," he pointed out.
The
IICO provides support in the fields of education, da`wah
(call), orphans sponsorship, training of the unemployed and setting up
projects for the unprivileged, he said.
"Tolerance
and sincere efforts are the only way to spread charitable work and
contain the current anti-charity work measures," he said,
commenting on the hardships facing charitable work after 9/11 attacks
on the United States.
He
urged those in-charge of charitable work to be wise, win friendships
and not resort to confrontational attitudes.
Following
the 9/11 attacks, Washington has been laying huge pressures on Arab
and Islamic countries to regulate charity operations, claiming that
funds usually end up in the hands of “terrorists.”
Who
Is Uncle Yusuf?
Born
in Kuwait in 1923, Al-Hejji attended conventions of religious scholars
and faith lessons in mosques with his father.
In
1944, he was appointed in the Kuwaiti Ministry of Public Health as
keeper of medicine stores. He was promoted to reach the ministry's
undersecretary position.
Al-Hejji
was appointed as Minister of Waqf (religious endowments) and Islamic
Affairs from 1976 to 1981.
He
chaired the Social Reform and Abdullah Nori Islamic Associations. Al-Hejji
is respected by all Islamic streams in Kuwait.
Al-Hejji's
good reputation and philanthropist efforts were behind his appointment
as chairman and member of board of charitable organizations, Islamic
universities, banks and volunteer bodies.
These
include the Kuwaiti Red Crescent; Universities of Uganda, Niger and
Islamabad; Dubai Islamic Bank; the Supreme Council of Mosques of the
World Islamic Association (WIA); the Supreme Council for da`wah
and Relief.
