An exploration of the development of disability organizations in Saudi Arabia

Role in society Awareness Inclusion .50 51 55 Disabil-ity Organizations in Saudi Arabia 15 introduction, para.l).Raissouni defines Waqf in "Islamic Waqlf Endowment" as'."A canonical Islamic concept, which refers to a special kind of charity given for the purposes of benevolence.The word is used for charities and gifts that have permanence and continuity, so that people can benefit from them for years, generations or even centuries.This means that waqf endowment is made up of entities from whose usefulness, yield and fruit people can benefit, while the capital asset of the entity lasts and stays for a short or long period of time, such as alot, a building, a well or a tree" (2008, Introductiory para.2).According to Hallaq (2005), there are two kinds of waqf; the "private or family waqf' and the "charity waqf' (p.372).The private or family waqf benefit only family members and offspring to whom the waqf has been donated.Charity \¡iaqq on the other hand, is addressed to all Muslims who are in need."Persons and public utilities, such as mosques, schools, bridges, graveyards and drinking fountains, can be the beneficiaries ofa wal{reuenue" @earman et al., 2002, p. 60).There are two types of charitable waqf.: "waþfsconsisting of the mosque orthe utility itself (school, bridge, fountain) andwaþfs generating the income for the maintenance and operation ofthese utilities" @earman et a1.,2002, p 60).According to many hi'storians, such as Sayyid (1998) and lbn-Iyas (2007), waqf helped to serve and stabilize the different social and economic needs of the Muslim communities.This was because of the unlimited ways in which its revenue could be spent.Whenever there was a need in the Muslim community, the waqf revenue would help in financing that need.It was this type of waqf that set the foundation for charity- sustained disability organizations.The Mumluks'8 era in Egypt was considered by many historians as the golden era for waql which was mainly established to finance the needs of the two Muslim holy cities. Disability OrgranizatÍons in Saudi Arabia 16The Mumluk sultanate was an Islamic "regime established and maintained by (emancipated) Mamlük in Egypt" from 1250 A.D. to 1517 A.D. @earman et al., 2002, p. 319) The western part of what is currently Saudi Arabi4 including Makkah andMadinah, was under the power of the Mamluk regime at that time.According to Shaban (1984, p. 50), "Waqf s income was the main source of income to the two holy cities during the Mumluk era," and the Mumlukse did establish an independent administrative department in Egypt with a specific yearly budget to manage the different waqfs designated to benefit Makkah and Madinah (Al-Kibasi,1977).They also allocated many pieces of agricultural land, buildings and real estate in Egypt as waqfs for the benefit of the holy cities.An example was the Takitit Makkah waqf established in Cairo during the Mumluk era (Al-Kibasi,1977).Waqf revenue was directed to the development of the different roads to Makkah and the maintenance of the Jeddah seaport for the convenience of pilgrims who came to the holy cities every year.The Mamluk state also sent money with its pilgrims to Makkah every year for the maintenance of the holy mosque in Makkah and the needs of the people living there (Yakon, 1966).In additioq Ka'ba'sl0 cloth was one form of donation that Egyptian rulers were sending to Makkah every year (Shaban, 1984).Mumluk Egyptian rulers established many charitable educational and social institutions to increase the educational level of people living in Hijazrr (YakorL 1966).Educational institutions included schools, libraries, schools for memorizing Qur'an and private lessons groups.Many people during the Mumluk era had also contributed to the establishment of educational institutions in Makkah, such as the school established by Yusef al Masry in 1415 inside the holy mosque at Makkah (Shaban, Tg84).Social institutions included hospitals and houses for the poor.One of the very well known social Disabil-ity Organizations in Saudi Arabia 17 institutions established at Makkah in l4O9 was Ahmad al-Turoji's house of the poor( Yakon, 1966).Even after the fall of the Mumluk statg the charitable institutions they established as charitable waqfs atÍItjazcontinued to function under the Ottoman regime.The Mumluk regime ended in l5l7 as the state came under the power of the Ottoman Empire (Bearman et al., 2002): "a power flourished by the republic of Turkey'' (Yakon, 1966, p. 20).The Empire lasted from 1299 until1923 and at the peak of its power governed three continents: Southeastern Europg the Middle East and North Africa @earman et al., ZOOZ).The Middle East, including Egypt andHfaz, did not come under its power until 1517.Similar to the Mumluks, Ottoman rulers continued to establish waqfs to benefit the fwo holy cities (Bearman et a1., 2002).They allocated agricultural land and real estate as waqfs with revenue spent on establishing new schools and hospitals in Makkah