The Rise of Eco-Islam: Environmental Organizations and Religious Identity
Kayan Khraisheh
MIT 398: Environmental Communication | Northwestern University in Qatar
Introduction
In recent decades, the world has seen the rise of faith-based
organizations in tackling issues of sustainability and climate change,
specifically those following Islamic ecotheology (Rizk, 2014). Across the
Western world, Muslim youth are leading environmental movements
grounded in their religious beliefs (Saniotis, 2011).
Research Question
How are environmental organizations, operating in Western countries
with a clear Muslim identity, using religion to encourage environmental
sustainability?
• I chose Islam as it is the fastest growing religion, and the world's
second-largest religion (Lipka & Hackett, 2020).
• Focusing on organizations based in Western countries allowed me to
analyze the use of Islam in primarily secular and Christian countries.
Literature Review
Islamic Environmental Ethics
Islamic scripture is rich with references to the Earth and the environment.
Some of the main takeaways from the Islamic perspective towards the
environment are as follows:
• As the planet and all its creatures were created by and belong to God,
they must be protected and treated with honor (Mohamed, 2012).
• Humans are stewards of the Earth; they have been given the
responsibility to care for the planet & its inhabitants (Mohamed, 2012).
• The other creatures on Earth were created for a greater purpose than
just serving humankind, so they must be respected (Mohamed, 2012).
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prohibited wastefulness and extravagance
(Mohamed, 2012). He exhibited compassion towards animals, respect
for plants and trees, and a reverence for life (Foltz, 2000).
Method
I selected four of the most successful Islamic environmental
organizations in the West:
• Green Muslims, a volunteer-driven group based in Washington, DC,
founded in 2007 (Green Muslims, 2021).
• Faithfully Sustainable, a non-profit organization founded in 2020 in
New York (Farhat, 2020; Faithfully Sustainable, n.d.).
• Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES),
a UK-based charity that was established in 1994 (IFEES, 2021).
• Khaleafa, a Muslim environmental group based in Canada, founded
in 2011 (Khaleafa, 2021).
I analyzed the organizations based on three factors:
• Audience
• Strategy
• Use of religion (on their websites & social media platforms)
Analysis - Similarities Analysis - Differences Conclusion
Ramadan and Eid Audience Regardless of the approach, all four organizations have gained
All four organizations recognized the holy month of Ramadan and the Faithfully Sustainable is the only organization to primarily target a international recognition for their creative and successful initiatives.
subsequent holiday Eid al-Fitr as opportunities to encourage an already specific community: BI&POC (Black, Indigenous & People of Color)
mobilized Muslim community to adopt eco-friendly behavior, as this is a Muslim youth in New York. While Green Muslims targets Muslim youth The eco-Islam movement will continue to grow, alongside the rise of
month in which they are already increasingly conscious of their groups and Islamic centers in Washington D.C., they also aim to benefit faith-based environmental organizations associated with other religions.
responsibilities as Muslims. This manifested through projects, Muslims globally. IFEES and Khaleafa both deliberately target the global Learning the most effective way to utilize religion to shape
campaigns, and resources centering on sustainable behavior during Muslim community and are not locally-based in any way. environmental attitudes and inspire eco-friendly behavior is becoming
Ramadan and Eid. increasingly important as we continue to face exigent environmental
Projects threats (Chuvieco, 2012).
Stewardship Green Muslims, Faithfully Sustainable and IFEES engage in a
All four organizations invoked stewardship - the responsibility bestowed combination of virtual events/work and projects on the ground. While
upon humans by God - in their vision and goals (Green Muslims, the former two only host events in Washington D.C. and New York
Khaleafa) or their projects and communication (Faithfully Sustainable, respectively, IFEES has established projects in various countries around
IFEES). This is unsurprising as stewardship is one of the key Islamic the world. Khaleafa operates completely virtually, with all their projects
doctrines utilized by proponents of the eco-Islam movement fully accessible online. Year Founded Key Initiatives
(Mohamed, 2012).
Social Media
Education Faithfully Sustainable engages in the most deliberate and successful use • Zero-trash potluck iftars
All the organizations placed an emphasis on education about Islamic of social media, using their platform to promote their work, to educate Green • Ramadan Calendar, Ramadan
environmentalism through the provision of resources, although to and to encourage activism. While Green Muslims and Khaleafa don’t Muslims
2007 Toolkit & Leftar Poster
different extents. IFEES offers the most extensive resources. Faithfully really use their platforms to educate, they do use social media to • Green Scripture Project
Sustainable is also very thorough, with their social media platform as a promote their events and resources. IFEES’s use of social media is very
whole acting as a vessel for knowledge. Khaleafa’s resources page is infrequent, likely because their focus is on international networking and • #NoEidShopping campaign
Faithfully 2020 • Various webinars & virtual
somewhat underdeveloped, but they have a library of resources in the large-scale projects.
works. Green Muslims is the most minimal in terms of educating and Sustainable events
providing resources. Use of Religion • Islamic Declaration on Global
Faithfully Sustainable and IFEES are very explicit in their use of religion Climate Change
Mosques on their website and social media platforms. Both frequently use verses • “Qur’an, Creation and
IFEES and Khaleafa have both launched projects or campaigns that use from the Quran, sayings from the Prophet (PBUH), and specific Conservation” crash course,
mosques to model change. They have recognized that a mosque references to Islamic teachings. In comparison, Green Muslims and IFEES
1994 used globally in Islamic
implementing eco-friendly practices can set an example for the rest of Khaleafa are relatively minimal in their use of Islam, with only the
Environmental Ethics workshops
the community. Moreover, Imams - influential Muslim religious leaders occasional mention featuring in specific sections of their websites and
• Schools4Trees program
who are often referred to as sources of wisdom and guidance - can social media.
• Farm Islam project
spark important discussions about sustainability and the environment in
their sermons.
• Green Khutbah Campaign
Khaleafa 2011 • Green Ramadan Campaign
Map Key Additional Information
Contact: kayankhraisheh2022@u.northwestern.edu
1) Green Muslims - Washington, D.C., United States of America
2) Faithfully Sustainable - New York, United States of America
Acknowledgements: Professor Rania Masri, instructor of MIT 398:
3) IFEES - Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Environmental Communication.
4) Khaleafa - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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