The UNHCR Refugee Zakat Fund: beyond the OIC

Abstract

This chapter ambiguously paints a picture of some of the most vulnerable among the OIC member states. It highlights their plights, rationale and the urgency of establishing the Refugee Zakat Fund as a means to alleviating the plights of these vulnerable individuals. The impact of the Refugee Zakat Fund in bridging the heightened social inequalities amongst the most vulnerable populace within the OIC is casually discoursed. Herein, the widespread and far-reaching impact of wealth redistribution is accentuated. Based on the impactful nature of the Refugee Zakat Funds within OIC, the chapter explored the feasibility of replicating such Islamic social finance mechanism or wealth distribution model (Zakat) amongst vulnerable populace found within selected Hindu, Catholic, Buddhist and Christian countries with a significant population of citizens living below the poverty line. The aim of this chapter is to assess the feasibility of bridging the social inequality gaps amongst a select non-OIC member state through a replicate of the Zakat-model. To achieve this aim, the chapter adopted a desktop analysis and qualitative content analysis stratagem. Invariably, such wealth distribution model may possibly serve as a stepping stone to begin to narrow the social inequality gaps amongst the cited people of concern.