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ALL WE NEED IS REGULATION
by Badrya Darwish
Kuwait Times
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/2012/04/02/all-we-need-is-regulation/
April 3 2012
Why people in the Middle East or in Kuwait in particular think that
building mosques is the only thing they can offer as charity? I am
writing this in the light of the news coming these days about building
mosques, churches and introducing new rules for building husseiniyas
(religious centres for Shiites). MP Tabtabaei has criticized Sheikha
Fareeha after she supported the right of Armenian Christians in
Kuwait to build a church for themselves. Some time ago she helped
Coptic Christians in Kuwait build a church in Hawally, where mainly
Egyptian Christians go. That encouraged the Armenian community to
approach the sheikha to help them out.
I am not against building mosques, churches or husseiniyas. I think
there should be municipality rules and regulations introduced for
the construction of worship places. The first thing that should be
considered is the number of worshippers who will go to that worship
house. If it is only a few people who belong to some sect, it is not
worth to build a special worship house. They can use another one.
Many people donate to build mosques but what if the area is crowded
with mosques? I think the municipality should have a say and not
just the donor. Should there be one mosque and another mosque and
yet another mosque in the same area? There are many ways to do charity.
You can build a school if the area is full of mosques. You can build
wards in hospitals and build special centres for various medical
treatments. There are hundred ways of charity in Islam and I am sure
in other religions too.
Charity can also go for sports sections for youth. I am sure if you
offer kids in the area a playground and keep them off the street, this
is a nice way of charity and investment in the health of the future
generations. Why nobody has ever thought of donating for a semi-free
nursery for working mothers for those who are on low salaries and
cannot afford nannies or maids. This is another nice way to do charity.
Even building parks for people to walk and building walking paths is
a kind of charity. Charity should not be limited. The sky is the limit.
It should not be up to a government official or an NGO to decide
which church, mosque, husseinya or worship house should be built. It
is not only about the worship house, it is about the infrastructure in
the area, the buildings, traffic and streets. You don't put something
where there is no parking, for example. Or you might hinder traffic.
Professionals and experts from the municipality have to decide. A
committee should be formed to study thoroughly the necessities of
society. It is as simple as that.
Why are we making a big issue of simple things which only need
regulations? Or are we in Kuwait used to argue for the sake of arguing?
by Badrya Darwish
Kuwait Times
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/2012/04/02/all-we-need-is-regulation/
April 3 2012
Why people in the Middle East or in Kuwait in particular think that
building mosques is the only thing they can offer as charity? I am
writing this in the light of the news coming these days about building
mosques, churches and introducing new rules for building husseiniyas
(religious centres for Shiites). MP Tabtabaei has criticized Sheikha
Fareeha after she supported the right of Armenian Christians in
Kuwait to build a church for themselves. Some time ago she helped
Coptic Christians in Kuwait build a church in Hawally, where mainly
Egyptian Christians go. That encouraged the Armenian community to
approach the sheikha to help them out.
I am not against building mosques, churches or husseiniyas. I think
there should be municipality rules and regulations introduced for
the construction of worship places. The first thing that should be
considered is the number of worshippers who will go to that worship
house. If it is only a few people who belong to some sect, it is not
worth to build a special worship house. They can use another one.
Many people donate to build mosques but what if the area is crowded
with mosques? I think the municipality should have a say and not
just the donor. Should there be one mosque and another mosque and
yet another mosque in the same area? There are many ways to do charity.
You can build a school if the area is full of mosques. You can build
wards in hospitals and build special centres for various medical
treatments. There are hundred ways of charity in Islam and I am sure
in other religions too.
Charity can also go for sports sections for youth. I am sure if you
offer kids in the area a playground and keep them off the street, this
is a nice way of charity and investment in the health of the future
generations. Why nobody has ever thought of donating for a semi-free
nursery for working mothers for those who are on low salaries and
cannot afford nannies or maids. This is another nice way to do charity.
Even building parks for people to walk and building walking paths is
a kind of charity. Charity should not be limited. The sky is the limit.
It should not be up to a government official or an NGO to decide
which church, mosque, husseinya or worship house should be built. It
is not only about the worship house, it is about the infrastructure in
the area, the buildings, traffic and streets. You don't put something
where there is no parking, for example. Or you might hinder traffic.
Professionals and experts from the municipality have to decide. A
committee should be formed to study thoroughly the necessities of
society. It is as simple as that.
Why are we making a big issue of simple things which only need
regulations? Or are we in Kuwait used to argue for the sake of arguing?