and Madinah, and for the maintenance of the older ones to contribute to the educational and health of Muslims living in these holy cities (Shaban, 1984).Ottoman waqf revenues were also spent to maintain the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah (Yakon, 1966)."Wakfs networks in Ottoman lands were the essential infrastruch¡ral links in the transmission of knowledge" (Bearman et aI.,2OO2, p. 319).The Ottoman eÍa was marked by the establishment of many religious schools, mosques and libraries that "were almost exclusively subsidized by walf" (Bearman et al-, 2002, p-319).Many Muslims contributed to the development of charitable institutions in Hijaz during the Ottoman regime (YakorL 1966).Mohammad Khayat and Abdulkarim Trabulsi, for example, were amongst those who established charitable schools and public libraries for educating not only the Makkan people, but for the many scholars around the Islamic world (Shaban, 1984).Dísability Orqanizations in Saudi Arabia 23 group of people does not mean they are less respected than others (Sharief, 1998).The remaining recommendations referred to the importance of organizing a separate council, connected to the Ministers' Council, to take care of the various issues of people with disabilities and to work on implementing the Ministers' Council's recommendations.As discussed previously, the situation of people with disabilities has been affected by the social and economic changes the country has gone through since the discovery of oil.To meet the needs of people with disabilities, the government has paid attention to and developed disability services and organzations in Saudi Arabi4 particularly since 7974 Purpose of the Study At present, there are no studies that explore the recent growth and development of disability organizations and services in Saudi Arabia.The frrst purpose of this study therefore is to fill that gap.A study that examines disability in a country that recognizes Islam as its only practiced religion will add to the Disability Studies knowledge base.This is important because it \¡iill provide scholars in the field of Disability Studies with more than one view of disability and how it is perceived in another cultural and religious context.As discussed earlier in the history of the development of charitable institutions in Saudi Arabia,Islamic charitable endowments have contributed to the development of charitable institutions and then to the development of disability organizations in Saudi Arabia.As a student in Disability Studies,Irec;ogmzed a gap in the literature regarding Islam in relation to disability approaches and orgurizations in Arab and Muslim countries.The second purpose of this study therefore was to discover the different ways Disability Orqanizations in Saudi P-rabia 24 that Islam has influenced the development of disability organizations in Saudi Arabia, a Muslim country that "tries to implement Islam fully as a comprehensive way of life" (Al- Maghlooth, 1999, p. 19).Research Questions o What are the key issues that contributed to the development of disability organizations in Saudi Arabia?o In what ways has Islam influenced the development of disability organuations in Saudi /uabia?c How do Head Managers (from disability orgarttzations) view the development of disability organizations and the role these organizations play for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia?Chapter Two: The Literature Review presents and discusses the research relevant to disability organizatíons and people living with disabilities in Saudi Arabia.The review is in three sections: issues related to disability research in Saudi Arabia, disability research in Saudi A¡abia, and Western literature specific to studying disability in an Eastern context.This review situates this study in the already existing body of knowledge.Chapter Three: Carrying out the Methodology was complex, as I lived and studied in Canada, yet needed to conduct interviews and gather brochures from organizations in Saudi Arabia.This chapter outlines how I prepared forthe interview process, the interview questions, the gathering of brochure data, and the use of disability organizationDisabitity Organizations in Saudi Arabia 25 websites.This section also discusses the qualitative method of data gathering.Chapter Four: My Data Findings reveal the details from interviews I conducted with Head Managers, information from brochures and the technologically-framed information from web sites.Chapter Five: In the Discussion/Analysis, all data from the various sources were information within the context of an Islamic country.This was interesting as the discourse of 'disability' and 'disability organizations' never moved outside the realm of government/religion that defines these organizations, their development, and their connection to Islamic beliefs and charity.The interviews, brochures and websitesalthough very different in naturerevealed a homogenous religious discourse embedded within disability

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