Refleksi :TerInspirasi dari kasus Prita? Apakah sang presiden berpendapat dengan bersedekah bisa memperbaiki keadaan sosial masyatakat? Mungkinkah masalah kemiskinan dan keterbelakangan selama 60 tahun merdeka bagi 240 juta manusia diperbaiki (diatasi) dengan sedekah?
http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/yudhoyono-encourages-nations-people-to-donate-more-cash-to-social-causes/351703 January 08, 2010 Camelia Pasandaran Yudhoyono Encourages Nation's People To Donate More Cash to Social Causes President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday launched a nationwide program to urge more people to perform philanthropic deeds through wakaf uang , or religious donations in the form of money. "Our nation has the largest Muslim population in the world. The money could be used to improve the welfare of our people and empower them," Yudhoyono said, as he and the first lady, Ani Yudhoyono, handed over Rp 100 million ($10,800) to Tolchah Hasan, chief of the National Wakaf Fund (BWI). The fund was set up in 2007 to receive religious donations through wakaf . Muslims consider wakaf to be an act of charity that will increase rewards in the afterlife. It usually takes the form of donations of cash, land or property to be used for public welfare or religious purposes, such as the building of a mosque or even the maintenance of graveyards. The donation is officially registered by the government, which will then issue a certificate. "We normally consider wakaf to mean the giving of donations in the form of land or buildings, but that can only be done by those who own land or buildings. With wakaf uang [religious donations in the form of money], more and more Muslims will be able to carry out their wakaf duties," Yudhoyono said, adding that the purpose of wakaf is to speed up the eradication of poverty and the development of noble Islamic missions. "In fact our Prophet [Muhammad] wanted prosperous believers to give more of their belongings away. This is our motivation to boost social welfare acts," Yudhoyono said. According to government records, over 268,000 hectares of land had been donated via wakaf tanah , religious donations in the form of land, as of July 2009. "Wakaf can also be conducted by giving cash. This can be done as an individual, as an institution or by groups giving money," said Tolchah, a former minister of religious affairs. Tolchah added that to make it easier to make such donations, BWI was working with five banks so that money could be donated via automated teller machines or by visiting the bank. Tolchah said on Friday that Indonesia was behind Sudan and Bangladesh in terms of giving wakaf uang. "In Kuwait, they are even doing this via cellphone text messages," Tolchah said, adding that the donated money given would be used for public welfare including the building of hospitals. Yudhoyono warned that the management of religious cash donations must be conducted in a transparent manner. "BWI could manage it through investment in Shariah products or through Shariah finance instruments," he said. "The profit should be used to improve people's welfare, such as economic empowerment, empowering the labor force, increasing the quality of education and health." For that reason, he asked that the minister of religious affairs monitor and help in the management of wakaf, whether of cash, land or property. "We have to realize that in regard to wakaf, our responsibility is not only to the believer but also to God," Tolchah said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
