Islah Charitable Society Secretary General Dr. Abdul Majeed Farhan:

"We have to admit that there are still many social obstacles that prevent women from having jobs, and in Yemeni culture, women’s role is confined to homes."

Islah Charitable Society (ICS) was established in March 29, 1990 and it has been a leading mover for charitable works across Yemen. Further, the society has actively worked in fields quite new in Yemen. It works in collaboration with UN agencies represented in Yemen and has partnership with some government parties including Health and Social Affairs Ministries especially in fields relating to health and first aid services, psychological problems, fighting diseases, helping unemployed youth and orphans as well as raising awareness of reproductive health and family planning.

Recently, Dr. Abdul Majeed Farhan has been named as the ICS secretary general. Farhan, who holds a bachelor degree from Sana'a University's Faculty of Medicine, is specialized in family and community medicine, and holds the Syrian fellowship in the same field.

Farhan, married with six children, has attended numerous workshops and conferences inside and outside the country and has been working in the ICS since 1995 assuming different posts.  Over the period 2003 to 2007 he served as the ICS general director.

He enjoys high sense of courtesy and modesty and the moment you meet him you feel as if he is one of your friends. Though he is politically affiliated with Islah Party, he cares too little about politics and gives much to his job and charitable work. Hereafter are the details of our interview with him:      

Yemen Post: How many orphans do you support?

AF: We have right now over 20,000 orphans of whom 9,000 are supported through Gulf charitable organizations while the rest are supported locally by businessmen and companies.

YP: Who are the outside supporters?

AF: There are many financers including the World Assembly for Islamic Youth, Qatar Charitable Society, Kuwaiti Zakat House, Asia Muslims Committee, the World Islamic Charitable Authority, Al-Shariqah House, Islah Society and the Islamic Society in Bahrain.   

YP: What services do you provide for orphans?

AF: We try to give the best quality service to the orphans whether academically or technically. We signed agreement with Science and Technology University and other private universities to enroll clever and gifted orphans for free.

YP: Why do you not sign such agreements with government universities?

AF: Mainly because of the routine available in official universities.

YP: What about Somali refugees?

AF: We help in the health field and we have two medical centers in Aden's Al-Basateen Camp for Somali refugees and they provide first aid and reproductive health services.  

YP: Some Islah party leaders, especially extremists, are against birth control, and you offer this service?

AF: We have to differentiate between family planning and birth control and we are for the former but against the latter. We say that there should be intervals between births and this keeps the mother's health and the child good. We cannot say that people should have one, two or three children, but we are for making proper intervals between births. In this regard, we signed social gender and reproductive health treaty with UNPFA. We as well presented six theatrical shows in six different provinces promoting family planning together with eight workshops made for the same end.

YP: Though you claim to be for women's rights, I have not seen a single woman in your offices?

AF: We have to admit that there still many social obstacles that prevent women from joining jobs and Yemeni culture confines women to home and not to assume leading or other positions. Frankly speaking, this is something not accepted by the senior Islah members or what is known as the 'old guards' who are change-resistant.  

YP: Do you cooperate with local societies to implement charitable projects?

AF: We cooperate with Family Society and the Charitable Medical Society led by Dr. Mohammed Abdulaziz in fields relating to health care and health awareness. We also coordinate with some associations and societies at the level of districts when implementing projects in these districts.

YP: Al-Saleh Charitable Association works in supporting orphans, do you coordinate with them in this respect?

AF: Right now, we do not have any coordination with them or joint programs.

YP: On what basis do you implement your projects?

AF: The ICS has 23 branches and 236 committees distributed across the republic's provinces and districts and each branch submits its plan and the list of projects to be implemented. Our projects are built on surveys nationwide. They are also implemented according to the strategic three-year plan prepared in 2006.

YP: Do you work in partnership with government parties?

AF: We have strong partnership with some government parties including Health Ministry in fields relating to psychological medicine, first aid services and social health. We also have partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor who support the different activities conducted by ICS.

YP: Do you face problems with government because of your society's political affiliation?

AF: No, there are is no problem at all because we work in a transparent manner. We receive about YR 26 million meant for supporting psychological medicine hospital from the government.

YP: Still the society is affiliated with Islah Party and everything is run according to the party's policies?

AF: Because it has the name of Islah, people are prompted to think that the society is completely affiliated with the party and adopts its policy. I can assure you that this is not right and the society is completely independent whether financially or administratively. It has its own policies.  

YP: Some say that your projects are implemented in areas where more people affiliated with Islah Party exist? 

AF: This is not right and our intervention is made according to the need and we do not care about people's affiliations.

YP: Still people say that priority is given to orphans whose relatives are affiliated with Islah?

AF: Again, this is not right and you can go to orphan houses and verify about this.

YP: What are your society's future plans?

AF: We cooperate with American societies and CHF to help over 3,000 school drop-outs return to their schools. We as well work on fighting child smuggling and child labor and I expect this will make better progress in future. Moreover, we are expanding in projects that bring money and help fight poverty and unemployment like micro-finance enterprises; e.g. Nama' Program for Micro-finance based in Sana'a and Aden. We intend to turn this program into a grand financial establishment specializing in granting loans. We have as well bought a new building in Sana'a to contain the different activities of the society directed to youth and children especially 2009 program meant to develop leading skills of youth in management, innovative thinking, planning, internet and others.  We further intend to produce TV programs for children and to launch a website for the same end.  

YP: Some parties including Jihadists and Sulfi groups accuse you of being agents?

AF: We are against the narrow thinking which leaves no space for people to move. We accept everything that does not go against Quran and Sunnah; for example, the society adopted a program for fighting circumcision of girl genitals and this is because it not mentioned in Quran or Sunnah.

YP: In what sense is your society different from other charitable societies working in the field?

AF: We, in ICS, focus in service quality and we are keen to provide services not available as is the case with psychological health. We are as well specialized in marketing for the projects and obtaining them financial support. Further, the society has accumulative experience as for financial and administrative aspects. The same applies to auditing and control.  

YP: You used to hold Orphan Festivals every two years, what have you achieved so far?

AF: Orphan Festivals are  held every two years and it has helped expand the umbrella of coverage for orphans.  

YP: Will Sheikh Al-Ahmar's death affect the ICS?

AF: Certainly not. We used to receive very little from him. 

YP: What about the party?

AF: I am not a politician and have no time to think over such matters. Further, I am not in a position to tell how Islah's future will be under the absence of Sheikh Al-Ahmar.

YP: Have you something else to add?

AF: I call on all media outlets to help promote the charitable and humanitarian works.