By The ISNA Green Initiative Team

May/Jun 25

Fresh air is not as fresh as many may think. A majority of the world’s population is exposed to polluted air. It is one of the world’s largest health and environmental concerns and is the second-largest risk factor for early death according to a recent report by the Health Effects Institute.

Those living in cities with chronically bad air have no choice but to inhale toxins. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), while air quality varies dramatically depending on specific location, natural geography, and other key factors, about 99% of the global population at some point has been exposed to air that doesn’t meet the organization’s standards for air quality.

“Clean air is a human right. Unfortunately, it is not a reality for a large proportion of the world’s population,” said Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the WHO Public Health, Environment, and Social Determinants of Health Department. 

Air Pollution and its Impacts

Air pollution is the introduction and contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by harmful materials. Inhaling fine particles is among the most damaging form of air pollution to human populations. The tiniest of these particles, measured as PM 2.5 (less than 2.5 microns in diameter), can travel deeply into the human respiratory system. The most common sources of PM 2.5 include vehicular emissions, industrial pollutants, and particulates created by fire, especially crop burning in rural areas. Coarser particles, known as PM 10 (less than 10 microns diameter), are linked to agriculture, roadways, mining, or simply wind. Air pollution is also caused by other factors like forest fires and volcanic ash. The Clean Air Act, environmental protection legislation initially enacted in the United States in 1963, lists 187 hazardous air pollutants which are defined as any chemical, physical, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities, and forest fires are common sources of these pollutants. 

The combination of outdoor and indoor particulate matter and ozone is one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, lung cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These pollutants not only take years from people’s lives but also infringe substantially on the quality of life for those struggling to breathe polluted air.  

According to the United Nations Health Agency, air pollution kills about 7 million people every year. For the millions living in some of the world’s smoggiest cities – New Delhi, India, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bangkok, Thailand, Lahore, Pakistan, and Jakarta, Indonesia – bad air is inescapable. During the winter of 2024, smog in New Delhi and Lahore were the highest ever recorded on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Schools and other institutions were forced to close and respiratory illnesses spiked. A recent analysis by the U.N. children’s agency found that more than 500 million children in East and South Asia breathe unhealthy air. 100 children under five die every day as a result of this toxic exposure.

About 7 million people die every year due to ambient or household air pollution. Research shows that those at the greatest risk from particulate air pollution include:

• Individuals who are pregnant 
• Infants, children, and people over the age of 65
• People with respiratory illnesses
• People with cardiovascular disease
• Black, Indigenous, and other people of color
• Current or former smokers
• People from low-income backgrounds
• People who are obese or have diabetes.

Most air toxins originate from manmade sources such as automobiles, industrial facilities, and small area sources. Stationary sources like power plants, chemical manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, and steel mills also emit air toxins. Air toxins are also released from natural sources such as large forest fires. 

But the burden of air pollution remains greatest in low and middle-income countries. Indoor pollution rates tend to be highest in low-income countries due to a reliance on solid fuels for cooking and heating. Outdoor air pollution tends to increase as countries industrialize and shift from low to middle income economic status. 

Primary Causes of Indoor Air Pollution

• Wood, coal, or fuel-burning combustion appliances
• Tobacco products
• Building materials and furnishings such as:
  • Deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation
  • Newly installed flooring, upholstery or carpet
  • Cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products
• Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies
• Central heating and cooling systems including humidification devices
• Unvented malfunctioning appliances
• Outdoor sources such as:
  • Radon
  • Pesticides
  • Outdoor air pollution

Other sources of indoor air pollution include outside air, natural ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. Pollution can enter the home through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors. 

Air movement associated with infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between the indoors and outdoors and by the movement of wind. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the area. When there is little infiltration, the air exchange rate is low, and pollutant levels increase. Pollutant concentrations can also remain in the air for long periods of time. If too little outdoor air enters indoor locations, pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. 

Indoor Air Quality and Environmental Justice

Neither is the problem of air pollution isolated to communities in Asia. The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2024 report found that despite decades of progress toward clean air, 39% of Americans live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, a number that was up from the previous year. 

In U.S. counties with the worst air quality, 63% of the nearly 44 million residents are people of color. 

This discrepancy reflects the systemic environmental injustice toward the people of color in the United States. It negates The Principle of Environmental Justice (EJ) as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Solutions to this environmental injustice in communities of color in the United States require that the state and local governments involve the affected communities in devising and implementing local solutions for environmental health problems including the persistent problem of poor air quality.  

There are many ways individuals can reduce their role in the creation of air pollution. These include using public transportation, reducing energy consumption, moderating waste, and using air filtration and purification systems to improve indoor air quality. Additionally, to protect their own respiratory health, people can limit outdoor activities when air quality is at unhealthy levels and stay informed about real-time air quality conditions using apps.

