Cathy Lynn Grossman wrote about Ramazan for USA Today; she asks me about the nature of zakat (almsgiving):

Many Muslims choose to give to concerns close to home. Fatemeh Fakhraie, founder and editor of an international Muslim women’s website, Muslimah Media Watch, says, “I donate to my local food bank every Ramadan; some people give (zakat) to the mosque to distribute.”