• Bosht@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Sure, it’s great, but humans have proven time and again that religion causes more abuses over time than not. Yes, tax the rich. Using a religious text to justify it is weird. I do actually appreciate the info as I didn’t know this about Islam, but in the same vein it’s still religion which inherently leads to systems of abuse and shitting on people in the name of a deity. Not that humans aren’t good enough at doing that without religion, but I feel religion just gives them more of a reason when believing they’re serving some higher power.

  • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    We would be better off disallowing organized religion in public and forcefully redistributing all excess wealth perpetually.

    • laserm@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      No, we should built impenetrable wall between the state and religion, but right to believe and exercise religion is a very fundamental and basic human right.

      • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        There’s no free speech issue here.

        You can practice religion.

        That’s not what I said.

        You are not a victim.

        You don’t get to have a tax exempt public building where you get to contort the minds of your neighbors into killing minorities.

        No more organized religion.

        Do it in your house, keep your cult shit out of our public spaces and don’t indoctrinate children.

        You are not a victim

        • laserm@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          And what next? Ban political expression in public? Ban protests? Ban unions? Banning free public assembly, including for religious purposes, is a one way ticket towards dictatorship.

          • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            No, just religon.

            This is already done in a ton of countries.

            They know they can’t stop cult activity but at least they discourage it and force it into private

            You shouldn’t even be going to church unless you’re illiterate, that’s why pastors existed, because they could read

            If you can read and are truely faithful then you don’t need a 2nd master or peer pressure from the other congregation to stay committed.

            Just have your own private relationship with god and keep it away from my kids.

  • Maalus@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Our sister company is Zakat approved and runs water trucks in Gaza using the funds that people donate

    • mlg@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Higher chance he dies from a lightning strike inside his palace lmao

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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      9 months ago

      It’s just how Zakat is structured in Islam. “Tax” would also work, but Zakat is specifically earmarked for social welfare (and military uses) so obligatory charity captures the nuance better I think.

        • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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          9 months ago

          So that was an oversimplification; Quran 9:60 specifies the eight recipients of Zakat, and one of them is “for the sake of God”, which has been interpreted by most (but not all) scholars to refer to providing supplies and arms to non-professional (conscripted or volunteer) soldiers during Jihad. Some scholars have been more expansive of their interpretation of this, but that’s the majority opinion. This might seem out of place, which is fair but consider a situation where a Muslim state has to go to war but doesn’t have the funds to raise an army and as a result loses territory. As far as I understand it’s basically a wartime “oh shit” button.

  • Valmond@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    That’s a tax.

    But are you sure really rich people should have to pay it? /s

  • tetris11@lemmy.ml
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    9 months ago

    Zekat is often seen as giving money to others, but it’s just any act of love towards another person.

    It’s become muddled with money too much in these modern times.

    That being said, yes please, tax the rich.

  • huppakee@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    Back in the day Christians took care for the sick and the homeless, they built orphanages and hospitals for the mentally ill. The amount of Christians didn’t decrease but the way these vulnerable people were cared for changed greatly. The more we have a society were we pay the government to solve these issues, the less we need charity.

    I don’t know if Zakat-evasion is a problem in islamic countries, but I guess if we change the rules to get the billionaires to pay the ones evading taxes now will just change their tactics and continue to give a shit about the rest of society.

  • Venator@lemmy.nz
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    9 months ago

    This must be why the UAE is such an egalitarian country… 😅

    • Chloé 🥕@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      9 months ago

      i mean, leaders of theocracies blatantly ignoring the parts of their religion that they don’t like is nothing new lol

      • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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        9 months ago

        Hence why all religions should be abolished.

        We don’t need religions to do basic taxes. Just keep upping those brackets until you reach 100% of income and 50% of ownership per year. See how fast the rich become normal people

          • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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            9 months ago

            I find having the right to have the mindset of a 5 year old bit very compelling. I’d rather have the universal right to internet access, that will give humanity much more benefits.

  • fxomt [abandoned account]@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    9 months ago

    Despite all our faults in Islam, Zakat is such a good/common sense idea.

    Anyways, despite living in an Islamic country i doubt our billionaires pay zakat anyway. If they’re fine with butchering, prostitution drinking and drugs i think they’re going to sleep just fine at night not paying their tax.

    • Flyswat@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      Is zakat collected by the state in Saudia or is it like in other countries where people choose who to give it to?

    • Mythra@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      9 months ago

      Don’t worry, zakat is another Islamic concept the clergy (I think that’s the right English word) abuse and twist to line their pockets. Zakat and khons are both about donating to the needy, but both ideas have been twisted so many times. Khons details are different but the word is related to the number 5. The first version I remember being told is that you pay one fifth of your yearly earnings’ leftovers.

          • ArtemisimetrA@lemm.ee
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            9 months ago

            Well, yes. And many leaders have proven they either don’t care or are willing to make people disappear if they become inconvenient 😓

            • Zorque@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              Often because those people sat around until those people had enough power to do it.

