Because Allah Said So

In previous blogs I have shown specific movements within religion, but how about a green movement with the spread of religiosity. In 2006 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace proclaimed Islam to be the fastest growing religion, and with the growth eco-friendly innovations. But first a little background...

  The Qu'ran is the holy text of Islam, it is the physical promotion for Muslims to follow a code of eco-friendly lifestyles. In the Qu'ran Allah gives responsibility to humans to protect His creations. This a very different concept from other religions because Christians were given land to use as they will, and Hinduism and Buddhism see everything as unified, but Muslims create a new paradigm. In this paradigm Allah has not produced animals, plants, and resources to be consumed and used at will, but rather entrusts beings with guardianship over the natural world. Not control or use, but protection. This enforced by Muhammad's teaching of "The world is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you his guardian over it".

 

Now the growth of Islam, and even the revival of practice in predominately Muslim locations like Iran has encouraged a spreading view of a protected ecological world.

Muslims follow the ideology of Akrah (accountability) and know that one day Allah will judge and hold them accountable for their actions, and whether they have indeed been guardians of the natural world. In order to combat carbon emissions (particularly during hajj) the Mekkah Metro will travel to Mecca, this is a new product of Muslim growth. Since over three million Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia every year to participate in hajj, since this is a particular event to Muslims the idea of increasing harmful pollutants was protested.

The metro isn't the only thing that is changing up the pilgrimage to Mecca, but during the meeting of International Islamic Green Movement Osman has suggested full plans to renovate the experience. This includes not just traveling, but creating "eco-friendly" materials for travelers that are biodegradable. Other potential changes are banning the use of disposable plastic water bottles, and holding workshops to teach environmentally conscious decisions.

The Qu'ran also addresses the issue of consumptions saying that "Allah does not love wasters".

   

In the International Islamic Green Movement meeting of 2006 a plan was put into action to develop a variety of eco-friendly mosques. This particular mosque is Singapore's first eco-friendly mosque equipped with solar tubing, roof top gardens, sky lights, sensor lights, water tap regulation controls, prayer partitions made of entirely recyclable material, and is fit with a "green" wall. This is only one example of an eco-friendly mosque, even the controversial mosque near ground zero would have been another addition to the environmentally friendly Islamic movement.

This is just a small touch on what the growth of Islam is doing for the environment, after all the practice of Shariah is to protect animals from cruelty, conserve the forest, consume the necessities, and regulate limitations on city growth. If a Muslim is to follow the duties Allah demands than Shariah is key to Islamic practice.

Jordan Carlson

The Big Green Jewish Movement!

A New York Jewish community launched a program in 2004 called "Tuv Ha’Aretz" which means "good for the land and best of the land". This program is the partnership between a synagogue and a local organic farmer. Between the religious leaders of the synagogue and the farmer an agreement of share has been made; while they pre-purchase so much produce for the season, it ensures that the farmer has a market and that the Jewish community can gain from cheaper organic produce.

 

The basic local idea is to remote organic farming by leading with action, the do as I do concept. In the broader context this "movement" is helping preserve farmland, create protection for surrounding wildlife and water sources from pesticides, and its building a stronger community around this ideology.

 

In 2009 this program had branched out to roughly 32 organized agreements just in the US and Israel alone. During this survey in 2009 it was recorded that more than 1 million dollars in the US of Jewish purchases was funding organic food. Now a member of Tuv Ha’Aretz organizes a Jewish Farm School, that promotes environmental education and practices that for sustainable agriculture.

This movement is strikingly different from the "Ecological Monks" and "Chipko" because their religious pretense was for unity of all living things. This natural obligation is a major aspect of Buddhism and Hinduism, but is not necessarily stressed in Jewish text like the Torah. It is interesting that the organization was founded not on obligation or expectation, but an ideology that this movement will better the world. And it is interesting that both the Hinduism and Buddhism movement was focused around the protection of nature by protesting, where this movement was all about developing a beneficial organization that helps the local farming market, while still gaining from the inexpensive produce, and promoting a worldwide message of preservation.

-Jordan Carlson