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Eco-Islam: Environmental Health Ethics and Islam
IFEES, Birmingham, UK
Goals of Meeting
• Establish relationship with IFEES• Present UM objectives and approach• Seek advice and guidance from IFEES• Learn about IFEES projects & objectives• Determine areas of collaboration between UM and IFEES
Meet the Team• Amir Abdelzaher : Environmental Engineering PhD Fellow, University of Miami (May 2010)
• Helena Solo-Gabriele: Associate Dean of Engineering , Professor of Civil, Arch., Environmental Engineering, University of Miami
• Lora Fleming : Professor of Epidemiology/Public Health ,Dept of Epidemiology & Public Health , Miller School of Medicine Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries at RSMAS, University of Miami
• Stephen Sapp: Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, University of Miami
• Bader Al-Issa: Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Student, University of Miami
• Noha Abdel-Mottaleb: Neuroscience, Undergraduate Student, University of Miami
• Raehanna Karmally: Ecosystems Science and Policy Undergraduate Student, University of Miami
Project Objective
• “Develop and apply an approach to motivate Muslims through Islam to increase their practice of EHE (Environmental-Health Ethics)”– EHE focus areas: • Water (water conservation, water quality, wastewater
disposal), Solid waste and Personal hygiene.
– Secondary areas• Air pollution, food safety, sustainability etc…
General Aims
1) Examine the foundational Islamic texts (i.e., Qur’an & Prophetic example & Scholarly works) to determine how they have been or could be utilized to encourage ethical environmental health decisions amongst Muslims.
2) Design specific strategies to tackle current environmental health challenges in the context of the Islamic Community.
Specific Aims #1
• Review of Environmental-health issues in Muslim communities (with focus on EHE focus areas).
WHO, 2008
Specific Aims #2
• Review of Quran, Ahadith, Objectives of Law, derived Law.
Islamic Environmental MaximsA Quranic perspective
1) The Environment is Created by Allah.2) The Environment is Sustained by Allah.3) The Environment is a Sign of Allah to me4) Environment Is in worship of Allah 5) Environment is entrusted to me6) I will be held accountable for this trust (responsibility) of the
Environment7) Allah is all Knowing (All seeing, All hearing, Watchful of all
that I do).
Defining the Environment as All perceptible creation of Allah
Prophetic Guidance
• 'Amir b. Sa'd reported that a person asked Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas about the plague, whereupon Usama b. Zaid said: I would inform you about it. The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: It is a calamity or a disease which Allaah sent to a group of Bani Isra'il, or to the people who were before you; so when you hear of it in land, don't enter it and when it has broken out in your land, don't run away from it.
3286البخاري, 5903مسلم •
Objectives of Islamic Law
• Objective of the Law-Giver’s as stated by Ibn Al-Qayyim: “The fulfillment of the interests of people in their worldy life and their afterlife”
• Major objectives are the preservation of: Religion, self, intellect, progeny, and wealth.
• Dr. Mustafa Abu-Sway mentions that protection of the environment is a major aim of Islamic law (3).
Specific Aims #3
• Describe approach based on Islamic Spirituality to encourage the practice EHE.– Core of the problem is a spiritual crisis (lack of connection
with Allah)• Love of world, greed, bad character, etc… • Souls need to be ready to receive Law.• Muslim is not only to do but to become.• This is the sustainable, comprehensive solution to EHE issue.
– How to purify soul: The Tazkiya (purification) cycle• Knowledge, repentance, Mujahada (struggle against lower self)
Specific Aims #4
• Develop and apply a beta program which will utilize concepts to directly motivate EHE to a specific target group.– Bayan Training Institute, Cairo, Egypt– GSA Private School, Boca Raton, FL, USA
• Introduce campaigns– I.e. “Sweep my arrogance away”
Future Research
• Further develop Eco-Islam handbook and Assess through surveying and other means the impact of the developed program
• Expand programs to include other target groups and different approaches: training workshops, children’s book, etc..
