Welfare Organizations Should Be Assessed on Their Objectives and Transparency, Not Merely Their Visible Services: Agha Syed Taha Shamsuddin Al-Mousavi

Shiite News: President of the Imamia Ulema Shigar, Hujjat al-Islam Agha Syed Taha Shamsuddin Al-Mousavi, said while addressing a large Friday prayer gathering at Masjid Jami Sahib al-Zaman that the activities of welfare organizations and NGOs operating amid humanitarian crises, wars and poverty around the world should not be accepted solely on the basis of their visible services. He said the public, particularly the younger generation, should carefully examine the objectives, methods, transparency and long-term impact of such organizations on society.

Questioning the priorities of international welfare organizations, he said that if humanitarian welfare is genuinely their primary concern, it raises questions as to why their activities appear so limited in war-affected regions facing severe humanitarian crises, such as Gaza and Yemen. He said Islam places great importance on serving humanity and helping those in need, and that the lives and teachings of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt provide prominent examples of this principle. However, he stressed that welfare activities must also be viewed within a broader humanitarian and ethical context.

Agha Syed Taha Shamsuddin Al-Mousavi warned that some organizations could, under the cover of welfare activities, introduce ideas and social concepts that may pose a threat to the traditions, values and religious identity of local communities. He emphasized that people should neither completely reject any non-governmental organization without investigation nor accept it blindly. Instead, he urged them to adopt an informed and responsible approach based on awareness rather than emotion. Referring to a recent debate surrounding an NGO in Churkah, Shigar, Baltistan, he said those taking positions either in support of or opposition to the organization should assess the issue from religious and social perspectives.

At the conclusion of his sermon, he paid tribute to the significant religious and educational services of Mohsin-e-Millat Allama Sheikh Mohsin Ali Najafi throughout Churkah and Baltistan, as well as the educational role of the Muhammadiyah Trust. He urged Muslims to appreciate welfare services while giving priority to the preservation of their religious identity and traditions, and to base every decision on information, transparency and informed assessment.