Identifying poverty as a factor, Indonesia aims to combat radicalism with improved national zakat distribution
BANDUNG - Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs will work with the National Zakat Board (BAZNAS) to improve the collection and distribution of zakat, identifying poverty as a cause of radicalism.
The obligatory tax is meant for disbursement to eight groups of beneficiaries, or asnaf, including the poor and destitute.
Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Zainut Tauhid Sa’adi said during the 8th World Zakat Forum in Bandung on Wednesday (November 6) that radicalism and intolerance in Indonesia are a result not only of misunderstanding aspects of Islam, such as jihad, but they are also driven by socio-economic factors. People living in poverty tend to be more easily tempted by radical ideas and actions, he said.
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