If a religious donor needs influence over the allocation of other donors’ monies in order to make their donation consistent with their religious obligations, that donor really needs to find a religion-specific charity.[1] (From Kaleem’s comment in response to this one, it doesn’t sound like most zakat donors would be in that camp.)
I’d personally characterize a charity that didn’t update based on the existence of zakat-restricted funds as using my (non-zakat) donations in a discriminatory manner, contrary to my own religious and ethical beliefs. So for instance, if 10% of the funds are restricted, and the charity would have distributed to 200,000 Muslims and 800,000 non-Muslims absent the existence of restricted funds, the 200K/800K split needs to be maintained for me to continue giving to that charity.[2] If the balance shifted to maintain the counterfactual impact of the zakat donors, this means that the identity of some recipients funded with non-zakat funds has changed (and we already established in the hypo that giving to the 800,000th non-Muslim would do more good than giving to the 200,001th Muslim on the list). Thus, I don’t think it would be possible for the same organization to satisfy both donors who wanted the counterfactual benefit from their restricted donations to accrue to their religious group and donors like me. I also suspect that my beliefs are fairly common among would-be donors, but can’t cite anything for my hunch.
Accommodating religious beliefs can be a tricky subject to be sure.
If 30% of the funds were restricted, a 300K/700K split would be acceptable. In that universe, it is clear that all the non-restricted funds would be going to the beneficiaries for whom it would do the most good without respect to religion.
I agree with your perspective expressed in the second perspective and further agree that a non-updating charity would be discriminatory and contrary to my values as well.
Not sure I agree with your characterization in the first paragraph. If the spirit of the rule regarding Zakat is that Muslims predominantly benefit, it seems reasonable to question whether an action whose value does not predominantly benefit Muslims (due to the reactions of other actors) is in line with that spirit. If the counterfactual of the world in which you have donated is one in which there are 80% less funds to non-Muslims and 20% less funds to Muslims, I can see why one might say your donation might not be Zakat.
I didn’t intend for the first paragraph to state a personal opinion on zakat or Islamic law (which I am totally unqualified to offer). It’s meant to be more of an up-front conclusion for the rest of the post.
Because there’s no way to satisfy people who want the counterfactual benefit to flow predominately to their co-religionists and to satisfy people like me, people in the former camp should give to organizations that are openly designed and advertised to meet their religious needs. If someone like me gives money to the (hypothetical) Society for Effective, Zakat-Compliant Direct Cash Transfers to Muslims in Poverty, I can’t much complain of surprise that my money was used in a way inconsistent with my non-discrimination values.
Yep, I see that you’re saying it’s unreasonable for Zakat donors to expect their donations not to influence other funders such that their donations counterfactually predominantly benefit Muslims.
I suppose I am just a bit surprised (and, if Kaleem is correct, gladdened) that such donations that may not have the the counterfactual effect of predominantly benefiting Muslims would still qualify as Zakat.
If a religious donor needs influence over the allocation of other donors’ monies in order to make their donation consistent with their religious obligations, that donor really needs to find a religion-specific charity.[1] (From Kaleem’s comment in response to this one, it doesn’t sound like most zakat donors would be in that camp.)
I’d personally characterize a charity that didn’t update based on the existence of zakat-restricted funds as using my (non-zakat) donations in a discriminatory manner, contrary to my own religious and ethical beliefs. So for instance, if 10% of the funds are restricted, and the charity would have distributed to 200,000 Muslims and 800,000 non-Muslims absent the existence of restricted funds, the 200K/800K split needs to be maintained for me to continue giving to that charity.[2] If the balance shifted to maintain the counterfactual impact of the zakat donors, this means that the identity of some recipients funded with non-zakat funds has changed (and we already established in the hypo that giving to the 800,000th non-Muslim would do more good than giving to the 200,001th Muslim on the list). Thus, I don’t think it would be possible for the same organization to satisfy both donors who wanted the counterfactual benefit from their restricted donations to accrue to their religious group and donors like me. I also suspect that my beliefs are fairly common among would-be donors, but can’t cite anything for my hunch.
Accommodating religious beliefs can be a tricky subject to be sure.
There’s an exception in at least some cases: if the other donors specifically and knowingly consent to that influence.
If 30% of the funds were restricted, a 300K/700K split would be acceptable. In that universe, it is clear that all the non-restricted funds would be going to the beneficiaries for whom it would do the most good without respect to religion.
I agree with your perspective expressed in the second perspective and further agree that a non-updating charity would be discriminatory and contrary to my values as well.
Not sure I agree with your characterization in the first paragraph. If the spirit of the rule regarding Zakat is that Muslims predominantly benefit, it seems reasonable to question whether an action whose value does not predominantly benefit Muslims (due to the reactions of other actors) is in line with that spirit. If the counterfactual of the world in which you have donated is one in which there are 80% less funds to non-Muslims and 20% less funds to Muslims, I can see why one might say your donation might not be Zakat.
*Note I know very little about Islamic law, etc.
I didn’t intend for the first paragraph to state a personal opinion on zakat or Islamic law (which I am totally unqualified to offer). It’s meant to be more of an up-front conclusion for the rest of the post.
Because there’s no way to satisfy people who want the counterfactual benefit to flow predominately to their co-religionists and to satisfy people like me, people in the former camp should give to organizations that are openly designed and advertised to meet their religious needs. If someone like me gives money to the (hypothetical) Society for Effective, Zakat-Compliant Direct Cash Transfers to Muslims in Poverty, I can’t much complain of surprise that my money was used in a way inconsistent with my non-discrimination values.
Yep, I see that you’re saying it’s unreasonable for Zakat donors to expect their donations not to influence other funders such that their donations counterfactually predominantly benefit Muslims.
I suppose I am just a bit surprised (and, if Kaleem is correct, gladdened) that such donations that may not have the the counterfactual effect of predominantly benefiting Muslims would still qualify as Zakat.