Muslims across the world to celebrate Earth Day with Green Khutbah Campaign

TORONTO, April 1, 2021 - Muslims across the world will commemorate Earth Day by dedicating their Friday khutbah (or sermon) to raise awareness on environmental issues. This initiative, known as the Green Khutbah Campaign, takes place each year on the Friday before Earth Day. 

This year the Green Khutbah Campaign will take place on Friday, April 16, 2021.

“We are encouraging faith leaders to devote their Friday Khutbah (or sermon) to celebrate the blessings, graces and beauty of all of God’s creation and to raise awareness about our current environmental challenges,” said Muaz Nasir, the publisher of the Canadian environmental website, Khaleafa.com and one of the founders of the Campaign.

This year, the theme of the Green Khutbah Campaign is ‘Explore. Reflect. Act.’ 

“With the pandemic extending into this year we felt it was important to find meaningful ways to connect with nature while remaining safe,” Nasir added. “By exploring and reconnecting with nature we can encourage people from all walks of life and of all ages to take action. No action is too small because it adds up to make a collective difference.”

The Campaign was launched in 2012 in Canada and, every year, faith leaders across the world are encouraged to deliver a message that reminds their congregations of the Qur’anic message to be stewards of the earth and the environment.

Islamic organizations and well-known faith leaders here in Toronto and around the world are throwing their support behind the campaign intending to dedicate their Friday Khutbah on April 16 to this year’s campaign theme. 

Organizations and faith leaders can sign up through the Green Khutbah website to participate. The Khaleafa.com team has also created an online resource kit to support faith leaders participating in the Green Khutbah Campaign. 

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For more information, photos or to arrange an interview please contact:  

Muaz Nasir

Green Khutbah Campaign

e: http://www.khaleafa.com/contactus | info@khaleafa.com 

Greening religion: New Islamic covenant for the Earth

Following on from the Catholic Church, the global Islamic community is finalising a new Earth charter to encourage Muslims to combat pollution, climate change and other threats to the planet.

Jorge Bergoglio penned a powerful 37 000-word message to humanity a few years ago, pointing at special economic interests, technology and large sections of the media for helping turn the world into “an immense pile of filth”.

God had never granted humans unchecked dominion over nature, declared the world-renowned Argentinian football fan, former bar bouncer, janitor and chemistry technician.

Bergoglio said young people were demanding change but, regrettably, efforts to find lasting solutions to the global environmental crisis had been ineffective. This was largely because of powerful opposition from special interests, but also apathy among those who mistakenly saw themselves as biblically ordained “lords and masters” entitled to plunder the Earth at will.

Bergoglio – better known as Pope Francis, the current head of the Catholic Church – set down these thoughts in his papal encyclical Laudato si’, published on 24 May 2015 for the estimated 1.3 billion baptised Catholics and “every person living on this planet”.

Francis painted a gloomy picture: “It is remarkable how weak international political responses have been. The failure of global summits on the environment make it plain that our politics are subject to technology and finance … economic interests easily end up trumping the common good … any genuine attempt by groups within society to introduce change is viewed as a nuisance … we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the Earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.”

Now, the global Muslim community is drafting its new environmental charter, titled Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth. The draft is scheduled to be completed by late March, with the final version published in October.

Iyad Abumoghli, the Nairobi-based founding director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Faith for Earth project, announced the Al-Mizan endeavour last year.

Undated: Iyad Abumoghli is the Nairobi-based founding director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Faith for Earth project

The Laudato si’ inspired many Christians and people of other religions, said Abumoghli. “Several religious institutions and leaders have issued declarations on climate change or calls for action on biodiversity, rainforests and other environmental challenges. However, these remain expressions of positions and solidarity with nature. What is needed is a concerted effort that charts the way forward and engages followers in meaningful actions by all religions comparable to Laudato si’.

“Muslims form over one-fifth of the world’s population and can offer humanity important Islamic perspectives on how to mitigate the impacts of the unprecedented crises we are living through.” 

Islamic guidelines

The new Islamic charter would help identify what Islam can do to ensure future generations inherit a healthy and sustainable planet.

Islamic scholars and institutions have teamed with Faith for Earth, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Science, Uskudar University in Istanbul, the Qur’anic Botanic Garden and the College of Islamic Studies and Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar to draft the charter, said Abumoghli. There are two teams, one representing these organisations and “a scholars team representing different regions and Islamic sects”. 

Sri Lanka-born, Britain-based Sidi Fazlun Khalid is the chair and co-author of the scholars team. Khalid has been described as “a pioneer in the field of Islamic environmentalism”. He founded the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences and is the author of Signs on the Earth: Islam, Modernity and the Climate Crisis.

15 August 2020: The opening chapters of the Qur’an. (Photograph by Abdullah Faraz/ Unsplash)

Although not involved in drafting the document, Abumoghli said the authors had reached out to the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) in South Africa as well as many other Muslim leaders during the review process.

MJC member and head of the Coowatool Mosque in Loop Street, Cape Town, Moulana Shuaib Appleby welcomed the initiative. His interest in environmental issues has deepened since his appointment to the board of the Southern Africa Faith Communities’ Environmental Institute (SAFCEI), a multi-faith organisation launched in 2005 to support faith leaders and their communities to increase awareness, understanding and action on eco-justice, sustainable living and climate change.

Its members practise a broad spectrum of faiths, from African traditional healers to Bahá’í, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Quaker and a range of Christian denominations.

Appleby said it is essential for religious and faith leaders to work together to raise public awareness about environmental issues within their communities. He said that the SAFCEI has also launched a campaign to install renewable energy such as solar panels and wind turbines in places of worship, but said “more needs to be done to implement campaigns within communities. As much as it is great to share theory and discuss ideas about global environmental issues, I also see the need for more tangible projects for ordinary people on the ground.”

A game changer

Abumoghli noted that the Quran, the practices of Prophet Muhammad and the teachings of Islam all urge humanity to value and protect nature. But many of these environmental lessons remain unknown to Muslims, he said in a recent interview on the UN Environment Programme website, including how they relate to contemporary environmental issues such as climate change, ecosystem destruction and overconsumption.

“Mizan is designed to change that – and encourage Muslims to do all they can to safeguard the planet … In many places, we’re losing our connection to nature. Mizan will help provide a set of authoritative standards for Muslims to follow in their daily lives. We think it could be a game changer.”

At a broader level of the Faith for Earth Initiative, Abumoghli sees opportunities to work with religious institutions, who are often major investors, to green their assets and reduce their environmental footprints.

In Laudato si’, Pope Francis lamented the decline in the quality of human life, especially among the urban impoverished. He posited that environmental degradation could not be resolved unless society attended to the causes of social degradation for billions of impoverished people, evidenced by social breakdown, increased violence, growing drug use by young people and a loss of identity. 

“They frequently remain at the bottom of the pile. This is due partly to the fact that many professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centres of power, being located in affluent urban areas, are far removed from the poor, with little direct contact with their problems … We have to realise that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor,” he said.

All the same, Francis’ encyclical ends on a positive note, where he speaks about the “duty to care for creation through little daily actions” such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings and using public transport.

“We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread.”

Bending the Curve. (Image supplied by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)

Hope versus action 

But there is a big difference between hope, on one hand, and action on the other, said United States theologian and energy ethics scholar Erin Lothes Biviano.

Writing in the Journal of Moral Theology about the American Catholic Church and the Laudato si’ initiative, Biviano touched on the abiding conservative-liberal divide among US Catholics.

“Despite the wealth of magisterial teaching and theological writing on religion and ecology, we find that far less is being done than we would like … Why is that? 

“I do not believe we should threaten people with doom – it does not work. This is not to say that we should downplay the gravity of climate change or avoid the sobering facts,” she suggested. Rather, those who seek to connect with more conservative Catholics on the issue of climate change should pay more attention to their “rhetorical tone”.

“Leadership is critical – believers must hear ecological reflections from the pulpit and read them in diocesan and parish publications to counter assumptions that environmentalism is superfluous, if not irrelevant to, faith … We also need to talk about morality without moralising – the ‘green zealot’ will simply turn people off. We must recognise that people do things differently; they have different personalities, different economic philosophies, different levels of scientific literacy,” she wrote.

This piece was originally published on New Frame on March 25 2021.

Islamic Perspective on Biodiversity

By Kamran Shezad

In a famous speech delivered in 2010, His Royal Highness, Prince Charles spoke extensively on “Islam and the Environment”. During this excellent overview, he mentioned two important, personal findings. Firstly, he concluded that people were more likely to care for the environment if they were told that this is a religious responsibility. Secondly, he asserted that no religion stresses the importance of green matters more so than Islam. 

It is hard to disagree with him on this, the teachings of Islam are inherently environmental. Biodiversity is celebrated in the Holy Qur’an. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) championed environmental rights and concerns fourteen centuries ago. 

Life on earth is made up of a complex set of interrelated ‘ecosystems’ which should be maintained in a natural balance. For example, if there were no pollinating insects on earth like bees and butterflies, there would not be any fruit. Without plants that provide nectar and pollen, there would be no food to sustain the bees. Bees and plants are dependent upon each other. Many ecosystems rely on a wide variety of plants and animals interacting with one another like bees and plants; this is what we call biodiversity. The Quran mentions this balance beautifully: 

ِمي َزا َنِْق ْس ِط َوَل تُ ْخ ِس ُروا الْالَِو ْز َن بِْقي ُموا الَِن - َوأِمي َزاْْطَغْوا فِي الََل َتِمي َزا َن - أَْوال َس َما َء َرَفَعَها َوَو َض َع ال 

“Allah raised the heaven and established the balance, so that you would not transgress the balance. Give just weight – do not skimp in the balance” (Qur’an 55:7-9). 

