The "Qard al-Hasan Workshop", jointly organized by the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye (TKBB), the MÜSİAD Qard al-Hasan Fund, the Research Center for Islamic Economics (İKAM), the Association for Research and Practice in Islamic Economics (İKSAR) and the Qard al-Hasan Foundation, was held on 9 March 2024, hosted by the Head Office of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD).
The Workshop, which began with the opening speeches of MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı, Secretary General of the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye İsmail Vural and Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Qard al-Hasan Foundation Mehmet Koca, and with the welcome speech of the Chairman of the MÜSİAD Qard al-Hasan Fund Muhammet Ali Özeken, addressed the current situation of Qard al-Hasan, the theoretical and technical problems encountered, the targets for the future, and practices in Türkiye and the world.
In his speech, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı spoke about the importance in the eyes of society of the MÜSİAD Qard al-Hasan Fund, which has been continuing its activities since 2016 and increasing its institutionalization with each passing day, and about the importance of its being an alternative source of financing especially for our citizens who are sensitive about interest.The Chairman of the MÜSİAD Qard al-Hasan Fund Muhammet Ali Özeken, for his part, stated in his remarks: “We set out with the aim of institutionalizing, as MÜSİAD, the Qard al-Hasan that is widespread on an individual basis in our society. In this process we supported hundreds of our Fund members and saw in practice how important it is to institutionalize Qard al-Hasan, which is an alternative method, for society.”
Secretary General of the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye İsmail Vural said: “Speaking of the systematization of the institution of Qard al-Hasan and its institutionalization across the country, as the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye we are striving, with our accumulated knowledge and experience, for the legal ground and the legislative work of Qard al-Hasan.” Vural expressed his hope that the Qard al-Hasan Workshop would be a means of goodness for the stakeholders who came together, and that they would be pleased to fulfil the duty falling upon them for all the work that will take place in this field.
The Chairman of the Qard al-Hasan Foundation Mehmet Koca said: “In this service, with which we set out under the name of the Qard al-Hasan Foundation and through which we provide financing to young couples about to marry, we have come a very long way over the years.” Koca said: "When we look back today, the increase in the number of institutions serving for the purpose of Qard al-Hasan in our country and the holding of such a Workshop hosted by MÜSİAD is a very gratifying situation for us. I am also of the opinion that it will be extremely fruitful to exchange ideas together with so many people who have devoted their hearts to this service."
The Qard al-Hasan Workshop, held under the hosting of MÜSİAD and jointly organized by the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye, the MÜSİAD Qard al-Hasan Fund, the Research Center for Islamic Economics (İKAM), the Association for Research and Practice in Islamic Economics (İKSAR) and the Qard al-Hasan Foundation, was also attended by representatives from the Interest-Free World Foundation, the İHH Trousseau Foundation, the Günışığı Foundation and the banks that are members of TKBB, as well as from Türk Eximbank.In addition, many expert academics from Sakarya University, İstanbul University, Marmara University, KTO Karatay University, 29 Mayıs University, Karabük University and Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, who contributed academically to the Workshop, also took part in the programme.
At the Workshop, which continued throughout the day, sessions were held respectively under the headings of “Practices in Türkiye”, “Practices in the World”, “The Jurisprudential, Legal, Fiscal and Economic Dimensions of the Practices” and “Resource Generation, Resource Diversity, Resource Allocation and Institutional Sustainability” of Qard al-Hasan. The Workshop was concluded with the final session on “Practice and Policy Proposals”.
