Muslim Tradition of Zakat Aids Needy

* Muzammil H. Siddiqi, 48

Occupation: Director of Islamic Society of Orange County

Organization: Advocate for Islamic causes and adviser to other Muslim communities throughout the nation

Address: Islamic Society, 9752 W. 13th St., Garden Grove, CA 92644. (714) 531-1722

Plans for a beautiful new domed mosque hang in view of Muzammil H. Siddiqi’s desk, but when he steps outside, the reality is something different.

The Islamic Society of Orange County, which Siddiqi directs, makes its home in an aging collection of school buildings at the end of a quiet residential street in Garden Grove.

Here, Muslims come for daily and weekly prayers and send their children to the Orange Crescent School.

While the members of the society are still striving to raise money for their ideal mosque, which will cost several million dollars, they have not forgotten Zakat, the traditional religious charity of their faith.

The society’s Zakat fund provides needy families and students with money and help in various emergencies. It supports the Feed the Poor project, which provides more than 200 bags of food each week.

The society raises money to send several children to the on-site school and has helped establish refugees from Vietnam, Afghanistan and other nations in new homes here in Orange County.

However, its help is not limited to county residents.

The group has collected and distributed more than $200,000 in the past several years to those at home and around the world who need relief, including victims of the Iran earthquake and the Gulf War.

Siddiqi, as the society’s director for 10 years, is involved in its charity endeavors, but he sees his primary role as a religious educator for about 1,500 families active in the society, as well as other Muslims.

One of his goals is to improve relations between Muslims and those of other faiths.

He serves as vice president of the Academy for Judaic, Christian and Islamic Studies in Anaheim, which holds meetings and dialogues in an attempt to achieve more understanding among faiths. He is also a member of the Orange County Interfaith Clergy and has participated and organized many religious dialogues.

Siddiqi, 48, lives in Fountain Valley with his wife, Khalida, and three of his four children. Born in India, he came to the county after being director of the Islamic Center in Washington. He holds a master’s degree in theology from Birmingham University in England and a doctorate in comparative religion from Harvard.

Siddiqi frequently travels to other Muslim communities around the world, acting as a consultant. In addition, he has a weekly radio program out of Pasadena.

“I get a sense that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and a feeling that I’m putting my time and energy into a valuable work that will have an effect on the Muslim community,” Siddiqi said.

“I would like to see Orange County become a place where all people of all cultures and all faiths respect each other and feel at home. Sometimes I feel I’m not able to do all the things I would like to do. That’s the only frustration I have.”