Allah requests humanity to respect the balance and acknowledge its importance for our very own existence. He also asks us to maintain this balance - what we take from this earth with one hand, we must return with the other. 

Elsewhere, the Quran is rich of references to the beautiful world He has created for us. It teaches many lessons on the protection of biodiversity; from the story of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) who was asked by God to protect all the animals before the coming flood (11: 40), to Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) who took into consideration the plight of ants whilst marching his army (27: 17-18). 

The primary purpose of the Quran is to provide ‘guidance for the pious’ (2: 2). But an observer will undoubtedly notice it is a book on nature too. It pays constant tribute to life on earth, with many chapters named after animals and plants, such as al-Baqarah (Cow), al-An`am (Cattle), al-Nahl (Bees), al-Naml (Ants), al-Ankabut (Spider), al-Adiyat (Horses), al-Fil (Elephant), al-Insan (Man), al-Tin (Fig), and al-Nas (Mankind). It asks us to reflect on how the camel was created and how the sky was raised (88: 17-18). Plants such as onions, figs, mustard, pomegranate, trees, lentils, grapes, fruits, garlics, cucumbers and dates all get a mention in the Quran - as a sign of Allah’s perfection and a reminder of the variety and variability of life on earth. 

Our lives depend on healthy waters, the oceans and rivers are essential for the survival of life; they are the lifeline of this planet and civilisation. Oceans cover over two thirds of our planet and hold 97% of the planet's water. They produce more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorb the most carbon from it. Rivers are equally as important, they also provide us with food as well as energy, recreation,

transportation routes, and of course, water for irrigation and for drinking purposes. Most settlements and major cities around the world are built along major rivers. Muslims are aware of all of this thanks to the Qur’an, which in many places refers to the role of the oceans: 

َك َمَوا ِخ َر ِفي ِه َولَِتْبَت ُغواْلفَُْب ُسوَن َها َوَت َرى الَْتلَية ُْه ِحلُجوا ِمنِْا َوَت ْسَت ْخر ي َِطرْح ماُه لَُوا ِمنُْكلَْب ْح َر لَِتأِْذي َس َخ َر الََو ُهَو ال َ ُكْم َت ْش ُك ُرو َنَعلِمن َف ْضلِ ِه َولَ 

“And Allah committed the sea to serve you; you eat from it tender meat and extract jewellery which you wear. And you see the ships roaming it for your commercial benefits, as you seek His bounties, that you may be appreciative” (Qur’an 16:14). 

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a huge advocate of protecting nature and biodiversity. At a time when there appeared to be no environmental rights or law, he declared a thirty-kilometre area around the city of al-Madina to be a protected sanctuary, and prohibited the cutting down of trees within its borders, as well as giving various protection to other aspects of nature (Hima/Harim). This example is now being used by environmentalist around the world to protect the region’s threatened woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and rangelands. 

In his sayings and actions, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was green. He equated environmental acts as a form of worship (ibada): 

“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows a seed, and then a bird, human or animal eats from it, then it is regarded a charitable gift (a means of reward, sadaqa) for him” (Sahih al-Bukhari). 

"Verily, there is heavenly reward for every act of kindness done to a living animal.” (Sahih al-Bukhari). 

For his beloved followers, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a paragon of mercy. This mercy was not limited to humans, it certainly extended to the plant and animal kingdom. Reports mention that whenever he (peace be upon him) and his devotees would dismount at a station for a rest (during their travels), they would remove all baggage and seating from their camel before performing prayers, eating and drinking. He warned Muslims: 

"Fear God in your treatment of animals" (Abu Dawud). 

"If someone kills a sparrow for sport, the sparrow will cry out on the Day of Judgement, "O Lord! That person killed me in vain! He did not kill me for any useful purpose." (Sunan al-Nasa’i) 

I also want highlight a section from the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change drafted by Dr Fazlun  Khalid of the Islamic Foundation for Environmental and Ecological Sciences (IFEES/EcoIslam): 

“We recognize that we are but a minuscule part of the divine order, yet within that order we are  exceptionally powerful beings, and have the responsibility to establish good and avert evil in every way we  can. We also recognize that – 

∙ We are but one of the multitude of living beings with whom we share the earth; ∙ We have no right to abuse the creation or impair it; 

∙ Intelligence and conscience should lead us, as our faith commands, to treat all things with care and  awe (taqwā) of their Creator, compassion (rahmah) and utmost good (ihsān)

One of my favourite ayahs in the Quran is from Surah Al An’am (the Cattle): 

ْمِلَ ى َرِّبهَِم إُِكَتا ِب ِمن َش ْي ء َ ثُْ ُكم َ َما َف َر ْطَنا ِفي الالَْمثََم م أَُل أَِجَنا َحْي ِه إِ ر َي ِطي ُر بْر ِض َوَل َطاِئْْلََو َما ِمن َداَب ة فِي ا ُي ْح َش ُرو َن 

“And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.” (Qur’an 6:38) 

Allah is referring to biodiversity as ‘communities’. What is a community, the definition of a community in the dictionary states: 

∙ a group living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common ∙ a group living together and practicing common ownership 

Reflect for a second on what Allah swt is saying to us here, biodiversity is not for us to use and abuse, it’s not for us to have dominion over, it’s not for us to control or consume but for us to treat as a community, Every single variety of plant and animal life on this planet has a role to play just as different people have roles to play in communities. We are interconnected and there is no getting away from that. 

To conclude, Allah has created this magnificent world for us. Whilst we must enjoy the blessings that this earth provides us, we must also show responsibility in our actions. This responsibility is manifested through consumption - that we only use what is necessary. It is also reflected in maintaining the balance - that we constantly replenish what we have taken. 

You can read more about different faith perspectives on biodiversity by visiting the UN Environment Programme webpage set up by the Faith for Earth initiative. 

How a new initiative is mobilizing Muslims to help save the planet

Earlier this year, the Faith for Earth Initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a global push to bring together Islamic institutions from around the world in a bid to combat pollution, climate change and other threats to the planet. Called Mizan, Arabic for “balance”, the charter is designed to showcase Islam’s teachings on the environment and spur the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims to embrace sustainability as part of their everyday lives.

We recently spoke with the head of the effort, Iyad Abumoghli, who is also the director of the Faith for Earth Initiative, about Mizan and its lofty ambitions.

For centuries, Islam has called on followers to protect the environment, says UNEP’s Iyad Abumoghli. Photo: Unsplash / Abdullah Faraz

UNEP: Why is this initiative important?

Iyad Abumoghli: The sacred scripture in the Quran, the practices of Prophet Mohammad and the teachings of Islam all urge humanity to value and protect nature. But those lessons are largely unknown to many Muslims, including how they relate to contemporary environmental issues, such as climate change, ecosystem destruction and overconsumption. Mizan is designed to change that – and encourage Muslims to do all they can to safeguard the planet.

UNEP: Why is that necessary now?

IA: The planet is facing multiple crises, including pollution, climate change, and environmental destruction. In many places, we’re losing our connection to nature. In addition to science and state policies, people need spiritual guidance on environmental issues, which will create a sense of responsibility for nature. Mizan will help provide a set of authoritative standards for Muslims to follow in their daily lives. 

UNEP: Other religions are also embracing environmentalism, aren’t they?

IA: Yes. In 2015, Pope Francis launched Laudato Si, a papal encyclical that urged Catholics to care for what he called our “common home”, the Earth. Other faith leaders, including Buddhists, Hindus, Baha’is and Jews, have issued declarations on climate change. There are also interfaith commitments to address specific issues, such as biodiversity loss and rainforest destruction. But it’s important to note that these initiatives are not new. Religious texts and faith leaders have for centuries been urging their followers to protect the environment.

UNEP: Which organizations are involved in Mizan?

IA: We are partnering with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Uskudar University in Istanbul, the Qur'anic Botanic Garden and the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar.

Pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Unsplash / Ömer F. Arslan

UNEP: When are you planning to roll out Mizan?

IA: The draft charter is expected to be ready in March 2021. It will be distributed to more than 300 Islamic institutions around the world for feedback. After finalization, Mizan will be submitted to the Islamic Council of Environment Ministers for adoption in October 2021. The consultative process and adoption are essential as we are aiming for Mizan to be a global spiritual reference, a plan of action for individuals as well as institutions.

UNEP: Can you tell us a little more about UNEP’s Faith for Earth Initiative?

IA: Since its launch in 2017, Faith for Earth has collaborated with representatives of more than 15 religions, highlighting how these faiths can mobilize the power of their followers and address some of the gravest threats to the planet. Along with organizing major conferences, we help religious leaders develop practical steps their followers can take to fight air pollution, protect biodiversity and limit plastic pollution. We also work with religious institutions, who are often major investors, to green their assets and reduce their environmental footprint.

UNEP: What are your long-term hopes for Mizan?

IA: We think it could be a game changer. There are about 4 million mosques around the world. If we could, for example, install solar panels on these houses of worship, we could prevent 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. As well, every year 10 million people take part in Islam’s two major pilgrimages, the Hajj and the Umrah. If we could make those a little greener, by encouraging pilgrims to avoid single-use plastics, for example, it could make a substantial difference. Bigger picture, we are ultimately hoping that more faith-based organizations will take Mizan as a guiding principle and mobilize action. We also aspire that Mizan will help foster an understanding between religions that we have a common responsibility towards the Earth.