However, the problem of air pollution requires the collective efforts of individuals, communities, and governments worldwide. Governments must facilitate the investment in energy-efficient power generation, improve waste management, and promote greener and more compact cities with energy-efficient buildings. Universal access to clean, affordable fuels and technologies including building safe and affordable public transport systems is necessary to reduce air pollution in vulnerable communities across the globe. 

There are many ways an everyday person can work toward a cleaner future. Join local grassroots organizations focused on environmental justice, urge your representatives to push clean air policies, run for office and be the change you wish to see in the world. We must work towards a future where clean air is a fundamental human right, and every individual can live a healthy and fulfilling life.

The ISNA Green Initiative Team is your voice to advocate a better environment for all. We would appreciate your support for raising the voice for clean air for all.

The ISNA Green Initiative Team is Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza, and S. Masroor Shah (Chair).

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By the ISNA Green Initiative Team

Mar/Apr 25

In its “Global Plastics Outlook,” The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that around 380 million tons of plastic waste is produced annually worldwide and 43 million tons of plastic come from consumer products that mostly end up in landfills. As such, plastic is an integral part of human life, but plastic waste is among the worst forms of pollution to the environment, human health, and/or to other animal species. No doubt some uses of plastic are unavoidable. There are many legitimate industrial and medical uses for the substance. For example, many medical procedures require plastic tubing and other uses of plastic material. Diabetic patients also require  single-use plastics for insulin and plastic straws are cheap and convenient for those recovering from injury as well as those with a permanent physical disability. Because of the need for plastics in these vital medical procedures, going plastic-free would be impossible. 

However, abuse and/or misuse of plastic as a convenience product produces waste at an alarming level. An example is the excessive use of plastic bags around the globe. The proliferation of single use plastic bags has caused severe environmental damage. They rip, tear, and float away in the slightest breeze and are a hazard for the environment and wildlife. They are not biodegradable and can therefore cause environmental toxicity for generations. 

Between 75 to 199 million tons of plastic waste ends up in our oceans, damaging the marine ecosystem with possible long-term ecological consequences. Improper disposal of plastic waste also results in soil contamination. Further damage is done when these plastics release harmful chemicals as they break down, affecting soil quality and  harming plants, animals, and microorganisms. Sadly, most of this waste  is generated in impoverished countries where garbage collections are unreliable or non-existent. In these communities, most plastic waste is incinerated in homes or on streets or in small dumps without environmental controls. As with the manufacture of plastics, the burning of plastic waste produces greenhouse gases, releases cancer-causing dioxins, and causes particulate pollutants that are incredibly damaging to human health.

Domestic animals are often fed food embedded with plastic. In India, many cows and buffalos die every year eating discarded food wrapped in plastic bags. In September 2019, the New Delhi Zoo’s last cape buffalo died after eating a plastic bag. Marine animals are also at risk as they can easily ingest or become entangled in plastic debris. Plastic pollution disrupts ecosystems by affecting the balance of various species and the frequency of their interactions. Overall, plastic debris in natural habitats leads to changes in biodiversity, nutrient cycles, and ecosystem function. 

Addressing an intergovernmental panel on Oct. 28, 2024, in Cali, Colombia, UN Secretary General António Guterres stated, “Plastic pollution is everywhere – all around us and even inside us – from our seas to our blood to our brains. We are choking on plastic.” 

Micro and Nano Plastics (MnPs)

Plastics also exist as microscopic and nano particles released from larger products. They are invisible to the naked eye and are seen as a critical problem for climate change by many due to this lack of visibility. 

Microplastics are defined as fragments smaller than 5 millimeters while nano plastics are smaller than 1 micrometer. Together, they are referred to by the acronym MnPs. Recent studies indicate that they are in the air and dust we breathe, the water we drink, the rain and snow falling from the sky, the food we eat, the paints we use, and the cosmetics we wear. 

MnPs slough off from dental aligners, toothbrushes, food packaging, takeout containers, plastic bottles, and in building infrastructure. They are also released from synthetic clothing, plastic fabrics, plastic carpets, and furniture. Other sources of MnPs include fertilizers, soil, irrigation, and food crops. Yearly, billions of vehicles worldwide shed an estimated 6 million tons of tire fragments, accounting for 28% of microplastics entering the environment globally.

Scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow. The health hazards that result from this accumulation  are not yet well-known though recent studies are suggesting microplastics could increase the risk of various conditions such as oxidative stress which can lead to cell damage and inflammation, as well as cardiovascular disease. 

Efforts to Reduce Plastic Use

In 2022, UN member states agreed on a resolution to end plastic pollution. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was assigned to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution to be finalized by the end of 2024. On Nov. 25, 2024, members of this committee met in South Korea to finalize this Global Plastic Treaty. Despite the deadline, no agreement was reached, and discussions were left to be continued in the coming year(s).

