This is the month of Ramadan – the most sacred time of the year for Muslims. Ramadan connects the minds and hearts of 1.8 billion Muslims through the light of the Quran for reflecting, sharing and caring. Reflecting means thinking about the meaning of Ramadan and the events that have transpired in and around one’s life. Sharing means coming together with family, friends and others of faith to celebrate Ramadan. Caring means giving back by committing to assisting those who are in need.
Reflecting, sharing and caring during this Ramadan is especially important in Pakistan due to the following occurrences of the past year: The historic flooding, which affected 33 million people, took more than 1,700 lives and destroyed around 2.2 million houses. A recent UNICEF report paints a gloomy picture of the situation: “Six months after unprecedented floods ravaged Pakistan, more than 10 million people living in flood-affected areas remain deprived of safe drinking water, leaving families with no alternative but to drink and use potentially disease-ridden water.”
The significant economic challenge for the working class and the underprivileged in purchasing all household goods, food, fuel and essential items is due to the skyrocketing inflation which has hit an all-time high since 1974. The Pakistan government’s debt servicing obligations of Rs. 5.2 trillion exceeding the entire federal government revenue in 2022-23.
A deepening societal conflict as various stakeholders with different agendas become more divided rather than collaborating to come up with a national consensus to sort out the political-economic crisis of the country. These conditions present enormous challenges. Ramadan provides a pivotal opportunity for the Pakistani community to come together and support each other in addressing them. That process should start with reflection and sharing.
There is no better time than Ramadan to seek inner peace and strive for a peaceful society.
That reflection should include recalling that Ramadan is a month of peace and serenity. There is no better time than Ramadan to seek inner peace and strive for a peaceful society. That striving should draw upon the preaching of Prophet Muhammad to include compassion, forgiveness and understanding toward one another. It should be an inspiration for working together to resolve conflict and promote harmony within and across communities.
The reflecting and sharing should lead to and culminate in caring for those in need. As mentioned earlier, the needs of those in Pakistan are substantial and diverse requiring a variety of responses. Those caring responses should include charity for the socially and economically disadvantaged and those who are victims of natural disasters such as flooding in Pakistan. This support should be provided both individually and through well-recognized groups that specialize in providing this charitable assistance.
Caring should also emphasize a form of philanthropy which I have written about before. That is purposeful philanthropy. Purposeful philanthropy is making investments in pivot point areas that matter to the future of an individual and society. It stresses giving people a “hand-up” and not just a handout. Just as there are charitable organizations in Pakistan which can be turned to, there are many other organizations that are engaged in forms of purposeful philanthropy directed at empowering individuals and organizations to help them address problems created by the country’s economic and political crises in the country. These organizations have the expertise and resources to provide targeted assistance to those in need. They should be supported as well.
The caring support provided need not be just financial. Individual volunteerism is central to ensuring meaningful and sustainable solutions to problems. Volunteering can include services such as assistance in fundraising events, training and education, and the use of social media platforms to raise awareness of problem conditions and appropriate solutions.
These are unquestionably difficult and challenging times for the people of Pakistan. In spite of the difficulty though I remain optimistic and confident about their willingness to care about and care for one another. That confidence is based upon the many Pakistanis whom I know personally and a research report from the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy.
That report revealed that 98% of Pakistanis donate in one way or another annually. The estimated amount contributed is around Rs. 240 billion or 1 per cent of GDP. This is similar to charitable giving in developed countries. Those are my thoughts, this Ramadan. Thanks for letting me share them. In closing, I wish my fellow Muslims in Pakistan a blessed Ramadan. May this Ramadan bring each of you the spirit and resolve required to work together in order to create a more peaceful, unified and brighter future for all.
The writer is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and thought leader based in Washington DC.