For more information on Mizan, visit UNEP’s Faith for Earth Initiative or contact Iyad Abumoghli at iyad.abumoghli@un.org

Green Ummah Launches Blog Post Competition

To secure an equitable and sustainable future, we need to collaborate on the solutions. Below are three topics we feel are worth addressing:

1. How will you work towards a better relationship between you/your community and nature in your neighbourhood?

2. What is your ideal “Green Future” in Canada? What is a challenge to achieving this future and how can we overcome it?

3. How has the impact of COVID-19 (ex. lockdown, work from home, shifting social norms) changed the way you engage with nature?

We want to hear from you. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts, we encourage you to submit a 750 word piece as a Word document to info@greenummah.org. In your submission please include your name, phone number, age and city of residence, along with an optional 1-2 sentence short bio and a social media handle. Furthermore, feel free to input up to 3 pictures or graphics into your submission. Any pictures/graphics and sources used shall be hyperlinked and or cited at the bottom of the submission.

We encourage you to be creative; solutions can range from policy, to technical interventions, to individual behaviour change, and beyond. The authors for the top blog post for each question will win a prize and be given the opportunity to present their work at the Green Ummah webinar conference (information to be provided shortly). The deadline to submit in order to be eligible for a prize is January 31, 2021. Submissions will be graded using the following marking scheme:

1) Writing style (grammar, spelling, punctuation, flow, citations) – 25%
2) Content and creativity (unique answer, comprehensive insight, cohesive viewpoint) – 50%
3) Lay out of text and use of graphics – 25%

Note, we have zero tolerance for discrimination in any form and will not accept submissions rooted in discrimination or bigotry. 

We look forward to hearing your ideas and working with you on your submissions! If you have any questions, please email us at info@greenummah.org.

Greening Canadian Mosques

In partnership with Faith & the Common Good and with generous funding from Olive Tree Foundation, EnviroMuslims is proud to share the Greening Canadian Mosques program! The program aims to empower mosque management teams, as well as mosque-goers, to understand environmental issues and take appropriate action.

Want to get involved?

If you are a mosque-goer, please fill out this survey to help us understand what your expectations are from your local mosque when it comes to embedding sustainable practices within their facilities. You'll also have the chance to win 1 of 2 $50 gift cards at the end of the survey! https://bit.ly/34RK4Z0

If you are an imam or manager of a mosque facility, complete the survey below to tell us about some of your current sustainability policies and practices, and what types of resources you'd like to see as part of the GCM program: https://bit.ly/2KHbmdH

Help us spread the word - tag your family and friends, and encourage your local mosque to take action!

Forty Green Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on Environmental Justice & Sustainability

Introducing Forty Green Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on Environmental Justice & Sustainability! Download the Forty Green Hadith ebook now: tiny.cc/40greenhadith

By: Imam Safet A. Catovic

40 Green Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad on Environmental Justice and Sustainability, compiled by these emerging young Muslim environmental activists and leaders, Kori Majeed and Saarah Yasmin Latif, is a timely and welcome addition to the important on-going work of developing “green” Muslim attitudes and practices by rooting them in these eco-conscious teachings of the Quran and the ecofriendly practices of the life example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

This endeavor is in keeping with a long and well-established Islamic scholarly practice of compiling forty Hadith of the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) on various subject matters. This scholarly endeavor over the ages has been driven, in general, by the Prophetic instruction to his companions, “Let the one present among you convey to the absent" and specifcally what has been related from the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) through numerous chains of narration and varied narrated texts, including, “Whoever preserves for my nation forty hadith concerning its religion – Allah will resurrect him (or her) on the Day of Resurrection among the jurists and scholars.” In another narration it says, “...Allah will resurrect him (or her) as a jurist and scholar,” and in another, “...I will be for him on the Day of Resurrection an intercessor and a witness.”

The current global climate crisis is primarily due to what “the hands of men have wrought”4: anthropogenic activities driven by the soaring arrogance of conspicuous consumption and the insatiable corporate greed of the few, fueled by the burning of fossil fuels supplied by the extractive fossil fuel industry which puts profts above people. The climate emergency is now upon us, an existential threat to all life on our planet, all this at the expense of the poorest and most vulnerable of our human family. Those who contribute the least to global warming yet pay the highest price in terms of its devastating efects and harms.

Highlighting the eco-teachings of Islam, especially through the teachings and beautiful life example (uswaten hasana) of the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him), who is called by Allah in the Quran a “mercy to all the worlds” (rahmaten lil alaameen), is of great beneft to both Muslims and peoples of other faiths as we seek to fnd ways to work together and seek to modify and “green” our attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle choices that are integral to tackling climate change and securing a just, viable and sustainable future for our coming generations and all life on our planet Earth.

Faith Inspired Activism & Environmental Justice - An Islamic Perspective

By Kamran Shezad

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was holding a seedling, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it.” (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)

As Muslims, we never give up on life. Even if we’re told there’s no hope, we continue to provide people with the best of care to help their health improve. We should behave no differently towards our planet, our Creator has given us this Amanah (trust) and we must continue to show care, compassion and fight her justice. This beautiful opening quote from our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم above contains a clear instruction that regardless of what we may think is about to happen, we must continue to play our role and fulfil our duties. This narration can be used in various contexts but is very pertinent to today’s climate change challenges. Activism and campaigning for climate justice should be seen as an act of Ibaadah (worship).

Allah Almighty says:

“Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].” Surah Rum (30:41)

In this verse, Allah Almighty is asking us to ‘reflect’ and is telling us that if we reflect on the consequences we are facing, we have the ability to change things and return to better times. ‘Reflection’ is described as a process that helps turn experience into knowledge and involves thought and exploration of a concept or event. It is a form of problem solving that is used to resolve issues, and involves the careful consideration of a current practice, based on available knowledge and beliefs. The Quran is in effect a coaching manual and it coaches us on how to take action on one of the most important issues humanity is currently facing: climate change.

One of the biggest Sunnahs of our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is that of ‘struggle’. Our Prophet is the best of creation, most beloved to Allah Almighty (swt), yet he faced intense hardship and difficulties. Success was not always easy or instant during the lifetime of the Prophet. This is a lesson for us all: to achieve something important we must work hard and fight for what we believe in. Ultimately, Allah Almighty (swt) is the One who can change a situation. Our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would constantly stand up for the rights of the oppressed and would call for justice; he in fact called on all of us to take action:

“When any of you sees an injustice/evil let him change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then let him change it with is tongue. And if he is not able to do so then let him hate it with his heart though that is the least of his faith” (Sahih Muslim).

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم inherited substantial societal problems such as infanticide, slavery, misogyny, materialism and so much more. However, instead of shying away from his responsibilities, he accepted and worked through them without hesitation. Climate change, although a very recent occurrence, is not just an environmental problem: it is also one of the greatest threats the world has ever faced. Sea levels are rising, oceans are becoming warmer, longer and more intense droughts threaten crops, wildlife and freshwater. Our planet’s already diminishing diversity is at further risk due to the changing climate.

Climate change affects different people and places inconsistently. Therefore this leads to inequalities within and across nations, as well as between current and future generations, and this is climate injustice. Poorer countries although least responsible for the effects of climate change are suffering the most from its devastating effects in particular with food insecurity, water scarcity and loss of biodiversity.

In the above hadith, we are clearly being told that it is incumbent upon Muslims to stand up against all forms of injustice and that includes standing up for establishing climate justice. It is not enough for us to be sad about the devastation being caused across the planet. To please our Lord and Creator, we must convert our feelings of sorrow, anger and guilt into something more meaningful which brings about systemic change.

“Seek Me amongst the downtrodden, verily you are given your substance as well as Divine aid, owing to your treatment of your downtrodden” (Tirmidhi).

The impacts of climate change are primarily affecting many of the world’s poorest people, those who Allah Almighty (swt) and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم love. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم would have dedicated himself to their service, so as a Muslim community we should also have that love so we can keep this prophetic ethos alive.

"Be a community that calls for what is good, urges what is right and forbids what is wrong. Those who do, are the successful ones" - (Quran 3:104)

As Muslims, we should be exemplars, leading the wider community in addressing various injustices. Failure to do so could be calamitous for the world. Amongst those potential consequences is losing the assistance of Allah Almighty in our affairs and in our sustenance:

"…Allah Almighty does not change the condition of people unless they change what is in themselves". (Quran 13:11)

Advocating for change is not an easy task, it requires courage to engage in campaigning for action, particularly with the issues surrounding climate change. Unfortunately, materialism, capitalism, fake news, apathy and many other factors are major obstacles on this journey. Environmental protection is not high on the agenda within our community, nor is it taken as seriously as it should be in politics. It is far from easy to stand up to the status quo or to go against the policies of the government and authorities.

We can however take inspiration from the story of Prophet Musa (as) as described in Surah Ash- Shu’ara (26:10-15) who learnt to overcome fears and to confront the challenges that needed to be faced. Allah Almighty (swt) commanded Prophet Musa to go to Fir’awn, knowing full well the political power and the heartless strength that lay with Fir’awn. Prophet Musa (as) confessed his concerns to Allah Almighty and made supplication before continuing. Whilst there is no intention here to compare our communities or authorities with that of the ruthless Fir’awn, it is important to highlight the key principle of having belief and confidence in Allah Almighty (swt) in all matters.