To get ahead of the game, many countries and some states in the U.S. banned plastic bags. In February 2024, Ireland introduced the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The program levied a refundable tax on plastic bottles that is given back to consumers once they return their empty containers. Similar initiatives have been adopted in many European countries, and the results are astonishing. For example, the recycling rate of plastic bottles in Norway is 97%.  

HUID, a startup based in Oban, Scotland with support from the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, is developing eco-friendly packaging made from onion skins. Onion skins have antimicrobial properties, meaning the packaging could help extend the shelf life of perishable foods. Though promising, this project is still in its early phases and it  will take some time for it to become commercially viable. 

In the U.S., on Oct. 28, 2024, Southwest Airlines announced that it was introducing a new cold cup consisting of 93% non-plastic materials containing a pulp blend of 75% bamboo and 25% paper with polyethylene lining. The airline expects to reduce in-flight single-use plastic by more than 1.5 million pounds annually.

Ramadan Resolution – Limiting Exposure to Plastic 

“But waste not by excess: for God loves not the wasters” (Quran 6:141).

Considering the health and environmental hazards of plastic use, as Muslims we can take a moment to reflect on our own actions and explore ways to make Ramadan practices more sustainable and more eco-friendly. In the spirit of our responsible stewardship of the Earth, we should act to minimize carbon footprints and to preserve the blessings of nature for future generations. Small changes will make a positive impact by incorporating sustainable practices into daily life during and beyond the holy month of Ramadan.

Consider adopting the following steps:  

• Avoid single-use plastics – utilize non-plastic straws, plates and cutlery alternatives, when possible.
• Rethink food storage; use stainless or glass containers, when possible. Do not use plastic baggies, plastic wrap, plastic storage containers, or materials such as Styrofoam. 
• Use reusable shopping bags. 
• Avoid using cosmetics that contain microplastics
• Use refillable water bottles instead of disposable, plastic bottled water.
• Use bars of soap instead of liquid shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, or  hand soaps.
• Avoid microwaving food or beverages in plastic containers.
• Do not put plastic in the dishwasher.
• Recycle all plastic containers.
• Look at the recycling code on the bottom of product packaging to find the plastic type and avoid plastics with recycling codes 3, which typically contain phthalates.

The ISNA Green Initiative Team appreciates the minimization of the use of  plastics to safeguard our collective health and protect the only environment we have.

The ISNA Green Initiative Team includes Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza, and S. Masroor Shah (chair).

The post Envisioning a Plastic-Free Ramadan appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

by Uzma Mirza

Jan/Feb 25

Green buildings are designed and built with a more thoughtful, inclusive, holistic, and systems-based approach that takes long-term environmental and human impacts into consideration and offer a solution. They have been shown to reduce energy use by up to 50%; reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33%; and reduce solid waste by up to 70%, and, and reduce water use by 40%percent. They also and lower maintenance costs by over 10% and can significantly increase the occupant satisfaction with human, economic and environmental benefits. 

Designing a Green Mosque 

The greenest mosque is one that is retrofitted, or an existing building renovated into a mosque. This strategy minimizes the embodied energy of its material use, and helps maximize its inhabitants’ comfort and well-being, while minimizing energy consumed. 

There are four climate regions in the U.S.: cool, temperate, hot-arid, and hot-humid. Understanding climate zones helps determine energy-saving passive design strategies, which vary by region. The following is a brief guide to of what will necessarily be a complex strategy, depending on the climatic region.

• Orientation. This means to position a building in relation to the Sun’s path during winter and summer based on the climate zone to optimize heat gain It should be oriented east/west to improve control of heat gain and shade. A south-facing façade factors heavily in passive designs, especially in cool regions. Having orientation options for a building allows one to reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 80 percent.

• Site/ Landscape features to advantage. A passive solar design considers summer/winter comfort and careful positional location of the structure based on the building’s climate region and shade requirements. Shading and evapotranspiration from trees, shrubs, and ground cover lower surrounding temperatures up 6℉ and reduces the asphalt paving and heat island effects. Use landscape windbreaks (i.e., deciduous trees) for shading, and evergreens for protection against the wind. Xeriscaping for water conservation and landscaping is good in arid regions.

• Energy Efficient Building Envelope. The building’s exterior walls and roof are important in passive design. Depending on the climatic region, use good thermal ratings for exterior walls and to enhance air quality. Use cool roofs or green roofs that feature reflective materials as a light colored, or a garden roof. Manage stormwater runoff from the roof. Vent pitched roofs to avoid heat loss. Install vapor barriers correctly. Use a modular building design.

