Beyond the Western Gaze: Islamic Humanitarianism and the Decolonization of Global Aid

Atin Prabandari

Abstract


This  study  examines  the  extent  to  which  Islamic  humanitarianism  can counterbalance  Western-dominated  norms  and  structures  of  global  aid. Combining  decolonial  theory  with  norm  localization,  it  develops  the  concept  of localized  universalism  to  explain  how  Islamic  humanitarian  actors  articulate independently  grounded  universal  ethical  commitments  while  selectively engaging  with  international  humanitarian  standards.  The  study  employs  a qualitative  document  and  literature  review  of  scholarly  works  published primarily  between  2000  and  2025,  including  literature,  organizational  reports, zakat  statistics,  regulations,  and  fatwas  on  Islamic  humanitarian  actors  in Indonesia  and  beyond.  It  also  includes  illustrative  cases  involving Muhammadiyah,  Nahdlatul  Ulama,  Islamic  Relief  Worldwide,  Dompet Dhuafa, BAZNAS, mosque-based philanthropy, and the UNHCR Refugee Zakat Fund. The findings  reveal  three  interrelated  patterns.  First,  Islamic  actors  re-ground humanitarian values in Islamic traditions, such as humanity, solidarity, and non- discrimination,  in  Islamic ethical  and  jurisprudential  traditions,  exemplified  by Muhammadiyah’s  al-Ma’un theology  and  Fikih  Kebencanaan.  Second,  Islamic social finance—including zakat, infaq, sadaqah, and waqf— provides substantial and  recurrent  humanitarian  resources,  although  these  remain  predominantly domestically  oriented  and  under-realized  relative  to  their  estimated  potential. Third, authority rarely shifts to Muslim communities; legitimacy is conferred by certifiers,  UNHCR,  and  the  Indonesian  state.  The  article  terms  this  pattern “localized  universalism”:  epistemically  rich  but  structurally  limited decolonization.  These  findings  contribute  to  debates  on  decolonizing humanitarianism  by  shifting  attention  from  the  localization  of  aid  delivery toward  the  deeper  question  of  who  possesses  the  authority  to  define humanitarian universality.

Keywords


Decolonizing humanitarianism, Islamic humanitarianism, Norm localization, Zakat, Waqf

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21043/qijis.v14i1.32221

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