In Islam, the root of faith is to believe in Allah Almighty as the only deity worthy of worship and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah Almighty. Acknowledging the supremacy of Allah Almighty in both human and environmental affairs is essential for the accomplishment of our activism. Perhaps the secret power of this truth is hidden in the Fatiha prayer we recite at least ten times a day ‘You alone we worship, and in You alone we seek help’ for were we truly live this truth, there would be no doubt, no fear, no discouragement. Committing our actions for the sake of Allah Almighty, knowing everything is in His Hands, we can freely act against injustice without worry or despair as to the likely results, making our affair purely for our Compassionate and Merciful Lord.

"You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both. Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly- if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do. (Quran 4:135)

Corporate Knights Recognizes IDRF with Sustainability Award

Even in the midst of the pandemic, young people are leading the push to a better world. They're mobilizing and taking to the streets, and as future leaders themselves, they are bringing with them creativity and energy that will usher in a more equitable and caring green economy.  

When Corporate Knights opened up nominations for this years' 30 under 30 award, they were overwhelmed with the response of talented youth who are challenging the status quo. Among them was Nabil Ali, Director of Programs with the International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF).

The IDRF has been a leader within Muslim community, working to alleviate the suffering of those in need across the world. Nabil has personally been involved in humanitarian projects in Somalia and Bangladesh, and helped the organization pivot to provide assistance during the pandemic.

"In 2020 we face unprecedented global health and economic challenges, as well as greater awareness of racial injustice. Nevertheless, with my colleagues' support at IDRF and stakeholders across the world, we have mobilized to provide humanitarian assistance for communities impacted by COVID-19 and expanded our programming to empower BIPOC youth nationwide" said Nabil when announcing the win.

"I'm honoured to be a part of this year's list. Congratulations to all the leaders recognized for the inspiring work that they perform every day."

Rising for the Ummah Starts with the Youth

“The Ummah must recognise its responsibility for a green sustainable planet and work together to create it for all humanity.”

Dr. Husna Ahmad- Global One – Ummah for Earth Ally

Amongst the many blessings God has granted us, is the Ummah we belong to. One vibrant with energetic youth and huge capabilities that can bring about remarkable change towards a better future. An Ummah that has the power to create a new reality if it chooses to come together and work hand in hand to create more just, safe and sustainable societies. 

Rising from this, the “Ummah for Earth” alliance has come together..  Connecting with Muslim communities that are most burdened by global crises, especially the climate crisis, and we will seek to bring their concerns forward and create a platform to make their voices heard.

“It felt natural for us to join this alliance, amplifying Muslims’ calls for better care of the earth and each other”

Mark Bryant – IFEES/EcoIslam” 

To fulfill our role as caretakers of the Earth, we have to come to realize the importance of being an Ummah that invests in its ability to protect our  earth. An Ummah that acts in accordance with our teachings and values, one that knows that change is not only possible, but is also our  duty.

Change not only comes on the individual level, but also on the collective level. This requires us to reconsider how our world is currently operating and how it is structured. The world has proved its fragility. The COVID-19 outbreak exposed the weak healthcare systems, dire economic challenges and increased unemployment rates and the climate crisis. All of which are threatening the lives of millions around the Muslim world. With every catastrophe, we witness huge losses and damages incurred by frontline communities , particularly our  most vulnerable who pay the highest price.

‘We have one planet and a shared earth that we must all inhabit. It is only when we come together, that we can begin to tackle the issue of climate change and it vulnerabilities, as humanity and as one Ummah’

Shahin Ashraf – IRW

On the other side, with these crises emerged heartwarming displays of compassion and genuine response. In the midst of catastrophic situations, such as the  COVID pandemic, the Beirut explosion and recent floods in Sudan and Indonesia, we saw numerous volunteer contributions and humanitarian campaigns supporting victims and neighbours helping neighbours. Proving once again that our Ummah is rich with courage and integrity, and its people rush to support the vulnerable and those in need when the situation arises.

We are striving for change, a systemic one that prioritizes social justice, equal opportunities and a better planet. A change driven by the Muslim youth, who are the leading force for a brighter future. 

Together, joining forces to rise for the Ummah from the Ummah.

This piece was originally published on Ummah for Earth on October 26th 2020.

Growing Gardens at the Islamic Foundation

By: Donna Lang

This year the Islamic Foundation of Toronto created a vegetable garden on their front and side lawns. They very much enjoyed planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting the fruits of their labour. The garden was funded by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Scotts Canada donated the soil. The grant was coordinated by Faith & the Common Good.

On September 10, 2020,the Islamic Foundation of Toronto held a picnic at Milliken Park, in Scarborough, in order to celebrate their very first vegetable garden. They used peppers from their garden to make spicy pickles, and they also made pasta sauce from the tomatoes they grew. 35 seniors attended. Sajeda Khan (Social Services and Senior's Program Coordinator, at IFT) gave a brief talk about the benefit of native plants and pollinators, and also the fact that less water is needed. Here is their gardening story:

IFT 2020 Garden Blog   

Donna Lang from Faith & the Common Good, Toronto chapter, helped with the project management and procurement of the soil and plants. There were 3 other gardens as part of the TD FEF grant; Holy Cross Parish, Shaarei Shomayim Congregation and Eglinton St. Georges United. Donna asked the garden leaders if Covid affected their gardens, and she was told " Not really. It meant that we had to stagger volunteers on planting day, and thus the planting took a bit longer, but the long hot summer and enthusiasm for gardening this year, more than compensated for this".

Next year, IFT plans to expand their gardens. 

Faith & the Common Good and EnviroMuslims Announce a New Project: Greening Canadian Mosques

The following is the press release from Faith & the Common Good announcing the launch of the Greening Canadian Mosques Project.

In keeping with our commitment to work with interfaith partners for sustainable communities, Faith & the Common Good (FCG) is delighted to begin a new partnership with EnviroMuslims (EM) to green Canadian mosques.

Islam holds high regard for environmental stewardship and sees it as a religious duty for Muslims to participate in the care of the planet. As such, there is growing interest from Islamic leaders in Canadian mosques to engage in sustainable practices and a need for support and guidance to set and achieve targets.

Thanks to generous funding provided by the Olive Tree Foundation, the Greening Canadian Mosques program aims to address this interest and empower mosque management teams, as well as mosque-goers, to understand environmental issues and take appropriate action.

“The overall objective is to understand what kind of support Canadian mosques need to embed sustainability in their operations, and the tools they need to identify, track and deliver resource efficiency opportunities,’ says Michelle Singh, Executive Director of FCG. “At the same time, the project will identify potential facility cost savings.”

There are over one million Muslims in Canada and over 903 mosques. One resource that the project will develop is a Toolkit designed specifically for Canadian mosques to improve sustainable practices, reduce carbon emissions, and reduce costs. As part of the development of the Toolkit, FCG and EM will be bringing together local sustainability experts and mosque leaders in a roundtable event to ask for their input on the resources developed.

“Mosques serve both as a place of worship and a place to generate economy, education, and social cohesion of the community,” says Areej Riaz, Lead Climate Programs at EnviroMuslims. “They can serve as an influential medium for spiritually and behaviorally congruent environmental sustainability interventions in Muslim populations, and for improving and maintaining a healthier environment.

The project launched on October 1, 2020, and will run until March 15, 2021.

Contact: Michelle Singh at msingh@faithcommongood.org for more information.

Download a PDF of the announcement here. 

Faith & the Common Good is a national, interfaith charitable network with a mission to harness the power of diverse faith and spiritual groups through education, capacity building, and collective action to build more resilient and sustainable Canadian communities.

EnviroMuslims is a group of Canadian Muslims working to engage with, educate, and empower the Canadian Muslim community to embed sustainable practices where they live, work, play, and pray.

The Olive Tree Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that promotes community development through the collection of endowed funds and charitable contributions to fund services for the long-term benefit of the community.

How Greening Sacred Spaces Energy Benchmarking Program Can Help Mosques Fight Climate Change in Ottawa

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the social fabric of our communities by exposing how some of the most important members of our community, for example the working poor and elderly, are disproportionately affected and made vulnerable by the pandemic’s effects. However, throughout this challenging time, we have also seen how the strength of our faith communities has brought hope and relief to those most impacted by this virus. Faith leaders and faith communities are playing a crucial role in providing essential services to people in terms of food, shelter, medical supplies, companionship and counselling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Climate change, brought about by the warming of our planet through the accumulation of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), is another serious challenge faced by society in which our faith communities can provide leadership and service to its communities. While, for many, faith organizations do not immediately come to mind as leaders of environmental sustainability, there are lessons that can be learned from spiritual teachings.

For example, in Islam the concept of “mizan” speaks to the importance of balance in one’s life, spiritually and in one’s relationships with others. The concept can be extended to include ecological balance and the importance of being good environmental stewards by protecting one of God’s most valuable gifts to man, our home, the Earth. As well, the Quran (21:32) states the following: "And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away."

In 2015, Islamic leaders, senior international development policy makers, and academics signaled to Muslims in their Islamic Declaration on Climate Change the importance of not turning away from our need to help the planet. These Islamic leaders and thinkers encouraged an active role in combatting climate change and working together towards reducing GHG emissions in order to create a climate resilient future.

Faith & the Common Good (FCG) is an organization that has heeded this call through its Greening Sacred Spaces (GSS) program. This long running program is designed to assist faith communities of all backgrounds with both the educational and spiritual dimensions of “greening” in the spaces used by the faithful for worship.

In 2019 Greening Sacred Spaces launched its Energy Benchmarking Program (EBP) in Ottawa. The EBP is designed to help communities play a role in mitigating climate change by encouraging practical and cost-effective activities that can be implemented by faith leaders and the faithful. This includes raising awareness of the harm caused by damaging our “protective ceiling” and by taking pragmatic steps such as examining the carbon footprint of our shared places of worship and implementing energy saving practices.