• Wind. Design the building first to naturally ventilate. Wind generally moves at 10-15 mph, thereby creating positive and negative pressures on a building that impacts air leakage in and out. Use the “Chimney Effect,” which is an internal wind. Hot air rises and cold falls due to the differences in atmospheric pressure. This effect can be used to create a naturally comfortable temperature within the mosque by taking advantage of the movement of air from  the top to the  bottom of the building due to temperature variances. 

Materials and Best Green Practices

High-efficiency windows are those that are properly installed and air-sealed, thereby creating a good thermal performance. Typically, double-glazed or triple-glazed windows with insulating glass composed of air, argon or krypton gas between panes and a low-E coating are considered high-efficiency. By preventing radiant heat from crossing the window plane, they improve window performance and minimize a building’s energy consumption.

Interior materials should be selected with an eye towards low emissions to include low-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which eliminate material  off-gassing and thus result in healthier indoor air. The interior materials’ recycled content and end-of-life recyclability should also be considered in order to reduce future waste to landfills as well as lower the extraction of virgin natural resources for mosque construction -also called the embodied energy of a product. Using sustainable building materials like bamboo, recycled steel, and low-VOC paints is therefore an essential component in green mosque construction and should be a priority for all new builds as well as retrofit projects. 

Harvested rainwater and site runoff from roofs and other horizontal surfaces can be reused on the property itself. This recycled water can replace grey or black toilet water if permitted by the local jurisdiction. The construction and implementation of systems to collect and reuse rainwater for ablution or irrigation is, therefore, crucial for greening Islamic centers.

These practices can be integrated with purchased energy from fossil fuels, or electricity and natural gas, to keep buildings comfortable. This purchased energy can then be applied to such mechanical system components as air-conditioning, heat pumps, radiant heating, heat recovery ventilators, electric lighting/LED, and Energy Star-rated appliances. 

Integrating energy systems generated from renewable energy sources, such as solar power systems, wind turbines, biomass energy, hydropower, or geothermal sources is an integration strategy that will maximize green energy usage in mosques for the foreseeable future, “[c]onventional electricity generation is a significant source of emissions and the single largest source of U.S. air pollution. Green Power generates less” (EPA). 

Green power refers to environmentally preferable energy and technologies garnered from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal, and hydropower. Biomass, or organic plant and waste materials can also be applied to energy consumption in lieu of coal, oil, natural gas, or nuclear energy. Replacing each kilowatt hour (kWh) of traditional power with renewable power eliminates more than one pound of emitted carbon dioxide (EPA).

Green-e-Energy and Carbon offsets

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) certify energy products as green in a competitive electricity market. These tradable instruments, used to meet renewable energy targets and comply with energy policies, can be purchased directly through a green electricity supplier or via local or state government vendors. An REC certificate represents the generation of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity from an eligible renewable energy source (Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) | US EPA). Onsite green power systems can be installed directly on site or purchased outright or via a third party  Each method leads to green energy generation or green energy credit via the accumulation of RECs.

Carbon offset practices help organizations lower their emissions by storing carbon to reduce GHC and a different instrument than a RECs., i.e. land/forest restoration used to store GHC in trees/soil, and trees stabilize soils, afforestation increases biodiversity. 

Designing a green mosque should apply a good mix of both passive and active strategies, and should take into account the most appropriate  renewable energy sources based upon the climate and government policies of the mosque’s specific community. This mixed approach should also include, the purchase of green energy certificates and carbon offsets to reach the goal of building a zero-energy mosque. 

Finally, it is highly recommend that community leaders contract professional consultants at every stage of this process. 

Therefore, a green mosque is one that uses as little energy as possible, by first minimizing embodied energy of the building’s materials, and minimizing energy use with passive design and on-site power generation. Then renewable technologies and active design can be applied to generate power for internal use in addition to power pulled from the grid. 

Next, carbon emissions can be minimized by using outside renewable sources to reach a net-zero building via green power as RECs and offsets. Hence, we need to move towards net-zero buildings, remaking the local mosque into a “building that has low embodied energy, energy efficient, does not emit greenhouse gases and powered solely by clean energy.”

Honoring God

Building green mosques reflects the community’s gratitude to God for the gifts He has temporarily blessed humanity with as part of His mercy. The environment in which we live and which we call home is an intrinsic part of these gifts. Thus, we must regain control of our nafs (self) and remember to balance our carbon and ecological footprint when designing our mosques in order to instill green values  in our spiritual centers. In so doing, we would be participating in  a revival of the Prophet’s (salla Allah ‘alayhi wa sallam) sunnah. 

Uzma Mirza a registered/licensed architect and is LEED AP BD+C certified member of the ICC and AIA, and the ISNA Green Initiative team. That team includes Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, and S. Masroor Shah (chair).

