Summary: One of the most famous scenes in the New Testament features Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem. Hersquo;s angry with money lenders there, so he flips over their tables and tells them to get out. Jesus was upset because the money lenders they were taking part in the biblical version of loan sharking. They were gouging Jews who were buying sacrifices or changing money; very unethical, and very un-Islamic as well. According to Shariah law there are certain things a Muslim must abstain from such as alcohol, gambling, and pork. There is also a strict prohibition against riba, the charging of interest. Partly because of this an entire industry has sprung up called Islamic finance. Faith-based Investing Monem Salam, Vice President and director of Islamic Investing at Saturna Capital says Islamic investing allows Muslims to put their investments in line with their faith. ldquo;Basically itrsquo;s a subsection of faith-based investing,rdquo; Salam said. ldquo;So what we do is avoiding investing in companies that have primary revenue in alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pornography, and pork products.rdquo; In Islam the distribution of wealth is decided by the will of Allah. Having money is not a sin in Islam; whatrsquo;s important is you do with your wealth. Islamic investing plays a crucial part of the financial lives of many Muslim Americans. Islamic Finance For Everyone But this sector of the financial industry is not just for Muslims. According to Salam more than eighty-percent of his companies shareholders are non-Muslims. Non-Muslims are attracted to Islamic finance for a variety of reasons, Salam says, including a desire to invest with a firm that not only makes money but that invests in an ethical manner. ldquo;Wersquo;re there to invest in a company that will make money and get out if theyrsquo;re not making any money; so were not really activists, and we donrsquo;t intend to be in the future,rdquo; Salam said. ldquo;That is not what Islamic investing is. It is following your religious obligations when making investments.rdquo; Monem Salam is the Vice President and Director of Islamic Investing for Saturna Capital. He was also featured in the film ldquo;On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Flyrdquo; shown on PBS stations around the U.S. last year.
