NGOs asked to work with IDB

The Islamic Development Bank wrapped up a successful community development workshop yesterday with the message urging Muslim NGOs to support its efforts to strengthen the development of Muslim countries and communities.
Ahmed Mohamed Ali, president of IDB, spoke at the concluding session. He said: “We give great importance to this workshop as it links the IDB with Muslim communities in nonmember countries.”
He urged NGOs to work together with IDB to confront the development challenges facing the Ummah. “I hope after participating in the Haj pilgrimage and this workshop you will be inspired and energized to exert greater effort for the development of your communities back home,” he said.
Ali had just returned from a meeting of IDB, OPEC Fund and Arab Fund in Tashkent. He told workshop participants the development of Uzbekistan and other Central Asian Islamic Republics would strengthen the Ummah.
He urged Muslim NGOs around the world to maintain stronger relations, exchange ideas and experiences and shoulder their responsibility in boosting the development of Muslim communities.
Ali said the IDB-managed sacrificial meat utilization project handled one million sheep this Haj season and employed 40,000 workers including veterinarians and butchers, all working for the project’s success. He said Muslims all over the world could simulate the project and perform sacrifices year round, including sadaqa (charity), Eid Al-Adha sacrifice and aqeeqa sacrifice (performed on the 7th day of a child's birth).
Mamoon Al-Azami, community development specialist, commended the IDB president for their scholarship program, which is responsible for generating a large number of professionals in the Islamic world, some of whom were participants at the workshop.
Haleema Shehu of Nigeria spoke highly of IDB for its remarkable contributions to accelerate economic and social development of Muslim countries and communities. “We are proud of this institution,” he said.
Earlier Mohamed Ahmed Salem from the Special Assistance Department explained the conditions for NGOs to receive IDB financial assistance for their educational and health projects. He said IDB was allocating up to $ 250,000 per project.
Al-Azami gave a presentation on disaster management and urged NGOs to take precautionary measures against environmental, economic and political disasters.
Suhail Sabir of the Aligarh Muslim University attended the workshop with his wife. He said more than 250 students in India receive the scholarship and are encouraged to take part in community development activities.