Understanding your current energy use is the first step in reducing it — you can’t manage your energy use if you don’t measure what your use is in the first place. Greening Sacred Spaces Ottawa is seeking participants for a free Energy Benchmarking program fully funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, City of Ottawa and Sustainable Capacity Foundation to help faith communities lower and track their energy use and emissions.

Energy benchmarking refers to the process of measuring a building’s energy performance against its past performance and other similar buildings. Because buildings typically account for 42% of a faith community’s carbon footprint, understanding your energy consumption is a vital first step to creating a greener, more sustainable community. Benchmarking provides information that enables you to more accurately assess the effectiveness of your energy-saving measures and better plan for future projects. In addition, it supports financial stewardship: benchmarked buildings on average reduce usage by 2.4% annually.

The Energy Benchmarking Program (EBP) was first launched as a pilot in Toronto in 2017 and has since successfully reached over a hundred GTA communities. Toronto area mosques have already seen benefits from participating, including Masjid Toronto. Thornhill's Jaffari Islamic Centre participated in the EBP as part of York Region. In 2019, the Jaffari Community Centre was presented with Faith and the Common Good's York Region Sustainability Award which is given to a faith-community in York Region in recognition of notable efforts to embed environmental sustainability actions within their community. Both mosques represent are good examples green-minded communities hoping to do their part to invest cost savings back into the communities, as well as participate in protecting the Earth.

In Ottawa, a total of 50 faith communities will receive an annual benchmarking reports. Data is compiled using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager® online tool – the same program used by Natural Resources Canada – to create a baseline report that shows your faith community how much money your energy use has cost for your building and information about your greenhouse gas emissions. What you choose to do with these reports is up to your faith community, however we are also here to answer any questions or concerns that the energy reports raise and link you to evidence based information on what your next steps might be.

In this respect the EBP program also provides participants with additional resources including energy-efficiency tools, links to energy audit funding, information on energy-saving incentives, and educational workshops. Our objective is to work closely alongside communities in identifying means of decreasing energy consumption.

To find out more about the EBP or to sign up your faith organization, visit https://www.faithcommongood.org/energy_benchmarking or contact Dr. Ruth Bankey at rbankey@faithcommongood.org or Emine Turgut at gssenergyy@faithcommongood.org.

This piece was originally published on Muslim Link on September 8th 2020.

What does Islam say about climate change and climate action?

By: Ibrahim Ozdemir

Muslims already have an environmentalist framework to follow. It is set in Islam.Many Muslim majority countries bear the brunt of climate change, but their cultural awareness of it and climate action are often staggeringly limited. 

A movement of “Islamic environmentalism” based on Islamic tradition – rather than imported “white saviour” environmentalism based on first-world political campaigns – can address both. And the post-COVID-19 lull in emissions is an opportunity to fast-track this.

It is a movement we sorely need. My home country Turkey, for example, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as temperatures are rising and rainfall is decreasing year on year, causing serious problems with water availability. In Bangladesh, it is estimated that by 2050 one in seven will be displaced by climate change, creating millions of climate refugees. In the Middle East, large areas are likely to become uninhabitable due to heatwaves likely to sweep over the region in the next few decades.

However, despite their vulnerability, many Muslim countries are contributing to the problem. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, is the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and is doing little to curb emissions. Bangladesh and Pakistan are the two most polluted countries in the world, but have taken no serious measures to address pollution. Inaction in the Muslim world persists despite a declaration by Muslim countries in 2015 to play an active role in combatting climate change.

You would think that those most affected by climate change would be the most eager to stop it. This is not always the case. Many Muslim countries are reluctant to impose Western concepts of environmentalism, or to bow to pressure from countries which have already gone through industrialisation without having to address pollution or curb emissions. Environmental colonialism is not the answer. 

What would work, and has been proven to work, is using the principles of Islam to encourage conservation in Muslims. 

Islam teaches its followers to take care of the earth. Muslims believe that humans should act as guardians, or khalifah, of the planet, and that they will be held accountable by God for their actions. This concept of stewardship is a powerful one, and was used in the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change to propel change in environmental policy in Muslim countries.

In fact, Muslims need to look no further than the Quran for guidance, where there are approximately 200 verses concerning the environment. Muslims are taught that “greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth”. The reality is that nothing could be more Islamic than protecting God’s most precious creation: the earth. 

It is this approach that can reach the hearts and minds of the 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, and it must be integrated with, rather than neglected by, the climate movement.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also demonstrated kindness, care and general good principles for the treatment of animals, which form a benchmark for Muslims. He outlawed killing animals for sport, told people not to overload their camels and donkeys, commanded that slaughtering an animal for food be done with kindness and consideration for the animal’s feelings and respect for Allah who gave it life, he even allowed his camel to choose the place where he built his first mosque in the city of Medina.

A 2013 study in Indonesia showed that including environmentalist messages in Islamic sermons led to increased public awareness and concern for the environment. In 2014, Indonesia issued a fatwa (or Islamic legal opinion) to require the country’s Muslims to protect endangered species.

There are also organisations dedicated to using religion to pass on the message of conservation, such as the Alliance for Religions and Conservation (ARC). One of its most successful projects used Islamic scholars to convince Tanzanian fishermen that dynamite, dragnet and spear fishing goes against the Quran – and they listened.

This case also tells us that remote, top-down moralising is unlikely to be effective. The fishermen had previously resisted bans from the government, but were persuaded once they were told that they were acting un-Islamically. One fisherman said: “This side of conservation isn’t from the mzungu [“white man” in Swahili], it’s from the Quran.”

Clearly, we need to speak the language of those whose behaviour we are seeking to change, particularly if that language is naturally averse to unsustainable policies.

Some Muslim thought leaders are aware of this and are eager to develop a “homegrown” environmental movement to emerge as thought leaders in their own right. For example, the Dhaka Forum this month ran a panel on post-COVID-19 environmental issues with the majority of speakers coming from the Muslim world.

Muslim countries have a head start in the climate race. They have a framework and a belief system which mandates protection of the earth and its natural resources. As Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a prominent proponent of the religion and environmentalism movement, argues, the desacralisation of the West has resulted in an ideology that humans have dominion over the earth, rather than stewardship of it, which is the Islamic view. Muslims must become guardians of the earth once more, for the sake of their environments and for the sake of God.

Ibrahim Ozdemir is a renowned environmentalist and professor of philosophy at Uskudar University, Turkey. Professor Ibrahim Ozdemir is former Director General at Turkey’s Ministry of Education, the Founding Vice-Chancellor of Hasan Kalyoncu University and presently Professor of Philosophy at Uskudar University.

This piece was originally published on Al-Jazeera on August 12 2020.

Islamic perspectives on environmental conservation

By Ahmed ElGharib

To mark the United Nations’ World Environment Day on June 5, 2020, Ahmed ElGharib, Assistant Researcher at the Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), highlights QBG’s contribution to preserving the environment and conserving natural resources

In 1972, to mark the opening of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the United Nations established World Environment Day. Since then it has developed into a global platform that is celebrated in over 100 countries – including Qatar – and encourages worldwide awareness and action for environmental conservation. It has become one of the main vehicles through which the UN promotes positive actions to safeguard our planet. 

This year’s World Environment Day is hosted by Columbia in collaboration with Germany, under the theme of biodiversity, a crucial topic, considering that one million plant and animal species are currently facing extinction due to deforestation and other harmful actions towards the environment. 

As a major oil and gas producer and a signee of several international environmental treaties, including the Paris Agreement, the State of Qatar has placed massive importance on environmental development, one of the four main pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030. This has manifested itself in various environmental awareness initiatives, animal protection projects, air quality monitoring programmes, as well as afforestation and agricultural work.

On World Environment Day, it is paramount that we – as individuals – also take a moment and reflect on the majestic ecosystems that we have been blessed us with and think about the ways that we can protect them. 

The Holy Qur’an contains over 500 verses concerned with the environment and sustainability, highlighting our sacred duty of taking care of the planet. Since our actions today will have consequences on future generations, we have a responsibility to make conscious choices and decisions that contribute to the well-being of the planet. 

How does this responsibility translate into our everyday lives? 
Firstly, it involves our actions as individuals regarding, for example, the consumption of food, hygiene practices, water usage, and waste disposal. Secondly, it should have a bearing on our relationships with others, so that we as individuals respect the sanctity of human life and promote the fair and ethical distribution of resources. Finally, we must uphold the sacred principles of environmental preservation and sustainability through our direct actions towards the environment, whether it be in the protection of animals, of plants and their natural habitats, or by safeguarding and recycling resources.

Islam is rich in references about the responsibility of Muslims to serve as custodians of the environment. Many verses in the Holy Qur’an describe the lush gardens, trees, and rivers found in Paradise that await believers in the afterlife. This signifies the importance and value of greenery not only on the planet during our earthly existence, but also in the hereafter. 

In fact, based on a Hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik (RA), the Prophet (PBUH), planting trees is considered an act of charity (sadaqa) through which the planet receives blessings from anyone who benefits from it: “There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him.”

