Al Qods funds at $12m

Bayt Mal  Al Qods Agency in Morocco Bayt Mal  Al Qods Agency in Morocco increased its operating capacity from $6.2m in 2008 to more than $7.5m in 2009 and then to $12m in 2010.To understand the workings of the agency, 'Arabstoday' interviewed Mr. Mohamed Salim El Sharkawy, manager of public and media affairs of the agency.
What objectives have been realised since the institute's formation?
The agency is an Arab Islamic institution which is affiliated to Al Qods Committee, one of the agencies of Cooperation Organisation. It was founded in 1998 by an initiative from the former governor of Morocco, King Al Hassan The Second. The head of the committee to work as a field arm that is suggested to execute the decisions of the committee regarding protection of the glorious Jerusalem, maintaining its religious, cultural and civilized human heritage and support its inhabitants to survive.
So, the agency is interested in social affairs including infrastructure of the city and reinforcing the living conditions of its inhabitants through programming and execution of projects that reflect on their living conditions. It also includes the health, education and construction sectors as well as humanitarian relief projects, empowering women, development capabilities, and skills of youth and children.     
Thanks to the continuous support of Mohamed the Sixth, head of Al Qods Committee, and his direction, the agency managed to increase the size of its funds.  
What are the hardships encountered by the agency?
First and foremost, allow me to say that there are a number of factors enabling the agency to be a model to be followed among its counterparts working in the service of the Holy City and its population. The agency was led to this position by the accumulation of experiences and confidence given to us by the people of Al Qods regarding continuity in our programs and projects. The agency is an official one that has a trusteeship council consisting of six foreign ministers and a board of directors comprising 16 finance ministers in addition to working with a scientific approach through its headquarters located in Rabat and its office in Ramallah and its representatives in Al Qods.
Moving to the hardships we encounter, we will see the poor financing that stands against our expectations as the kingdom is almost the only source of financing for the agency with a share exceeding 80% of total funds. So we have to continue effort in calling for more funds from addressing governments, institutions and entities, and even peoples of other Arab and Islamic countries for having a share in funding the process of Al Qods Relief and assisting its people.     
The real troubles we face is related to issuance of building permits and those related to transportation of goods and materials in some territories of Al Qods in addition the lack of space dedicated to building, accumulation of taxes on individuals and institutions either commercial or service, shortage in the number of classrooms and cases dropping out of education. There are also the increasing deterioration in infrastructure of in the old city of Al Qods as well as some dominant negative problems in society.      
What are the proposed solutions?
It is no doubt that the main challenge is providing funds to the agency so that it can meet its obligations in accordance with the decisions of the Islamic Cooperation Organisation on the level of foreign ministers.
Motivated by the insistence of Al Qods' people in our continuous effort to call for more funds for the agency to fulfill our historical responsibility in protecting Al Qods and maintaining its holy places.
The only way to raise participation of other countries was following a civil peaceful approach that makes the agency very close to people according to the general manager of the agency, Dr. Abd El Kabir El Alawy. He added that there is a must to listen to people and study their proposals, suggestions, ideas and taking instant action that guarantee responding the requests of Al Qods people regarding the needs of their daily life. Such approach originates in our traditions that call for tolerance, peaceful coexistence and reinforcement of opportunities of constriction and development, which all existed in the city of Al Qods.
There is a great deal of mobility recently on the surface regarding collecting donations in Morocco in favor of Bayt Al Mal, why is that?
The actual reasons for the increase is the keenness of the agency on promoting for collecting donations and searching for the best ways and methods to do so. So it was obvious that we do our best to promote the call for more donations, which was evident in campaigns launched including those launched in special occasions and close after a certain period and those open campaigns open in Ramadan and stayed open for more than a year. We also have entertainment and sports events that are organised all over the year to promote donation and dedicate its revenues in favor of Al Qods people either in Morocco and abroad.            
So this increase is based on a domestic strategy?
It is absolutely not, but our strategy is based on the nature of the agency, which is originally an Arab and Islamic organisation. So, the strategy according to which we work is based on calling all Arab countries to share in funding the agency. We also have the decisions of the committee that state the necessity of participating funding the agency and urging all Arab countries to launch campaigns for donation collection in the Arab world similar to those launched in Morocco.
The committee also urges Arab communities in Netherlands, Belgium and Italy to participate in the promotion of donations for the agency through institutions related to the committee.
Where is the adoption project now?
In October, the project ended after 500 Al Qods orphans were adopted. The agency is evaluating the project as a whole to decide whether it will be resumed later or not. All families participating will be subject to social research and follow up to prepare reports about the beneficiaries, their families and social environments in which they live.
Adoption we have is characterised by being comprehensive including the monthly grant received by the adopting persons, coverage of study expenses, school uniform allowance, school bag, food assistances provided to the adopting families in Ramadan, allowances paid in different religious occasions as well as health assistance to the adopted children.         
The support given by the King Mohamed the Sixth to the orphans of Al Qods from his own money inclusive everything, what about the rest of Arab leaders and peoples?
It is true that His majesty, Mohamed the Sixth, donated from his own money an amount that covers the expenses of the project for a complete year, but a huge campaign was launched in Ramadan to cover the expenses of this year. In addition, 50 children was the number of beneficiaries of the project who joined within the activities of the 4th Summer Camp sponsored and hosted by His Majesty Akadeer.    
For more information about this project and other projects of the agency, the agency developed its official website; www.bmaq.org , which is equipped by  a mechanism for electronic donation in addition to intensifying its presence on social networking websites. The online donation facility is based on using credit cards for donation with the highest level of security.
We hope that all wealthy people and people of charity, individuals and institutions, either from Morocco of abroad, response to the call for donation in favour of Al Qods orphans.