Kurdistan Region’s Fatwa Committee urges public not to give money to child beggars

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Region’s Fatwa Committee, part of the Union of Islamic Scholars of Kurdistan, has issued a new religious opinion discouraging the public from giving money to beggars, especially children, unless their financial need is clearly verified. The fatwa, released over the weekend, is aimed at curbing the rise in public begging, which officials and clerics say may exploit vulnerable individuals or be driven by organized networks.

“Begging is religiously forbidden and inappropriate unless the person is truly in need, without income or any financial resources,” the statement said. While Islamic teachings encourage helping the poor, the committee emphasized that donations such as zakat — a form of almsgiving in Islam — should go to people whose need is known and confirmed.

The fatwa specifically cautioned against giving money to child beggars, stating that doing so may unintentionally encourage and normalize the act of begging. “Children should not be supported in this behavior,” the committee stated. “They should be advised and redirected, not rewarded in a way that could encourage dependency.”

In a broader call to the public, the committee urged Muslims to give their charitable contributions to “those who are truly in need and refrain from begging out of dignity.”