Title: The rise of Muslim ecological paradigm in the discourse of environmental governance
1The rise of Muslim ecological paradigm in the
discourse of environmental governance
- Dr. M. Saidul Islam
- Assistant Professor
- Division of Sociology
- Nanyang Technological University
- Email msaidul_at_ntu.edu.sg
2Outlines
- Background
- Environmentalism
- Ideology of Environmentalism
- Dynamic History, Static Positions
- Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- Conclusion
31. Background
- Each day humans
- consume 54 of the accessible runoff water on
earth - mine more materials from the earth than the
natural erosion of all earths rivers - add over 15 million tons of carbon to the
atmosphere - destroy 180 square miles of tropical rain forests
- create over 60 square miles of desert
- eliminate at least 74 animal or plant species
- erode 70 to 80 million tons of topsoil
- add around 1,400 tons of CFCs to the stratosphere
- Also
- Nearly 70,000 chemical products have been
introduced since World War II 1,500 new ones are
added each year. - Total U.S. production of chemicals amounts to
over 300 million tons annually. - In 1994, 22,744 facilities of U.S. released 2.26
billion pounds of listed toxic chemicals into the
environment.
41. Background
- RESULT? Planet in Peril
- Climate change, disaster vulnerabilities, loss
of biodiversity, fatal diseases, environmental
refugees - HOW TO ADDRESS? Environmental governance
- Sustainable development discourse
- Green discourse
- Ecological modernization
- Environmentalism
52. Environmentalism
- Environmentalism is one of the trajectories in
the study of environmental governance. - A broad philosophy social movement.
- Dynamic, pervasive, transnational and
multi-dimensional. - A social program
- Western in origin (?)
62. Environmentalism
1962
1970
72. Environmentalism
1801-1882
John Muir (1838-1914)
82. Environmentalism
Aldo Leopold (1887-1948)
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
93. Ideology of Environmentalism
- Human is not off nature, but of nature.
- Not above nature, but a part of it.
- From ego-centric to eco-centric life.
- Think globally, act locally.
- Spaceship earth.
- The common heritage of humanity.
- Pollution does not respect national border.
- We have not inherited the earth from our parents
weve borrowed from our children. - The tragedy of the commons
- The world is enough for everybodys need, but not
enough for one persons greed. - A shift from Human Exemptionalist Paradigm (HEP)
to New Ecological Paradigm (NEP).
104. Dynamic history, static position
- Common markers
- No clear beginning.
- Emerged as a response to the negative impacts of
industrialization on environment. - Histories were written by Americans.
- For the American audience.
- They all stop in 1970s.
- They disregarded Environmentalism of the Poor.
- No attention to the outdated and dark phases
of society and history.
115. Muslim Ecological Paradigm (MEP)
- MEP as a Philosophy
- More common than you think
- Earth (ard) appears 485 time in the Quran
- Charity to creatures has rewards
- All creatures have similar rights over nature
- Preservation of water is a worship
- Islam forbids water pollution
- Islam forbids air pollution
- Islam endorses the transformation of wilderness
into agriculture and cattle pastures - Earth as the first mother
- Humans have rights over the earth, and the earth
has the rights over humans
125. Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- Kindness to animals not to kill animals for
amusements - Moderation in life neither luxury nor
miserliness - Kindness to animals is an article of faith
- Two stories in prophetic tradition
- Hima (wildlife conservation) in Islam
- Islamic science no tension between science and
nature - Islam on consumer waste
- Purity of human life
- Improving greenery
135. Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- MEP as a movement/activism Change through
actions and movements - Intellectual movement led by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
(George Washington University) - Green Muslims, Green Iftaar, Green Dinner
(Washington DC) - Eco-Halal (Muslims in Chicago)
- Green Mosque (The ADAMS Center in Virginia,
5,000 families) - Green Ramadan, Green Khutbah (Council of
Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago) - Green Haj (Islamic Foundation for Ecology and
Environmental Sciences, UK) - Eco-warriors, First Eco-City (Indonesia)
- The worlds first Islamic conservation guide
(Zanzibar, Africa) - The first Muslim Theology of the Sea, (written
and designed by Fazlun Khalid and Ali Thani, was
published in May 2008 by IFEES).
145. Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- Some Muslim Organizations Focusing on
Environment - Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ISESCO) - Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America
- Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc
(IRFI) - World Federation of Muslim Youth
- LINE (London Islamic Network for the
Environment) - The Seyyed Hossein Nasr Foundation
- Islamic Relief Worldwide
- Islamic Environmental Club
- Muslim Associations for Climate Change Action
(MACCA) - Wisdom in Nature (WIN)
- The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and
Environmental Sciences (IFEES) - Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC)
- Africa Muslim Environment Network (AMEN)
155. Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- Environmental groups/organizations in the Arab
world - Arab region as a whole
- Arab Water Council (AWC)
- Regional Organization for the Protection of the
Marine Environment - 2. Jordan
- Jordan Badia Research and Development Centre
(BRDC) - Jordan Environment Society (JES)
- Jordanian Environmental Watch Program
- The Jordan Society for Sustainable Development
(JSSD) - The Jordanian Network For Environmentally
Friendly Industries (JNEFI) - The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
(RSCN) - Wild Jordan (WJ)
- 3. Kuwait
- Eco-Environmental Consultants
- Environment Public Authority
- ROPME Regional Organization for the Protection
of the Marine Environment Kuwait - The Kuwait Turtle Conservation Project
165. Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- Environmental groups/organizations in the Arab
world - 4. Qatar
- Friends of the Environment Center
- Law No. 30 of 2002 Law of Environment
Protection - Qatar Chemical Company Ltd.
- Qatargas Company
- RasGas Company
- The Supreme Council for the Environment and
National Sanctuaries - Saudi Arabia
- Arabian Environmental Science Ltd Company
(Arensco) - Environmental Technology Management Association
- Saudi Arabian Water Environment Association
- Saudi Gulf Environmental Protection Co. (SPECO
Environment) - 6. United Arab Emirate
- Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital
- Environment Agency Abu Dhabi
- Global Engineering Systems FZC
175. Muslim Ecological Paradigm
- Environmental groups/organizations in the Arab
world - 7. Yemen
- Water and Environment
- 8. Egypt
- Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency
- 9. Tunisia
- The Mediterranean Renewable Energy Centre
(MEDREC) - 10. Oman
- Environment Society of Oman
- 11. Bahrain
- Universe Environment Bahrain B.S.C.
186. Conclusion
- There can be an ontological alliance between
modern environmentalism and MEP. - Environment will be the most crucial issue in
international relations and for the future world.
- Solidarity with MEP?
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