Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (Qatar)

The Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (AWQAFM) is a Qatari government agency also known as the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and the Qatar Awqaf Authority which was created in 1993 with the stated aim of “ensuring that all areas of modern life comply with the principles of Islam.” Despite the Ministry’s contributions to the promotion of Islam in Qatar and abroad, some of its investments have proved controversial.

The current Minister is Ghaith bin Mubarak Al Kuwari.[1]

Mission

The Ministry’s mission includes collecting donations, increasing awareness and practice of Islam amongst Muslims and non-Muslims, supporting Islamic clergy, and building and maintaining mosques.[2]

Islamic Cultural Center

Many of the Ministry’s missions are carried out through the Qatar Islamic Cultural Center. The center is also known as Fanar, which translates to “lighthouse”. The name was chosen in reference to the center’s missions to “act as a guiding light to mankind”.[3]

Fanar’s Education Center offers courses in Arabic as a foreign language, Shariah Law, and Islamic arts and calligraphy. It also delivers Introduction to Islam classes in a number of different languages, including Filipino, Sri Lankan, Nepali and English.[4]

The center also publishes the Muslim lifestyle magazine Baseera, distributes free Islamic books in multiple languages, and live-streams English-language sermons online every Friday.

Investments

The Ministry has invested heavily in the construction of the cultural center and a large number of mosques, but also holds shares in various Qatari corporations including Al Jazeera Finance,[5] a Sharia-compliant financial institution established in 1989.

Controversy

Former minister Mohammad Abd al-Latif al-Mana was dismissed from the cabinet in 2005 following allegations that he had been involved in the illegal trading of Qatar Natural Gas Transport Company shares.[6] Mohammad Abd al-Latif al-Mana was also a co-founder of Retaj Marketing and Project Management[7] in which the Ministry still owns a 20% stake.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "HE Dr. Ghaith Bin Mubarak Ali Omran Al-Kuwari". www.cm.gov.qa. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  2. ↑ "FANAR :: Qatar Islamic Cultural Center". fanar.gov.qa. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  3. ↑ "FANAR :: Qatar Islamic Cultural Center". www.fanar.gov.qa. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  4. ↑ "Education Center". www.fanar.gov.qa. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  5. ↑ "Al Jazeera Finance". www.aljazeera.com.qa. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  6. ↑ "Cable: 05DOHA1733_a". wikileaks.org. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  7. ↑ "QNCD.QA Company Profile & Executives - Qatar National Cement Co. Q.S.C. - Wall Street Journal". quotes.wsj.com. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  8. ↑ "About Retaj: Owners". Retaj Marketing & Project Management. Retaj Hotels. Retrieved 2015-07-28.

External links

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