The post How to Create a Green and Eco-Friendly Mosque appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By the ISNA Green Initiative Team

Sep/Oct 2024

The barbaric and genocidal onslaught in Gaza, among the worst cases of slaughter and destruction in history, has been extensively covered in the media and Islamic Horizons. It now sits in the top quartile of the most devastating bombing campaigns, as evidenced by a group of satellite images taken from the U.S. space technology firm Maxar Technologies (Julia Frankel, Jan. 11, https://apnews.com/).

Environmental and Ecological Impact

The coastal territory’s orchards, strawberry fields, and sandy beaches that were once the Gazans’ pride are now a dehumanizing landscape of military bases, craters, and ruins. Two-thirds of the land in northern Gaza was agricultural, but not much of it is left. Israeli bulldozers have razed fields, destroyed centuries-old olive trees, and orchards to clear a buffer zone more than one-kilometer-wide (0.6-mile) inside Gaza along the northern border between Israel and Gaza. 

The army has built dikes and earthen mounds to protect its tanks and clear the view. In addition, 2,000 agricultural buildings have been razed — including 90% of all the northern districts’ greenhouses. 

According to a June 18 United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report, the Gazan slaughter’s environmental impact has created unprecedented soil, water, and air pollution problems that have destroyed sanitation systems. Explosive weapons have generated some 39 million tons of debris. Each square meter of Gaza is now littered with more than 236 pounds of debris. The report also found that water, sanitation, and hygiene systems are now almost entirely defunct, because Gaza’s five wastewater treatment plants are no longer operational.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that 67% of Gaza’s water and sanitation system, poor at the best of times, has now been destroyed (Jon Donnison, June 21, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd119dz515wo).

A study titled, “A Multitemporal Snapshot of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Israel-Gaza Conflict,” conducted by an international team of researchers and published on June 6, details the significant environmental impact of the ongoing genocide. Co-authored by Benjamin Neimark (senior lecturer, Queen Mary University, London) and Patrick Bigger (research director, the Climate and Community Project), it provides a comprehensive estimate of the ensuing enormous greenhouse gas emissions. This report says the additional emissions associated with rebuilding Gaza are projected to be higher than many countries’ annual emissions (www.researchgate.net/).

Environmental and ecological impact is among the immense problems that Palestine will have to deal with in the coming decades. The planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of Israel’s genocidal campaign was greater than the annual carbon footprint of over 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. In addition to its water supplies and food security already being threatened by sea level rise, drought, and extreme heat, Israel’s indiscriminate bombing has rendered Gaza’s environmental situation catastrophic. 

During this and previous military campaigns, Israel has prioritized weaponizing water, gas, electricity, and other resources. It has also targeted the environment by destroying essential infrastructure. For instance, during the genocide’s first days, Israel limited Gaza’s water, electricity, and fuel supplies. As electricity and fuel are essential for water pumps and desalination, raw sewage continues to flow into the Mediterranean Sea (Zeinab Shuker, Dec. 19, 2023, www.tcf.org).

Besides the severely damaged public water supply systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and drainage networks, the toxic oil and other chemicals leaking from demolished plants into surface and groundwater has brought risks of soil erosion and triggering long-term health disasters, including sanitation crises and the spread of waterborne diseases. 

The rockets and missiles not only cause immediate humanitarian crises, but also have long-lasting hazardous impacts worldwide. Specifically, toxic residues, including those from metals, plastic, and electronic waste, heavily contaminate the soil with widespread pollution. As a result, local agricultural areas will suffer from desertification, soil erosion, and land degradation. 

Since 1967, Israel’s military actions have induced the uprooting of over 2.5 million trees — more than one million of which were olive trees — an essential source of income in the region. This ongoing destruction of native trees and crops has worsened the habitat fragmentation of local species and accelerated biodiversity loss and desertification. 

Heavy bombardment has not only decreased the amount of human habitat, but has also increased air pollution, as toxic and hazardous compounds are released into the environment from burning buildings and industrial facilities. Green spaces and agricultural land have also been heavily damaged. The generational and other profound health effects in children are unknown. The same goes for how exposure to toxic chemicals affects pregnant women. 

Ana Rule, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told Grist.com, “These microparticles can be kicked up by footfall or vehicles or lofted to other places on the wind” (https://www.scientificamerican.com, Jan. 29). Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to climate solutions and a just future.

Inhaling silica, a key ingredient in cement and glass, also increases the risk of cancer. The long-term projections of cancer and pulmonary diseases will not be known for some time. These typically have lag times. For cancer, it’s 20 to 40 years, a period that could be accelerated by repeat exposures. Intensive bombing, demolition, and damage to multistory buildings has spread huge amounts of cement particles and other particulates over both Israel and Egypt. These will be inhaled by people and deposited on farmland, with as-yet long term and unknown dire consequences.