This Hadith, and the Prophet’s (PBUH) appreciation for the environment, serve as a compass for QBG’s activities. The QBG garden’s inauguration during Ramadan in 2008 brought to life Qatar Foundation’s commitment to promoting greater public understanding of the plants, botanic terms, and conservation principles mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Hadith and Sunnah (Sayings & Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, marked the opening by planting the garden’s very first tree, the Sidra tree, the symbol of QF. The garden remains the first in the world to exhibit all 60 plant species mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, and in the Hadith and Sunnah. Since 2011, as part of QBG’s Ghars Campaign, the organisation has planted close to 1,900 trees, edging towards its goal of planting 2,022 in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In addition, the campaign is dedicated to promoting sustainable development and raising awareness of the importance of environmental responsibility, thereby contributing to the realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The QBG garden inspires an appreciation of nature and encourages respect and a sense of responsibility towards the environment. It is home to over 60 botanical species drawn from three geographical regions – desert, Mediterranean, and tropical. QBG’s Botanic Museum displays more than 120 botanical items, such as plant parts, traditional medicinal plants, as well as farming, food, and drinking tools. The garden is also home to a Herbarium and a Seed Bank Unit, where all plant species in the garden, along with their relevant data, are documented.

QBG continuously strives to emphasise Islam’s rich tradition of preserving the environment, and, to this end, regularly organise campaigns, events, fairs, and exhibitions, as well as horticultural and educational programmes for the general public, that encourage gardening, sustainability, and natural resource preservation. Just last month, QBG held a series of Ramadan activities, including webinars on food security and how medicinal plants assist in boosting the immune system, as well as informative Instagram sessions and daily competitions.

QBG is a member of Qatar Foundation. More information on QBG’s upcoming events and activities can be found on its social media channels on Instagram: Quranic_Botanic_Garden; Facebook: Qur’anic Botanic Garden, and on Twitter at @QuranicGarden

The Qur’anic Botanic Garden, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the first of its kind in the world announced to exhibit all the plant species mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, and those in the Hadith and Sunnah (Sayings & traditions of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH). The Qur’anic Botanic Garden was inaugurated by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, on 17 September 2008. 

To mark the event, she planted the Garden’s very first tree, the Sidra (Ziziphus spina-christi Willd, Sidr), which is also the symbol of the Foundation. The Garden exhibits the botanical terms mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, explaining the significance of their mention in the Holy Qur’an, as well as the scientific explanations of composition, application and usefulness to man. It inspires appreciation of nature by encouraging respect and responsibility for our environment.

This piece was originally published on Gulf Times on June 8 2020.

Grassroots Windsor group calls on Canadian Muslims to think green this Ramadan

Green Ummah was co-founded by students from the University of Windsor — including law student Aadil Nathani

As Muslims across Canada continue to fast during the holy month of Ramadan, a new grassroots community group in Windsor is calling on all Muslims to keep the environment top of mind when practising their faith. 

Dubbed "Green Ummah," the group was in part founded by students at the University of Windsor, and derives its name from the Arabic word for community.

"Green is self-explanatory," said Aadil Nathani, a third-year law student at the University of Windsor, and one of Green Ummah's founders, adding that Ummah is a term used to refer to the Muslim community. 

According to Nathani, the group's goal is to address "what we see as a holistic, intersectional approach that's needed to tackle something like climate change."

"And each community will deal with it differently," he said. 

For example, Nathani pointed out that Muslims can easily reduce their environmental impact by limiting the amount of water consumed during the Wudhu purification process prior to praying five times each day.

"The tap is typically running for about two minutes while you're doing wudhu, so we've encouraged people during the first week of our Ramadan challenge to conserve water during the time they're doing their wudhu," he said. "Instead of having the tap on full-blast, just have it run on half the blast of water that you can have."

Throughout Ramadan, Nathani said his organization has four overall goals, including conserving water, reducing food waste, and reducing energy consumption and one's overall carbon footprint. 

"Then for the last week of Ramadan, we're getting into a project where we want folks to start engaging with nature a little bit more," Nathani said. 

We want them to start getting out to the parks — once the parks get open obviously — while practising social distancing.

In addition to encouraging environmentally friendly thinking throughout Ramadan, Nathani said Green Ummah is also advocating for green gifts during the Eid celebrations that mark the end of Ramadan.

"Come the end of Ramadan, you have Eid, which is the celebration of Ramadan," he said. "It's customary to give out gifts to the young ones and to family members and loved ones."

Nathani said his group is partnering with local gardening stores to "provide discounts on seeds and garden kits to keep you busy throughout the summer."

He added that Green Ummah hoped to have more direct contact with mosques during Ramadan, but physical distancing rules brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have it difficult to do so. 

There is also an Islamic responsibility that we're trying to hone in on and touch ...- Aadil Nathan, Co-Founder, Green Ummah

"There's a large Muslim population in Ontario and in Canada — about one million Muslims in Canada," he said. "So we have a huge potential for impact here, if each person starts thinking in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way."

Nathani added that Imam Youseh Wahb with the Windsor Islamic Association is one of Green Ummah's founding members.

"As well as a human responsibility, there is also an Islamic responsibility that we're really trying to hone in on and touch, so that we can reach all of the different generations and start getting entire homes to be more sustainable and think more environmentally friendly," Nathani said. 

Early responses to the initiative have been promising, Nathani said, with some local schoolteachers even asking if they can share some of Green Ummah's material with their classes.

"It gets us thinking about directions that we can go in the future," Nathani said. "One of which is to hopefully work with schools and Islamic schools, on creating greener curriculums for them."

This piece was originally published on CBC News on May 11 2020.

EnviroMuslims Want to Make This Year's Ramadan More Eco-Friendly with Their Eco-Ramadan Challenge

By: Chelby Daigle

EnviroMuslims has launched its Eco-Ramadan Challenge, aimed at getting Muslims to think about making their Ramadan more eco-friendly.

Muslim Link interviewed members of EnviroMuslims about their organization and what they hope to achieve with this year's Eco-Ramadan Challenge.

Tell us yourselves

The three core members of the team are: Saba Khan, Sara Khan, and Areej Riaz. All three individuals have a passion for environmental stewardship and sustainability as well as community health and well-being, which is so closely tied to the realm of sustainability.

Both Areej and Saba have pursued degrees related to environmental sciences and sustainability. Saba holds a bachelor's degree in Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo, and Areej holds two Masters of Science degrees: one in Applied Carbon Management from the University of Glasgow and another in Environmental Sciences from Kinnaird College in Pakistan. Both are currently employed in the field of sustainability and climate change.

Sara holds a science degree from the University of Toronto, specializing in Computer Science. Over the years she has been involved in various large-scale community projects through groups such as Islamic Relief Canada, Muslim Welfare Centre, and MAX Mentors, and is leading the group’s projects related to social impact. 

While all three individuals are of Pakistani descent, we look to our community for diverse perspectives and ideas and encourage individuals who would like to volunteer with us, or have ideas for future programming, to get in touch.

How did you start EnviroMuslims? 

EnviroMuslims was an idea in the works for years. For some of us, we have studied environmental studies, sciences, and sustainability and pursued careers in the industry. For others on our team, although they pursued different career paths, the passion they have about social justice and the health and well-being of our communities tied directly to their desire to get involved in this group.

EnviroMuslims is a movement to engage with the Muslim community around our roles as caretakers of this planet - a gift that has been given to us by Allah swt and that we are responsible for caring for. Seeing the lack of inclusion and diversity in the realm of sustainability and considering the impact climate change has on diverse and vulnerable communities around the world, we saw an opportunity to engage with the Canadian Muslim community around an issue that is so important to our religion, as well as the health and well-being of our community and generations to come.

How did the idea for the Eco-Ramadan Challenge come about?

The idea of the Eco-Ramadan Challenge came from EnviroMuslims’ Climate Change and Environmental Programming Lead, Areej Riaz. Areej moved to Canada in 2019 and was devastated to see the plastic water bottles and food waste that littered a local masjid during the month of Ramadan. Her feelings resonated with the entire EnviroMuslims' team, and the Eco Ramadan Challenge was born.

With the COVID-19 pandemic halting gatherings and closing mosques across the world, the team knew this Ramadan was going to be different. The Eco Ramadan Challenge aims to bring the community together by introducing activities and resources to complete an eco-action every day of Ramadan from home, with the hope of encouraging a shift in behaviors within the community. By developing the Eco Ramadan Challenge, our group’s aim is to encourage individuals to consider the impacts our actions have on the planet and its finite resources, to examine alternative actions that can reduce our environmental footprint, and reduce our collective burden on planet earth.

How are you partnering with other Muslim organizations for this campaign?
 
While the development of the Eco Ramadan Challenge has been a team project, the support we have received by Muslim organizations sharing the Challenge on their social media platforms has been a true blessing. 
 
The Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council (AMPAC) helped us in creating a video for their Muslims of Canada video series, which we released on Earth Day. The video introduced EnviroMuslims as well as the Eco Ramadan Challenge.
 
We have also received support from our friends at Khaleafa, who have included the Eco Ramadan Challenge in their Green Ramadan Journal.The journal allows individuals to track their green goals along with goals related to prayer and health this Ramadan.
 
More recently, on Tuesday May 5, we had the opportunity to “take over” Green Deen Tribe’s instagram account. Green Deen Tribe is a group based in the United Kingdom who is currently featuring environmental groups around the world and showcasing what an ethical iftar looks like in different countries. EnviroMuslims had the opportunity to spend the day speaking about our work and showcasing the Eco Ramadan Challenge
 
The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the issue of air pollution as many cities are experiencing the cleanest air in years as so many people stay home. Does your campaign explore Air Pollution or other environmental issues related directly or indirectly to the COVID 19 pandemic.
 
