20 September 2019
As the week of action to demand action for climate justice kicks off today, 20th September, Harun Khan, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said:
“Islamic environmentalism is embedded in the matrix of Islamic teachings, with The Qur’an providing lessons on how human beings relate to the natural world and how we must protect it. Whatever faith or background, care for our environment and steps to tackle climate change must bring communities together to save our planet.
“Mosques and Islamic centres have recently launched campaigns to encourage environmentalism – from caring for and cleaning up local environments, to introducing green initiatives like the use of reusable crockery.
“The global climate strike on 20th September is an opportunity to reflect on the small steps Muslim communities have been taking to tackle climate change. We must also use this opportunity to plan for the huge leaps that need to be made by all – individuals, communities, businesses and the government – to change our culture to be more conscious of the impact our actions have on our planet, and to foster understanding about what we can do to combat the impact of climate change.
“Governments in particular must show leadership in this area. While the UK has taken some steps to introduce green policies – from levies on plastic bags to meeting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – policymaking must be bolder and go further. This is, of course, a global task, and not something that can be solved by individual governments.
“More leadership is also needed from Muslim-majority countries, implementing the environmental practices of The Qur’an, for example by diverting energy production towards more renewable sources and phasing out the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles.”