The Future

Air and water pollution, as well as soil contamination, have no geopolitical boundaries and thus also affect global natural resources and ecosystems for generations. Therefore, recognizing the urgency of environmental preservation and ecological responsibility even amid warfare is crucial. 

Forty public health scientists have called for an immediate cessation to the violence. The authors have drawn attention to the urgent need to rebuild Gaza’s health care system and restore the physical and human infrastructures that make a livable environment possible and promote human health and well-being (Environmental Health, June 28). 

In addition, these individuals say that environmental remediation should form one of the most important parts of international effort to assist reconstruction, through which it is hoped lasting peace could be achieved. Health and sustainable development are among the accepted international human rights obligations. 

They have also urged that the global community support Gaza and the Palestinians in its post-war recovery and reconstruction, including the rebuilding of the health system, the remediation of environmental pollution arising from Israel’s extensive use of weaponry, and the implementation of population-wide mental health programs to address the current, future, and intergenerational effects of trauma.

Sadly, the quieting of the bombs and guns will merely mark the end of one chapter of Gaza’s suffering. Once this genocide ends, the UN and the international community must find a way to launch and scale up reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Such a collective commitment to post-war environmental restoration will contribute to a sustainable and resilient future by rebuilding the linkage of global well-being and environmental governance.

In Palestine, there will be a special need for investment in water storage facilities, both for domestic consumption and agricultural use. Ecosystems will require additional protection, because saltwater will likely push into coastal aquifers. Endemic species are now under threat (Israel and Palestine are part of the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot, https://tcf.org/). The Mediterranean Basin hotspot is home to about 515 million inhabitants, 33% of whom live on the coasts. But Gaza’s in a weaker position than ever before for providing any of these protections. Any lasting peace in Gaza must go beyond a ceasefire and political solution, difficult as the latter may be to attain. Peace will also require environmental justice.

Given that climate change doesn’t recognize borders and political arrangements, Israel will also experience environmental degradation. For instance, Ashkelon (originally al-Majḍal), a mere eight miles from Tel Aviv (originally Yafa), one of Israel’s desalination plants has been shut down several times during the past few years due to pollution from Gaza. As the genocide will increase the amount of pollution in Gaza, Israel’s water security will also be jeopardized. Without enabling the Palestinians to protect their own environment, Israel cannot protect itself from a cross-border environmental disaster.

The current movement among universities to divest from those companies that produce these armaments and supplies to Israel is encouraging. We, as supporters of peace and justice for the Palestinians and other oppressed people, should raise our voices against production and profiting from such destructive armaments. A sovereign Palestinian state must be established as soon as possible so that its people can live with dignity, honor, and peace. But this can only be achieved if the U.S. becomes an honest broker. For a lasting peace to hold, environmental justice must be part of any solution.

ISNA Green Initiative Team members include Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza, and Saiyid Masroor Shah (chair)

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The post Pollution Knows No Boundaries appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By ISNA Green Initiative Team

May/Jun 2024

Since the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), lead has been used extensively due to its easy melting and molding properties. Among other uses, it was the material of choice for water transmission in urban areas. Scientists and health professionals’ warnings about the health risks were always ignored. 

In 2016, Flint, Mich., made global headlines after it was revealed that its children’s blood-lead levels had nearly doubled since the city started pumping in drinking water from a new source without properly treating it. Even the ancient Romans knew that lead could make you sick. All health experts, including scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“Health Effects of Lead Exposure,” www.cdc.gov/) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, agree that there is no safe level of exposure (“Lead Exposure in Children,” www.aap.org). While it’s toxic to everyone, those at greatest risk for lead poisoning are fetuses, infants and young children because their brains and bodies are rapidly developing and more easily absorb lead than do those of older children and adults. But adults are also at risk, particularly from cardiovascular disease due to lead exposure.

High levels of lead exposure can be serious and life threatening. In children, symptoms of severe lead poisoning include irritability, weight loss, abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting and seizures. Adults with lead poisoning can experience high blood pressure, joint and muscle pain, difficulty with memory or concentration and harm to reproductive health. Even moderate to low levels of exposure — which might cause subtle symptoms — can produce serious harm, among them hearing loss, anemia, hypertension, kidney impairment, immune system dysfunction and toxicity to the reproductive organs. Low levels of exposure can interfere with thought processes and lower a child’s IQ and cause attention and behavioral problems, all of which affect lifetime learning.

The EPA acknowledges that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and lead that leaches from water pipes and fixtures, especially lead service lines (LSLs), is a major source of dangerous lead exposure nationwide. To address this threat, the Safe Drinking Water Act requires the EPA to specify treatment techniques for controlling lead and copper in drinking water that “would prevent known or anticipated adverse effects on the health of persons to the extent feasible” (www.federalregister.gov/documents). However, for more than three decades, EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) of 1991 has proven to be a porous safety net that allows unsafe levels of lead to persist in drinking water systems, resulting in a long string of lead-in-drinking-water crises in many cities and towns, which have fallen hardest on the most vulnerable, particularly children living in lower-wealth communities and communities of color. 

