The President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe Sheik Ishmael Duwa has said his organisation is in many communities around the country to promote peace and unity so as to achieve sustainable development.
Sheik Duwa revealed this while distributing sacrificial meat at Greencock Farm in Acturus today where he noted the practice was an Islamic religious obligation in line with the teachings of love enshrined in his faith.
“The meat will be distributed to orphans, widows, children on the streets and other underprivileged members of society regardless of their ethnicity, political or religious affiliations,” Sheik Duwa said.
Dr. Fatih Soydemir, the President of the World Foundation for Circumcision, who led his team from Turkey in the religious practice said his organisation pledged 120 cows for sacrifice for distribution to the poor at a cost of US$30 000.
“We do this to promote brotherhood and peace in the world. For the past 10 years, we have been assisting people in Sudan, South Sudan, Comoros and Tanzania in Africa, just to mention a few. Our thrust is on helping everyone in need regardless of their religious affiliation.We pool resources from well-wishers in our home country and if the programme is successful, we will come back to Zimbabwe every year,” Dr. Soydemir said.
Can Bilgic, the Charge de Affairs at the Turkish Embassy in Zimbabwe said four foundations from Turkey, including Diyanet (the biggest of them all) came to Zimbabwe and pledged a total of 600 cows and other humanitarian aid which included food packages as well as drilling solar powered boreholes at an estimated cost of US$300 000.
“In addition to this humanitarian work, Turkey will this coming September be distributing wheelchairs to needy people affected by Cyclone Idai in Chipinge and Chimanimani,” Bilgic said.
Faris Kaumbe, one of the beneficiaries of the aid in Acturus thanked the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe for organising food and inputs like tractors and irrigation equipment to the farming communities in Mashonaland Province and other parts of the country.