Its 2008 A.D. And we still haven't been able to eliminate poverty in the world. Like the war on terror, some say that the ongoing war on poverty will never end and cannot be won. I beg to differ.

Charity is encouraged in all major religions and ways of life of the world. And yet, it is binding, it was made an obligatory act of worship for the followers of Islam. You don't have to be a Muslim to help eliminate poverty. But as a Muslim, let me show you a system granted to us by God to make sure that the people of the world don't suffer forever.

That system is the Zakah (an obligatory form of charity) and the Sadaqah (an optional one). The Zakah is binding upon every able and well-to-do Muslim to give a portion of his or her wealth to the those in need of it as a means of purification of wealth and bringing about an ideal society where nobody would have to beg. Its not much to ask really, just 2.5% of the wealth that we may have accumulated to be paid every year. The Sadaqah does not have a fixed time nor a fixed amount. It could be as small as a smile to cheer up somebody who needs it and as large as donating millions in money.

I also would like to remind you that poverty in today's world is not just about the money. People are poor financially, physically, emotionally and this list goes on. Its not just money that makes the world go around. Don't be shy, help one person a day, do one good deed a day, and this world will be richer for it.

Today, the richest people are those who benefit from wars. The weapon's builders, steel mills, ship builders, oil companies, private security firms. Who do you think will benefit from peace? You. Me. The folks next door. The little girl in Palestine who had her house demolished for no fault of her. The boy in Iarq, barely a man, who watched his parents get shot by friendly fire. The mother in Africa who was so malnourished, she didn't have enough milk in her breasts to feed her new born infant. End the war on terror. Spend on the war on poverty.