The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures. Certain pipes that carry drinking water from the water source to the home may contain lead. Household plumbing fixtures, welding solders and pipe fittings made prior to 1986 may also contain lead. 

Lead can enter drinking water when a chemical reaction occurs in plumbing materials that contain lead. This is known as corrosion — dissolving or wearing away metal from the pipes and fixtures. This reaction is more severe when water has high acidity or low mineral content. How much lead enters the water is related to its acidity or alkalinity, the types and amounts of minerals it contains, the amount of lead it encounters, its temperature, the amount of wear in the pipes, how long the water stays in pipes and the presence of protective scales or coatings in the pipes.

Steps taken during the last two decades have reduced some exposures to lead in tap water. These steps include actions taken under requirements of the 1986 and 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act and the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule. 

Even so, lead in water can come from homes with lead service lines that connect the home to the main water line. Homes without lead service lines may still have brass or chrome-plated brass faucets, galvanized iron pipes or other plumbing soldered with lead. Some drinking water fountains with lead-lined tanks and other plumbing fixtures not intended for drinking water (e.g., lab faucets, hoses, spigots, hand washing sinks) may also have lead in the water.

The EPA has recently embarked on its development of the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) to “protect public health and fully and equitably meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act” (www.federalregister.gov/documents). We strongly support the LCRI’s stated goal of replacing 100 percent of lead service lines within 10 years. As the EPA notes, where present, LSLs are the predominant source of lead in drinking water. Fully removing these pipes is the most effective and permanent method of reducing their contribution to lead in tap water. 

Many large water systems have already removed their lead service lines in less than a decade, and it has been demonstrated to be technically possible and affordable already in multiple cities. Moreover, the EPA has found that lead service line replacement within 10 years is feasible for more than 96 percent of water systems. Therefore, it’s feasible to remove all lead service lines within a decade.

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states, “While some progress has been made over the years, much more still needs to be done. The EPA has estimated that 6 million to 10 million lead service lines are in use across the county. This means that countless families across the country get their water from pipes that are made of a chemical — lead — that can harm them. And these burdens may fall disproportionately on the shoulders of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color” (“Millions Served by Water Systems Detecting Lead,” May 13, 2021, www.nrdc.org).

The EPA’s ground water and drinking water website states, “EPA requires all community water systems to prepare and deliver an annual water quality report called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for their customers by July 1 of each year. Contact your water utility if you’d like to receive a copy of their latest report. If your water comes from a household well or other private water supply, check with your health department, or with any nearby water utilities that use groundwater, for information on contaminants of concern in your area. To learn how to find lead pipes, called service lines, in your home. Protect Your Tap: A quick check for lead is an on-line step by step guide It also provides tips about reducing exposure to lead in drinking water and how to get your water tested for lead and resources to learn more” (www.epa.gov/).

Acknowledgement: EPA ground water and drinking water website (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water).

ISNA Green Initiative Team: Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza and Saiyid Masroor Shah (chair)

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By Huda Alkaff

Mar/Apr 2024

During Ramadan, Muslims ideally sacrifice some of their own comfort while focusing on compassion, mercy and charitable giving to the hungry, thirsty, poor and disadvantaged. However, while one can fast from food and water for specific periods of time, our bodies cannot fast from air because clean air is the most life-giving force upon which we rely. In Islam, the breath is related to a person’s physical and spiritual life. Deep breathing can be very helpful in managing one’s physical, emotional, and psychological problems.

That’s why as we work for healthy food and clean water for our communities, we also need to demand clean air for all. This is especially true for our friends and family who live near busy highways, ports and distribution centers choked by toxic air pollution from the daily deluge of truck traffic. 

The air pollution that causes asthma and lung disease, which kills thousands every year, has many causes. However, toxic diesel exhaust from trucks is particularly dangerous, for it is also an egregious form of environmental injustice that overwhelmingly hurts low-income people and people of color. According to the EPA, over 70 million people across the U.S. live within 675 feet of major trucking routes and thus experience higher rates of exposure and health risks. Because those highways and warehouse distribution centers have historically been concentrated in or near low-income communities, people of color, children, and the poor disproportionately bear the brunt.

Wars are an additional challenge, for, as Jennifer Dathan has stated, “Explosive weapons can devastate a landscape. They can reduce buildings to toxic rubble and destroy long-cherished trees. They can contaminate the soil for decades and cause poisons to leach into once healthy rivers. They can decimate ecosystems and disturb the harmony of nature. They kill humans and animals without reflection and tip the world out of balance” (“The broken land: The environmental consequences of explosive weapon use,” July 3, 2020, reliefweb.int).

