President Jokowi Launches Campaign to Call on Muslims to Pay Zakat

INDUSTRY.co.id - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Thursday (15/04) launched a campaign called the Cinta Zakat (Love Zakat) campaign, which aims to remind Muslims to pay their zakat or alms, donations, and charity and to ensure that the zakat distribution is well-targeted. According to the President, the campaign will go hand-in-hand with the Government’s program to alleviate poverty, handle calamities and disasters, and to realize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programs.

Furthermore, the President called on all state and state-owned enterprises officials, employees in private companies, and regional heads to pay zakat via official managers or amil zakat to contribute in building welfare and providing blessing to all.

Zakat is an obligatory alms that serves to purify the wealth of eligible Muslims with certain criteria and specific calculations. On that occasion, the President also handed over his zakat to the National Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) at the State Palace in Central Jakarta.

“Alhamdulillah, today I, along with the Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, can still pay zakat amid the pandemic. In order to observe health protocols, your zakat can now be paid online,” said the President in his remarks.

The Head of State added that zakat is obligatory for Muslims to share their fortune and happiness with others, especially the rightful zakat recipients mustahiq.

President Jokowi expressed hopes that zakat raised by the BAZNAS can be utilized wisely to help people in all over Indonesia who are experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19 pandemic and also to help alleviate poverty in the country. (FID/UN) (AP/EP)