The Eco Ramadan Challenge explores a variety of environmental issues related to water stewardship, energy conservation, food and plastic waste and climate conversations. These actions are not only ones that individuals can take within their homes during a time of physical distancing but can also be adopted past the pandemic and lead to a behavior shift in our community. In terms of direct actions that link to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an action that encourages families to make cleaning supplies made of natural, chemical-free ingredients. 
 
Through our social media channels, we have shared posts encouraging individuals to properly dispose of gloves and masks, as well as resources around the impact of disposing disinfecting wipes down toilets - a concern many municipalities across the country have shared, as the improper disposal of disinfecting wipes down toilets has increased the stress of our shared infrastructure. We are active in sharing tips, news articles and resources specifically around environmentalism during COVID-19 on our social media platforms.
 
We were also invited by the MYVOICE Canada team to speak to youth about post-pandemic life specifically around environmental sustainability. During this webinar we discussed issues related to our environmental footprint, and how the pandemic has brought to light the impacts humanity has on the natural environment. Watch the interview with EnviroMuslims by MYVOICE Canada below (It may take a few moments for the video to load from YouTube).

How can people get involved with EnviroMuslims?

We are always looking for like-minded individuals who share our passion about environmental stewardship and sustainability. If you are interested in volunteering or collaborating on one of our coming projects, you can reach us at enviromuslims@gmail.com.

You can also follow us on social media: Facebook: @EnviroMuslims, Twitter: @EnviroMuslims, Instagram: @enviromuslimscanada
 
Is there anything else you would like to add?
 
To us, it is important to share that environmental sustainability goes beyond caring for the natural environment: it is an issue linked closely to health and well-being, social justice, inequality, education, and indigenous sovereignty. It is important for us to share with our community that everyone has a role to play in this movement, regardless of your educational background, career, or lifestyle. Through our programming, we hope to introduce the Canadian Muslim community to a wide range of ideas, resources and perspectives to empower individuals to see the power we have to make a positive and eco-conscious change.

This piece was originally published on MuslimLink on May 10 2020.

The Crisis of Planetary Health: Reflections from the World Religions

By Mary Evelyn Tucker & John Grim,

The pandemic that we find ourselves in is an indication of how out of balance we are with our world. From what we eat to how we care for our bodies, the very basic habits of a healthy life are already significantly eroded. People wonder what has happened and why we weren’t prepared. We can say it is because we have created an illusion that we are not part of nature. We act as if we have conquered nature and can live in a fantasy world where food comes from supermarkets and water is in bottles. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the challenge is, how will we reconnect the lines back to planetary belonging and planetary health? Without this there is no insurance for human well-being as much as we talk about health insurance systems. As Thomas Berry said, “We can’t have healthy people on a sick planet.” We need healthy ecosystems as the basis of healthy lives. Where will clean water come from, clear air, vibrant soils, nourishing food, and flourishing oceans? These will not come from a deluge of chemicals and an unraveling of ecosystems on a planetary scale. We need new modes of Earth restoration, not endless technologies of extraction.

How did we arrive at this impasse? How is it that we are brought to our knees in a planetary pause that has enormous impact around the world? No one is exempt. No one is guaranteed safety. This is the great leveler. 

With the levels of uncertainty and panic rising we can hardly envision returning to a “new normal,” much less the endless consumption and indifference to inequities that has characterized life in the “developed world.” Will we wake up? Will we connect the dots between the coronavirus and related epidemics to the eating or treatment of animals? More than half of contemporary diseases (SARS, MERS, Ebola, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, etc.) have been connected to our relations with animals. Will we connect the dots to the devastation of the climate emergency that lurks in the background of this pandemic moment? Endless suffering, millions of refugees, droughts and floods, tumultuous weather and devastating storms. 

Where are the portals for change? Where are the values that may guide us forward? 

We are a people devoid of an ethics comprehensive enough and inclusive enough to encompass people and the planet in ways that are convincing and efficacious. The Earth Charter is one important declaration of an ethics of interdependence that can serve as an inspiring vision for integrating ecology, justice, and peace. 

As we transition to a more comprehensive and inclusive ethics, we can also call on the world’s religions for guidance in ways that bring them out of their human-centered concerns to reawaken to mutually enhancing human-Earth relations. Such relations are implicit in all the world’s religions. In collaboration with thousands of people and communities from around the world, the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology has endeavored to retrieve, re-evaluate, and reconstruct these relationships for the last 25 years. While the religions have their problems in terms of intolerance and other worldly concerns, they also have great promise for being a moral force for our collective planetary health.

As we survey the world religions, we can see the deep kinship in indigenous traditions, ecojustice in the western religions, duty (dharma) and devotion (bhakti) in the South Asian traditions, and humaneness (jen) and commonality in the East Asian traditions. 

Indigenous traditions around the world have upheld for millennia and still embrace cosmovisions of relationality of humans with the more-than-human world. The mutuality of dwelling within a world of living beings—birds, fish, reptiles, mammals—is honored among native peoples. How could others have lost this worldview of flourishing within a larger family of “all my relations”? How can that be recovered and re-lived in our modern world with respect and humility?

Western religions have always had a strong sense of social justice for humans, but the pull toward ecojustice is now palpable, although still to be fully realized. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam uphold the dignity of the human and are reaching now to include the larger creation—embracing land and creatures. To move toward stewardship in Judaism and Christianity and trusteeship in Islam means that the response to the beauty and complexity of life requires a sense of responsibility for its continuity. This is our greatest hope. Planetary health requires such a moral force along with science, policy, law, and economics.

The religions of South Asia have traditionally had a strong sense of doing one’s duty (dharma) and expressing devotion (bhakti) to one’s guru or god. These religious practices are being extended beyond the human to include duty for the protection and care of nature as well as devotion to the sacred rivers and trees. How can the Ganges and Yamuna, among the most sacred rivers in the world, have succumbed to massive pollution and eutrophication? The call for a renewal of the rivers and a cleanup of ecosystems is gaining traction in India and within aid organizations such as the World Bank. Trees, too, are valued. In the Chipko movement in the Himalayas, women embrace trees to prevent them from being cut down. In Thailand and Cambodia, Buddhist monks are ordaining trees to stop deforestation. 

In East Asia, both Confucianism and Daoism espouse a desire to harmonize with nature, to sense its endless variety and fecundity, and to bring humans into the rhythms of its dynamic flow, the Dao. Confucianism originally envisioned humans not as isolated individuals but as interdependent beings embedded within concentric circles of family, society, education, politics, nature, and the cosmos itself. Moral cultivation of the human aims not just at personal enlightenment or salvation, but at creating humane societies and political systems. Humaneness (jen) is the highest virtue leading to care for others and nature within a commitment to a common good. Humans are encouraged to work for a shared goal, an aim beyond the benefit of an individual. In a Confucian worldview that pervaded traditional China, all education and political offices were aimed at serving the larger public good with moral integrity and civic responsibility. These traditional values are being brought forward into an aspiration to create “ecological civilization” in China. 

All of these religious and spiritual traditions have something to say in our moment with its empty dogmas of hyper-individualism and monetary gain as the highest goods. None of the world’s religions would advocate this approach of personal profit at any cost, and yet this is a dominant ideology at high levels of politics and business around the world. 

The pandemic is calling for a radical change in these values. Can we awaken to our profound relationality with all life? We are in this together, and no one will survive by retreating into one’s own private gains versus a common good. We are a planetary people who flourish beyond the walls of nation states. A pandemic knows no borders. We need to join the Earth community if we are to survive and thrive. Is this not what our children are asking of us? And their children too? Is this not the urgent call of life’s continuity that speaks to us out of the deluge of sickness and death that surrounds us?

Surely we can answer this call and affirm the highest commitment of humans—to pave the way for a life of flourishing in future generations of all species. We might consider a new golden rule for all religions to articulate in their distinctive ways: To nurture the Earth in ways it has nurtured us. Let us embrace this with radical hope and joyful thanksgiving.

Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim teach at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School. They direct the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, which arose from ten conferences they organized at Harvard’s Center for the Study of World Religions. They are series editors of the Harvard volumes from the conferences on Religion and Ecology. Tucker specializes in East Asian religions, especially Confucianism. Grim specializes in indigenous traditions, especially Native American religions.

This piece was originally published on The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs on April 17 2020.

Let’s seize this opportunity to ‘flatten the curve’ of air pollution

While major news outlets track the number of illnesses — and deaths — caused by COVID-19, I have been looking for articles that report data on the concentration of pollutants used as indicators for air quality.

And in conversations with friends and colleagues I'm hearing comments about being able to breathe clean air and how being forced to slow our pace of life is Mother Nature's way of saying "That's it. Enough is enough. You're all grounded."

The daily rhythms of millions of people have been drastically changed as governments around the world have declared states of emergencies and lockdowns so that people go home and stay home. Granted, these measures are necessary and will be life-saving as they are based on advice from public health doctors and scientists. These measures will work for as long as people comply.

But will this heightened sense of awareness for our health continue once the coronavirus pandemic is under control, or will we go right back to polluting the air we breathe with nitrogen dioxide, ozone and fine particulate matter?

Surely, less cars on the street, less activity in factories and, in general, less carbon-intensive human activity have been reflected in the numbers of these pollutants since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Pollutant maps from NASA, the European Space Agency, and air quality monitoring stations showed drastic reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels over China, Italy, Paris, and San Francisco. Hence, when my colleague referred to breathing 'clean' air, he was talking about less pollutants and less particulate matter.