              • ArtemisimetrA@lemm.ee
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                9 months ago

                Oof yeah real. Especially in the US, mass and social media have most people focused on their own personal problems such that people don’t see this happening in the background. “Fascists in the Whitehouse, sure, but my car needs new tires and there’s that leak in the roof of the house that I’m living in even though it’s owned by someone else who owns multiple properties… Hey maybe I actually hate that more than politics, so I’ll just devote all my energy to that instead”

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    9 months ago

    Elmo give 2.5% of his wealth?

    Fuck that shit.

    At best people like him should get to KEEP 2.5 % of their wealth. More reasonable, likely, will be TJ jail them as few billionaires can claim to gave gotten there without stepping on the back of someone. Elmo personally should be jailed for life.

    Also, we don’t need religions for tax. Just tax the rich fucking bastards

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I think Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation pledge means keeping only 7% of annual income and it’s still too much.

    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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      9 months ago

      Elmo give 2.5% of his wealth?

      You seem to be misreading.

      Give 2.5% of their wealth, each year, not just give 2.5% of their income. There’s a huge difference.

      Wealth gets taxed every year, unlike income which gets taxed only once. So in 20 years, the wealth tax is roughly 20*2.5% which is 50%. And in 30 years it’s closer to 75%.

      • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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        9 months ago

        That is exactly what I’m saying.

        2.5% of his wealth is nothing, he quite easily gains or loses ten times that in a year

        Set a maximum amount of wealth per person each year. Anything you earn over that automatically goes into a 100% bracket.

        There literally is no reason why one person should be allowed to have a billion dollars in wealth, whilst another person is homeless and needs to waddle into crime to be able to feed themselves

        10 million total wealth. That sounds like a reasonably sane maximum anyone should ever have the power over. Anything above that, taxes.

  • Wanpieserino@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    In 2023, Elon Musk paid $11 billion in income taxes, which was one of the largest individual tax bills in history.

    Which is more than 2,5% of his total wealth.

    In 2021, Elon Musk paid a significant amount in taxes, with estimates ranging from $8.3 billion to $12 billion, making it one of the largest individual tax payments in U.S. history. This substantial tax bill was primarily due to Musk exercising stock options that were set to expire, which triggered a large taxable income event.

    Blablabla. Basically, believe it or not. 2,5% isn’t that big of a deal

    • huppakee@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      I also read there was a year he paid $0, but even if he payed on average 2.5% yoy, that might relatively be a lot less than what someone working minimum pays on wealth (or in their case just income) tax.

      • Wanpieserino@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        Am just saying the islamic stuff is peanuts. 2,5% isn’t much. That’s already more than happening.

        Elon musk is paying that much on his yearly income. I’m just comparing it to his total wealth.

        A lot of his wealth are unrealised capital gains. His total wealth crippled this year with his shenanigans.

        If this happened in USA. Then they’d relocate their wealth to other places while only keeping the bare minimum in order to generate an income there.

        USA’s average wealth is insanely high because it’s a government that protects their wealth. Once it stops doing that, they will re-locate.

        Your 1% holding the most of your country’s wealth isn’t actually holding your country’s wealth. But that of the whole world. Your country is just a safe place to keep it.

  • vga@sopuli.xyz
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    9 months ago

    One of the recipients of Zakat funds are islamic terrorists. Not a horrible idea in principle though, but I think it’s much more interesting that Swiss cantons have wealth taxes, because, you know, because Switzerland is a pretty decently working economy. In stark contrast to almost every muslim nation out there.

    • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Is terrorist what you call all brown people?

      Sapa - Who is Eligible for Zakat [8 Recipients]

      1. The Poor (Al-Fuqara):

      Those who do not possess enough wealth to meet their basic needs.

      1. The Needy (Al-Masakin):

      Individuals face financial hardship but have some resources that are insufficient to cover their necessities.

      1. Those Employed to Administer Zakat (Al-Aamileen):

      Individuals employed to collect, manage, and distribute Zakat.

      1. Those Whose Hearts are to be Reconciled (Al-Mu’allafat al-Quloob):

      Individuals who are inclined towards Islam or those whose hearts need to be softened towards the Muslim community.

      1. Those in Bondage (slaves and captives) (Fir-Riqab):

      To help free individuals from slavery or captivity.

      1. Debtors (Al-Gharimeen):

      Those in debt who cannot settle their debts with their current resources.

      1. In the Cause of Allah (Fi Sabilillah):

      Individuals engaged in activities that benefit the broader Muslim community, such as scholars, educators, and those defending the Muslim community.

      1. The Wayfarer (Ibn Sabil):

      Travelers or strangers who are in need while away from their homes.

    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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      9 months ago

      i’m between downvoting because it mentions “terrorists” (which are often just people trying to do right) and upvoting because it’s interesting information that switzerland has a wealth tax. i didn’t know that.

      • vga@sopuli.xyz
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        9 months ago

        What’s wrong with the word “terrorist” in this context?

    • fxomt [abandoned account]@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      One of the recipients of Zakat funds are islamic terrorists

      ??? Source?

      In stark contrast to almost every muslim nation out there.

      Maybe if your countries stopped bombing, invading us and murdering our children, we’ll be able to develop.