JAKARTA - The Director General of Islamic Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religion, Kamaruddin Amin, said that students' interest in studying zakat programs is still minimal, even though the potential generated is so large in community empowerment.
"The study program on zakat should be the prima donna study program for the country's children. Ideally the zakat department or study program in Indonesia should be the ideal study program, because the potential for zakat is so great," Kamaruddin said at the National Coordination Meeting of Baznas in Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 24.
Kamaruddin said that the lack of attractiveness of students to enter the zakat department was partly due to the low literacy factor about zakat.
In fact, zakat is a solid instrument because it already has laws, zakat institutions, and complete regulations.
Apart from students, Kamaruddin also highlighted that not many universities have opened zakat study programs.
Currently there are only 18 universities that already have zakat study programs. This condition makes the introduction of the importance of zakat faltering.
According to him, the application of zakat and waqf management study programs is one of the mandates of the law to realize zakat and waqf management professionally.
"This is our challenge, how to make zakat a profession that is attractive and even idolized by our children. One of the reasons, in my opinion, is that people's literacy about zakat is still low," said Kamaruddin.
He believes that if many universities open zakat study programs which are followed by high student interest, it will give birth to zakat movers in order to realize the welfare of the community.
"It should be because the ecosystem is so complete, already solid, literacy and community participation are very high. But if we look at universities that open zakat departments, they are still very limited," continued Kamaruddin.
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