If the lockdowns happened during the hot and humid summer months, we would see a decrease — possibly an elimination — of smog episodes that also send vulnerable people to hospitals because they chose not to stay indoors to inhale filtered air.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, outdoor and indoor air pollution is the cause of over one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory disease, and one quarter of the deaths from ischemic heart disease. It is also responsible for the premature deaths of millions around the world and reduction in life expectancy. The largest susceptible groups are the young and elderly and those with chronic asthma and compromised immune system.

In general, human suffering and loss are devastating for any reason. Yet, it makes you wonder how humans in the 21st century rationalize their responses and action in the face of a pandemic such as COVID-19 compared to air pollution, which will get worse with climate change.

Is air pollution recognized as a public health issue in different countries? Yes.

Are statistics collected and published in reputable medical journals? Yes.

Does the WHO and the World Bank recognize air pollution as a 'invisible killer'? Yes.

Does the WHO call upon countries to take action to improve air quality for the health of their citizens? Yes.

Now that we know the causes of air pollution and that it will get worse with business-as-usual lifestyles that caused climate change, do we have the expertise and tools that will help us 'flatten the curve' of air pollutants and even squash it? Yes.

Once we pass the COVID-19 pandemic, which would have given us the best 'clean' air possible in metropolitan centres around the world, let's consciously and seriously decide to keep air quality and the health of the climate front and centre in our lives and political discussions.

Through a SMART action plan with specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely goals, we can improve the 'health of the economy' and the clean energy sector without compromising the quality of the air we breathe.

All is required is to make personal choices, vertical and horizonal co-operation and collaboration at all levels and maintaining the sense of interconnectedness locally and across borders that we acutely feel during these tough times.

Hind Al-Abadleh is a professor of chemistry at Wilfrid Laurier University and the 2019 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Atmospheric Chemistry, Air Quality and Climate Change at the University of California Irvine. She can be reached via email at halabadleh@wlu.ca .

Keeping the Faith

Faith-inspired sustainability specialist Kamran Shezad and Chris Seekings consider the role religion can play in tackling climate change and environmental breakdown

Pope Francis wrote of climate change in his second encyclical: “To develop an ecology capable of remedying the damage we have done, no branch of the sciences and no form of wisdom can be left out, and that includes religion.” 

Prominent Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu figures have also attempted to instil a spiritual imperative into the environmental discussion. With 84% of the global population religious-affiliated, harnessing these groups may be one of our greatest tools in tackling the crisis. Kamran Shezad, sustainability advisor at nonprofit Muslim organisation the Bahu Trust, explains how people of faith are taking environmental inspiration from religious texts .

Divine power

“Faiths connect with people’s emotions and personal lives, so are an excellent method of mobilising people,” Shezad says. “In addition to values and teachings, faith institutions hold a huge amount of assets globally and have the power to drive enormous change.” 

It is estimated that religious organisations control 50% of the world’s schools, 10% of financial institutions and 8% of the planet’s habitable land surface (source: Faith for Earth initiative). There are 37m churches, 3.6m mosques, and many thousands of synagogues and temples worldwide. “They own a huge amount of buildings, and so have to make decisions about how they use energy, water and distribute food,” Shezad explains. “They own half of all schools and educate a mass audience, and can lead by example on responsible land use.” 

Moreover, faith institutions have an estimated $3trn invested around the world, with their purchasing power becoming increasingly apparent. The Church of England holds many millions of pounds in oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell, but is now one of numerous religious institutions supporting divestment from fossil fuel companies. 

The moral high ground

Dr Fazlun Khalid is one of the most influential Islamic scholars on the environment, and founding director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecological and Environmental Sciences (IFEES). He drafted the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, which calls on all Muslims, “wherever they may be, to tackle the root causes of climate change, environmental degradation, and the loss of biodiversity”.

“As Dr Khalid puts it, ‘Islam is intrinsically environmental’, but that does not mean all Muslims are,” Shezad says. “For example, Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest producer of oil and one of the greatest contributors to carbon emissions and climate change.”

Only the US generates more oil, according to the country’s Energy Information Administration, and it is also home, ironically, to the world’s largest Christian population. “Environmental faith-based groups are overwhelmed by the dominant economic model in the US, while Saudi Arabia is dependent on a single resource,” Shezad says. “However, I think faith groups are beginning to reclaim the moral high ground.”

Currently, more than 43 faith-based organisations have accredited status with the UN’s Environment Assembly. These groups vary considerably in size, with some promoting initiatives in their local areas and others facilitating partnerships at national or international level.

The UK-based Faith for the Climate Network was launched in 2014 to encourage collaboration between faith communities and help boost their work on climate change. “Faiths acting together is a powerful witness to the wider world about our shared responsibility to care for creation,” says Lizzie Nelson, Faith for the Climate coordinator. “We know that the best way to engage people is not through fear, or telling people what they ‘ought’ to do, but by engaging with their core values and identity. This is how faith communities have such a key part to play in the wider climate movement.”

A common home

These partnerships mark a remarkable reversal of the tensions witnessed between competing religions throughout history, with the environment firmly at the heart of this paradigm shift. 

As part of The Time Is Now’s campaign on climate change, a mass lobby of the UK parliament was recently attended by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Rowan Williams, chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory board (MINAB) Qari Asim MBE, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg of the New North London Synagogue, Vishvapani Blomfield of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and Prubhjyot Singh from EcoSikh.

“So many narratives in the media around faith are negative, focusing on abuse, conflict or religious extremism,” says Nelson. “But faith inspires people to act and work together for the common good.” 

On a global level, the Faith for Earth initiative was launched by UN Environment in November 2017, with three main goals: to inspire faith groups to advocate for the environment, to make faith organisations’ investments and assets green, and to connect faith leaders with decision-makers and the public.

“Coming together for climate action is a practical example of what people of faith are already doing day-to-day for the planet, and a vision of how we want the world to be,” adds Nelson.

“The best way to engage people is not through fear, but by engaging with their core values”

Love thy neighbour

Footsteps – Faiths for a Low Carbon Future is a local grassroots organisation in Birmingham, bringing together various faiths to ensure the city is carbon neutral by 2030. It is also involved in the Brum Breathes campaign for cleaner air. “The impact is already showing great signs of its effectiveness,” says Footsteps chair Ruth Tetlow. “The ‘Golden Rule’ is a shared ethic across all faiths.”

Meanwhile, 18 of the Bahu Trust’s 22 mosques have installed solar panels and converted to renewable energy. Educational sermons have been developed, plastic-free events organised and community clean-ups of local streets carried out. This year, it published a joint statement with the IFEES and the MINAB urging all Muslims to divest from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy. “The Bahu Trust will now work with IFEES and MINAB to develop an educational programme for Muslim communities on how to ensure they are not invested in the fossil fuel industry,” says Shezad.

More examples include EcoSikh, which will this year plant 550 fruit trees along canals in England’s West Midlands to commemorate the 550th birthday of the Sikh religion’s founder Guru Nanak. And Christian Climate Action – inspired by Extinction Rebellion and religious teachings – has been carrying out acts of non-violent direct action demanding change. “Faiths have a long tradition of expecting their followers to take self-denying actions to care for the earth and those suffering,” Tetlow adds.

A call to action

Dr Iyad Abumoghli of UN Environment and founder of the Faith For Earth initiative is working to develop a formal coalition to strengthen engagement between religious leaders and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The coalition would be composed of a ‘Council of the Elders’, bringing together high-level faith leaders such as the Pope and Grand Imam of al-Azhar, while a 'Council of the Youth' would mobilise young faith leaders from every continent to act as global ambassadors. 

“Collaboration is Goal 17 of the SDGs,” says Jeffrey Newman, Rabbi Emeritus of the Finchley Reform Synagogue. “There is more that we share together than divides us, and we are now faced with the greatest potential calamity for life on Earth.”
CEOs of faith groups will also form part of the coalition, while a faith-science consortium of theologians, scientists and environmentalists will connect faith teachings to caring for natural resources.

“People argue that religion is incompatible with science and that they conflict with each other – I don’t buy that argument,” Shezad says. “Many of the greatest scientists of our time have been inspired by their faith and science. I would say that religious texts are complementary to science, and provide solutions to safeguarding the planet.”

Faith groups are also preparing for further international collaboration at next year’s COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow. “Faith for the Climate is beginning to gear up and make early preparations so that the network can efficiently lead its member organisations and ensure the faith presence is effective,” Shezad adds.

“Many of the greatest scientists of our time have been inspired by their faith”

One for all

Although the escalating climate crisis has helped bring groups together more than ever, collaboration between faiths is not that new. In 1986, Prince Philip – then president of WWF International – invited leaders of the world’s five major religions to discuss how faiths can help protect the natural world. Organisations like the IFEES and Alliance of Religions and Conservation have been active ever since.

The problem is that this has not translated into meaningful enough action among the upper echelons of society, particularly in the West. 

“In a lot of Western countries, politicians do not make the connection between environmental protection and religious texts,” says Gopal Patel, director of the Bhumi Project, a Hindu environmental group. “Political leaders from the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain backgrounds probably do make that connection more, but how much they care about protection of the environment compared to economic growth, now that’s another question. All sectors of society need to work to address the crisis.”

Although she does not practice a particular religion, conservationist Jane Goodall has spoken of a “great spiritual power” that she feels when out in nature, and this year called on all faith-based organisations to join the climate movement.

“The practical work on sustainability and protecting the environment is universal and does not require a faith belief,” Shezad explains. “In a conversation with Dr Khalid, a secular person questioned whether a ‘God’ would subject this planet to climate change. Dr Fazlun responded by saying: ‘Welcome aboard, let’s save the planet first and we can then argue about God.’” 

This piece was originally published on Transform on December 13 2019.