An outspoken Al-Barakah Charity Trust Executive Director, Ibrahim Milanzi on Sunday took his time to hit back at his counterparts who are accusing Muslim NGOs in Malawi for siphoning donors’ money and not doing enough to assist Muslim community, describing the allegations as “unfounded and malicious.”
Delivering his speech at the 2010 National Holy Quran Competition prize presentation ceremony that was belatedly held at Mpingwe Sports Club in Limbe, Blantyre, on 09 January 2010, Mr. Milanzi lambasted those who question Muslim organizations contribution to society when “Muslim NGOs have done tremendous improvements in the lives of poor Muslims in the country only that donors do not want their identities and donations to be revealed.”
Mr. Milanzi who almost turned the occasion into a theatre with his emotional hard-hitting speech, justified his outbursts by saying that critics have made enough noise through the media and that was his only available forum to respond because, he said, some of the critics were present at the ceremony.
“They are using Radio Islam to castigate Muslim NGOs yet they say IZF (Islamic Zakaat Fund) has done nothing. Who operates Radio Islam? Isn’t it the same IZF?” Mr. Milanzi wondered.
Some Muslims have been questioning Muslim organizations for not being transparent enough with their operations and fear that donor money could be ending up in the pockets of a few greedy individuals. They further accuse the organizations for not getting their priorities right as their areas of concentration are not in tandem with the social problems faced by Muslims in Malawi today.
However, Mr. Milanzi who is Malawi’s former ambassador to Libya, admitted that much of the mis-information is arising due to poor public relations on the part of the Muslim organizations making the masses fail to appreciate the achievements of the organizations.
In a separate interview with Malawi Muslim Official Website, Mr. Milanzi described the allegations leveled against Muslim organizations as “unfounded and malicious.”
“The fact that donors are still pouring in more money into the Muslim NGOs is a clear sign that the organizations are accountable in their operations and are fulfilling the donors’ dreams.” Milanzi explained.
During the National Ijtima meeting held in Mangochi last year, Malawi’s Transport Minister, Sidick Mia accused some Muslim organizations of using donor funds to enrich themselves instead of supporting Muslims in the country.
Muslims we should learn to accept criticism. sometimes its not everthing people will criticise that will be unfounded. if its not founded the alternative way is to prove to the criticisers that what they are holding on to is not true.
A good leader should have a listening ear, on the same note dont hear only those things that please you when you hear.After listening you should go deep into what people are saying then find a good remedy of what people are crying about.
It is a mistake to believe that everything is in order, that not the real world and you must be operating in the nominal world.Life has and must have checks and balances. it can be that its not in your organisation where things are not ok so by rushing into refuting to peopls outcry you are hindering people from giving you more tips.
on the part of the common muslim, it is not possible fro everybody to get the or recieve the benefits we expect from our well wishers this is due to the natural phenomenon of resource insufficiency.
Again that should not stop us from criticising where we deem fit. Above all dont criticise your fellow muslim to beshame them criticise with a spirit of building and not demolishing.
On the deliverables of the muslim organisations that is not questionable we have to appreciate there are some organisations are trying but others leaves allot to be disired and your suggestion is as good as mine
My appeal to the leadership or those in authority to speak is to desist from this tendency of castigating one another in public.
I dont just understand why this deplorable act is coming from muslims and learned muslims for that matter.WHy has the leadership sunk so low in morality? Does the words contact and dialogue exist in your vocabulary??
Unfortunately this tendency is growing by day.At the Balaka Ijtima a year or two ago there was war of words from one speaker to the other in turns that almost turned into drama.It was fo real quite contrary to the theme of the ijtima.There was too much of politics absorbed in.
The participants were left wondering whether Ijtimas have turned into forums for emptying ones grudges against another or a political gathering where people show their colours of political allegiance.
This other Ijtima was not spared of the disease again.One participants narrated that tension built up as two main camps emerged one camp of "a CHAIR" and another belonging apparently to "KAKA" each trying to show allegiance, accusation and counteraccusations as one "honorable" Minister took the pulpit.Cry my beloved ummah!
