Madarasas in Andhra Pradesh are all set to lose about Rs 200 crore this Ramzan

2008

Syed Akbar

Hyderabad, Sept 15: Madarasas in Andhra Pradesh are all set to lose about Rs 200 crore this Ramzan with the managements deciding against sending their representatives to Gulf, Europe and the USA for Zakat funds.

Every Ramzan scores of representatives of madarasas in the State leave for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, the United States, Canada, the UK and Germany to collect Zakat from non-resident Indian Muslims and local charitable organisations. The money they collect is sufficient for the madarasas to function hassle free for the next 12 months.

According to sources, the total Zakat money that goes as charity for the 4,000 and odd madarasas in the State is around Rs 200 crore. About 30 per cent of these funds pour in from the rich Muslims living in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

Most of the madarasas have decided not to send their representatives outside the country in view of increased vigilance on their functioning by police and Intelligence agencies. The recent raids on a group of madarasas have also forced the managements to keep quiet on the foreign Zakat funds this festival season.

Wealthy Muslims are religiously ordained to give in charity 2.5 per cent of their total annual savings. Madarasas and other charitable organisations depend on these Zakat funds for their survival.

"The blast at Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat Bhandar has changed the entire scenario. The police and Intelligence agencies are looking at us with suspicious eyes. The are harassing us though we have done nothing wrong. We do not want to create problems for us by sending our representatives abroad to collect Zakat money," says a madarasa trustee Moulana Abdul Khuddus.

Hyderabad also contributes a considerable amount of Zakat money to charitable organisations and madarasas outside the State. Many representatives of madarasas from other States used to visit Hyderabad during Ramzan. But this time around there's hardly any representative visiting the city for charity.

Even the number of hafizs (those who recite the Quran byheart) visiting Hyderabad for the special Taraweeh prayers has come down drastically. The number fell by about 400 this Ramzan. Some of them who came to the city have returned within a few days.