PARTICIPANTS

Ahmad El Bendary
Islamic Relief

Dr. Ahmad El Bendary is the founder of Islamic Relief and currently serves as senior advisor to the board. Islamic Relief, an international relief and development organization, was established in California in 1993. El Bendary served as chairman and CEO of the organization from 1993 to March 2006. El Bendary currently resides in Washington DC.

Paragraph Statement

Question: What do you think is the most important issue involving religion that confronts international NGOs?

In our 24 years of working in the field of relief and development, the most important question that has been raised by other international NGOs, governments, and people is, are we there to proselytize, are we expecting a return on our contribution or are we working for the sake of humanity?

Religion plays two major roles in the humanitarian field. First, it serves as the guiding principles on how to act and behave and what kind of values should govern us as an organization.  Second, you cannot reach the majority of the beneficiaries (at the grassroots level) without utilizing the religious institutions of the beneficiaries in the local areas. In the first instance, the basic value that governs Islamic Relief is that we have to deliver the aid in the most dignified way to the people who are in need without any kind of discrimination or litmus test, and we are mainly accountable to our Creator, our beneficiaries, volunteers, donors and finally to the different governing laws and regulations.  Secondly, in Islamic Relief we deal with all types of grassroots institutions to reach as many people as we can, regardless of whether that entity is a religious one or not, as long as they are credible and truly represent the beneficiaries without a political agenda.

Finally, as an Islamic organization, in our international dealing we are always facing the fact that we have to prove our innocence in order to be able to function and deliver the help needed.

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