Now the pandemic has spread into masjids,please get right am saying inside Allahs house- INAUZOOBILLAH!!During friday sermons several guest speakers I have heard spicing their sermons with political sentiments and accusations as to who is syphoning donor monies.Who to support politically.Who is doing what bad thing,Che nyono amupanitsa buns kukamwa akudya nawo etc.
Let us all sit down and reflect deeply.Lets ask ourselves whether Islamic and secular education/knowledge gained has truly helped us and our dependants attain that level of imaan and taqwa that Allah is indeed pleased with us.If not, I swear by Allah we are big time losers right here on earth and painfully so in Akhera.
Remember it is mentioned in one hadith, something to the effect that prior to anythin else we will have to stand to answer five questions before Allah on the day of Qiyamah and among the questions is "how did you use the knowledge and wealth (separately) that I(ALLAH)favoured you with? we need to ask ourselves now.Are we using them to win hearts of our rulers ? To be honoured by people?In general for earthly gains? If so, sure big losers we are.
My humble plea to all muslims.If we have issue/ concerns/ uncertanities within ourselves against individuals or organisations, lets ask for a meeting with the responsible people and have the issues clarrified.We all know where offices where they operate from are.Not outbursts on the podium.What do we gain?Political mileage and win public sympathy?How sick!Our Nabi (saw)advised one Sahabi when this sahabi asked some good advice from the Prophet(saw)He said something to the effect that when you give advice to you colleague, do so not in the presence of another person ie do so in privacy.
My other appeal goes to the NGO's themselves.Please CLEARLY outline your activities so that people like me should know exactly what you do.Apparently there seem to be something like dublication of activities amongst the NGOs.
People like me are in somehow darkness as to which oganisation is doing what ie primary/secondary/university education bursary, scholarships,orphanage etc.Looks like every other organisation is building masjids ad learning centres etc( I stand to be corrected).So please define your catchment areas.Secondly there is lack of public relations in the Islamic NGOS as Bro. Milanzi rightly put it.
There is indeed blackout on info from the NGOs and as such speculations mistrust,misconceptions are very likey to build up in our minds. The NGOs need to come up with something like bochures, Leaflets, weelkly, monthly quartely or yearly publications about your activities that will include importantly DONOR UPDATES AND YEARLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS then your will be as smart as the word itself.Osati tizingoona ma structure/buldings zanu from the calendars that you produce.
Thirdly I ask IIB to have to have ALL the info about the NGOs.Yes your are our mother body on matters of information.Yeah? Such info as to how many Islamic NGOs are there, their catchment area(activities/objectives/goals), who heads what NGO, their office bearers so that the general public knows who to contact for a particular issue.Such info be accessible by the general public from IIB.
Enough for now. May ALLAh (SW) make us good muslims, spread ikram amongst muslim men and muslim women.May Allah SW keep us away from backbiting,slunder, corruption and save us from the fire of jahannam.
Ameen!
Thank you brother for your enlightening comment…I really enjoy your all-the-time good comments. Please keep it up!
To me I have seen that those podium accussations are personal…they do mix up issues. Everybody want to be famous or gain favour from the public…saying they are doing great job than others…which is not right thing.
On dublicating of projects, I think is true…all organisations now are doing similar activities and it is really difficult to identify who is doing this and that. And this a reason why they are castigating each other because they are competitors.
I think it is wrong for a leader to take criticisms personal.moreover, he was supposed to represent his organisation and not all Muslim NGOs.Rememberr that criticisms can build though they can also destroy.It is important to approach isuues of criticisms in a sober mind. when one is not emotional. that way, one is likely to tackle the issue in a more focused manner than when upset.we do appreciate what muslim NGOs are doing.as leaders, we should have a greater ability of hearing than talking.when people are talking about something,sierve through their words and get those that are constructive.one can not get constructive ideas through praises but through criticisms. therefore I urge muslims leaders to exercise patience in their work and tolerate all views rather than only what they want to hear.criticisms will always be there.May Allah gives iman.