London

- A study by the British Islamic Relief Foundation revealed frightening numbers about the economic conditions of the Muslim minority in the United Kingdom, which greatly affected their purchasing power during the month of Ramadan.

A study of the charity showed that about half of Muslims in Britain are unable to provide their need for food during the month of Ramadan, which is a high number, and it was not recorded in the past years.

This study raised more than one question mark about the living situation of the Muslim minority in the United Kingdom, and how their financial conditions have deteriorated to the point where they are no longer able to buy what they need.

Food parcels prepared by the Islamic Relief Foundation for poor families in Britain (Islamic Relief Foundation page)

scary numbers

The Islamic Relief study says that 50% of British Muslims suffer from poverty, and will not be able to afford food during Ramadan, adding that the number of British Muslims - who are now threatened to fall below the poverty threshold - is constantly increasing.

According to figures from the British charity, about 1.6 million British Muslims already suffer from poverty.

According to the official statistics office website, more than 3 million and 300 thousand Muslims live in Britain, and the poverty rate in Britain is about 18%, which means that the Muslim minority is among the most affected by poverty in the United Kingdom.

The charity expects that the month of Ramadan will be "exceptional", as Muslim families will struggle to provide the necessary income to buy food for their members.

And the matter did not stop with the Islamic Relief Foundation, but the “Give a Gift” charitable organization quoted many parents that they have a limited amount of food or do not have anything to welcome the month of Ramadan.

As for the National Zakat Foundation - which is the largest institution for collecting zakat in Britain - it confirmed that requests for zakat funds rose this year by 70% over the past 11 months, and it is expected that this number will continue to rise after Ramadan.

Another study conducted by Al-Qarar Foundation on the price hike in Britain showed that household spending on food will increase by more than $1,200 per family by the end of 2022, a rise that cannot be tolerated by a large segment of Muslims.


the bell of danger

Commenting on the inability of half of Britain's Muslims to provide for food costs during Ramadan, Tufail Hussain, director of the Islamic Relief Foundation, stressed that British families in general will suffer more in the coming months due to record inflation rates and high energy prices due to the war in Ukraine.

The British official confirmed to Al Jazeera Net that the spring budget announced by the British government was an opportunity to strengthen social security systems and raise government support for poor families, "but instead, government support has been reduced despite the increase in inflation this year, and this means the continuing cost of living crisis, especially for the poorest families." ".

Hussein called on the British government to urgently review the decision to reduce aid provided to poor families and not push the poor towards extreme poverty.

Two workers carry two bags containing food for the poorest Muslim families in Britain (Islamic Relief page)

Corona too

For her part, Shazia Arshad, the media and communication officer at the same institution, said that the situation of Muslim families "will worsen during the month of Ramadan, especially since it coincides with the period when the energy bill will witness a record rise."

Arshad revealed to Al Jazeera Net that the Corona epidemic was among the reasons that pushed tens of thousands of Muslims towards poverty, "because a large percentage of them work in unsafe professions and in small projects that were affected, and most of them were closed during the epidemic period."

She admitted that her charitable foundation, along with other institutions working in the same field, is facing great pressure to respond to the needs of tens of thousands of needy families, "with the increase in the number of people who have become dependent on food banks during the month of Ramadan."

The month of Ramadan this year coincides with the rise in energy prices in Britain by nearly double for all British homes, in addition to the arrival of the inflation rate to record levels not reached in 3 decades.