Kuwait issues Three-Volume Book on Unified Islamic Endowment Law

KUWAIT- Seeking to give impetus to the Awqaf (religious endowments) in Muslim countries, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs announced Wednesday the issuance of a three-volume book on a unified pilot endowment law.

"The main goal of this project (book issuance) is to sincerely contribute to efforts aiming to achieve integration among Muslim countries in the endowments-related legislations," Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yaaqob Al-Sanea said in a press conference on the sideline of the ceremony.

"The book includes the guiding law, its proposed executive regulations and explanatory note." He pointed out that the book-compiling is one of a long list of projects executed by Kuwait to ameliorate endowment management in the Muslim countries.

Al-Sanea cited as examples a number of the projects implemented by Kuwait in this regard: Madad Publishing House for endowment books, support of post-graduate students studying endowment-related topics, Awqaf Magazine, Namaa for Endowments Development, Waqf (Endowmen) Award, Waqf Index, Waqf Dictionary, Atlas of Muslim Waqf projects, and compiling of biographies of Waqf prominent figures project.

Because of the active and leading role in the development of endowment, Kuwait was selected as the coordinating state of Islamic endowments affairs by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation during the Ministers of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs' Conference held in Indonesia, in October 1997.

For his part, Kuwait Awaqaf Public Foundation (KAPF) Secretary-General Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi said that the book proposes a model for Waqf or endowment law that takes in consideration the economic and legal differences among all Muslim states.

He stated that the book was compiled through fruitful cooperation between the KAPF and the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank and with the help of numerous outstanding religious, legal and management experts.

Al-Kharafi added that the compilers have benefited from the applied endowment systems and laws in Muslim countries as well as the stories of success and creative initiatives.

He noted that the law model comprises 12 chapters including 81 articles that address everything related to the endowments. Moreover, the executive regulations comprised 360 items and the explanatory note covered every detail that could legislators need in case they want to prepare an endowment law.