RAMADAN Muslims balance caution with desire to help out

Money that used to go to Muslim countries is now staying in the United States.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
FORT WORTH, Texas -- During the monthlong Ramadan celebration this year, Saleem Akhtar will be fasting, praying and setting aside some of his savings to help the needy.
That charity, known as zakah, will assist his sister, a widow who is rearing several children in Pakistan. Part of his offerings will also help Muslims in the Fort Worth area who are not well-off.
"It's one of the pillars of Islam," said Akhtar, who lives in Fort Worth.
Muslims said they are still dedicated to altruism even though post-Sept. 11 crackdowns on charities suspected of terrorist ties have cast a long shadow.
Some worry that a donation given in good faith could get them on a government watch list. As a result, many Muslims are balancing their will to give with newfound caution.
Hanif Akuly of Arlington, Texas, said some Muslims are concerned that non-Muslims will think they are supporting some radical group when they give to an Islamic charity.
"They're concerned that somebody would misunderstand what they're doing," Akuly said. "It will draw undue attention."
Abdul Rashid Khan of Colleyville, Texas, a member of the Islamic Association of Mid-Cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has sent donations to national Muslim or Arab-American groups that are well-established and aren't under suspicion.
"I have given to some of the charities, but I am more careful," he said.
Muslims emphasize several forms of charity. The zakah is a compulsory contribution of 2.5 percent of one's savings. Other forms of charity are the sadaqah, voluntary contributions that Muslims are encouraged to make year-round, and the Fitra, a small donation that allows poor Muslims to get food and clothing at the end of Ramadan.
About Ramadan
Many Muslims give their zakah during Ramadan, which began Wednesday. Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims abstain from food, drink and sexual relations from the break of dawn to sunset.
Fasting traditionally begins the day after the first sighting of the new crescent moon and is announced by Muslim leaders. The end of Ramadan will be marked by communal prayers called Eid ul-Fitr, or "the Feast of the Fast-Breaking," on Dec. 6.
"It's a big month for forgiveness, blessings and for doing good," said Khalil Meek, president of the Islamic Association of Lewisville and Flower Mound.
Muslims emphasize that charity is about sacrifice and the pleasure of giving. Relatives or neighbors in need come first. Then, help is extended to the Muslim community and beyond.
Leaders of the Dar El Eman mosque in Arlington, Texas, say some Muslims seem hesitant to donate to larger organizations, so they are giving to local mosques. That's because the money stays in the United States to pay for the mosque's expenses and to help needy refugees in Arlington.
"We have no fear because we have no hidden agenda," mosque spokesman A.R. Saud said.
But money that once went to help Muslims in countries like Pakistan or Bangladesh now stays in North Texas, said Farooq Selod of Fort Worth, who helped found the Islamic Association of Tarrant County.
Hussein Ibish of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said government scrutiny has harmed the entire system of Muslim charities in the United States.
"There is undoubtedly a certain amount of trepidation," he said.
Not limited
While Ramadan is a major month for giving, followers of Islam offer charity year-round to Muslims and non-Muslims.
Recently, the Council on American-Islamic Relations provided information about donating to the families that suffered because of the sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., area. Many mosques also collected money for the victims of Sept. 11.
"Whenever there is a national calamity, we raise money and give it to the organizations," Selod said.
The giving isn't limited to money, he said. Some of the most generous offerings are simple acts like a smile or helping someone cross the street. More important, Muslims said, charity should be given humbly.
"The way we do it, you give it with the right hand so the left doesn't know," said Akhtar. "It's not to show off."