Culprit Trucks 

Diesel-burning trucks are also a climate disaster. Even though heavy-duty vehicles make up barely 5% of all vehicles on the road, they contribute more than 25% of greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation sector. This is already the largest contributor to carbon pollution in the U.S., not to mention a major source of other air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and deadly particulate matter. In Wisconsin, for example, transportation contributes to even higher emissions — over 30% of our state’s greenhouse gas emissions are from cars and trucks. In cities like Milwaukee, our communities are pushing for stricter emission standards, a transition to cleaner electric trucks and buses and a more robust and sustained support for public transit.

Wisconsin Green Muslims, a grassroots environmental justice group formed in 2005, connects faith, environmental justice, sustainability, and healing through education and service. They are working with partners like the Clean Air for the Long-Haul Cohort, a national coalition of environmental justice organizations working collectively to advance environmental justice by seeking emissions reductions in the power and transportation sectors. The Cohort creates and coordinates campaigns to amplify the voices and positions of overburdened communities in federal rulemaking; actively champions adopting and enforcing clean air and climate justice policies that reduce emissions of toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; and protects the health of Black, Brown, Tribal, Indigenous, and low-income communities.

In addition to working on a new clean trucks rule that will make real pollution cuts to trucks on the road today, the EPA is creating incentives to shift new heavy-duty truck sales toward zero-emission models across the next decade. It is also investing in a robust expansion of roadside high-speed charging infrastructure for trucks. 

The public health benefits of an aggressive transition to electric freight are huge — fewer asthma attacks and hospital visits, not to mention less risk to children’s healthy development. The American Lung Association estimates that if truck fleets electrify by 2050, the cumulative benefits could include $735 billion in public health benefits thanks to cleaner air, 66,800 fewer deaths, 1.75 million fewer asthma attacks and 8.5 million fewer lost workdays (www.lung.org). 

Numbers Make Sense Too

The economics are also smart: After a few short years, electric trucks pay for themselves because maintenance costs are significantly lower and owners can bow out of paying for expensive diesel fuel. Electric truck purchasers now get up to $40,000 in tax rebates under the Inflation Reduction Act, and these trucks are becoming cheaper every year as battery prices decline, economies of scale improve, and the relevant technology matures. 

It also helps that when given a chance, drivers love the new electric trucks. They are quieter, don’t emit noxious fumes, give off less heat, have fewer vibrations and overall provide a much smoother driving experience. “I’m so used to the vibration of the sound, the noise, the exhaust, the fumes, the heat coming out of the bottom of the cab …and now it’s a whole totally different story. This change is going to benefit everybody,” one California driver recently shared, during his first test drive with an electric rig. 

Now the EPA can protect environmental justice communities overburdened by toxic diesel pollution and support the drivers, who spend up to 14 hours a day in their trucks, by crafting the strongest, science-backed standards possible to limit greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollution from heavy-duty freight. The Biden administration must send a clear signal to manufacturers to invest in zero-emission electric models sooner to protect the health of highly impacted environmental justice communities everywhere. A faster transition to clean electric power on our roads is already here. We just need to keep it going. 

Moreover, the EPA must craft the strongest possible rules to safeguard environmental justice communities overburdened by toxic diesel pollution. We were disappointed to hear yet another delay in finalizing a critical climate and public health rule. We urge the Biden administration to rise above industry interests and prioritize alleviating the cumulative environmental and health burdens of transportation pollution that has plagued our communities for generations. The EPA must finalize strong standards that limit greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollution from the heavy-duty vehicle sector to send a clear message to manufacturers for zero emission electric models, and, ultimately, ensure clean air and protect the health of overburdened environmental justice communities as soon as possible. 

Huda Alkaff is an ecologist, environmental educator and the founder and director of Wisconsin Green Muslims. This grassroots environmental justice group intends to educate Muslims and the public about Islam’s environmental justice teachings, apply them in daily life and contribute to collaborations and coalitions working toward a just, healthy, peaceful and sustainable future. https://wisconsingreenmuslims.org/

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By The ISNA Green Initiative Team

Mar/Apr 2024

COP28 (Conference of Parties signed under the UN Climate Change Conference [UNFCC]), held in the UAE from Nov. 30-Dec. 13, 2023, was awash with flashy country pavilions, corporate-sponsored cocktail parties, and a smorgasbord of side events — so much so that some said the annual UN climate summit was more of a trade show or circus. 

There was controversy even before the opening, such as news reports that COP president Prince Sultan Al Jaber, UAE’s oil minister, had used the access to governments worldwide as an opportunity to negotiate oil and gas deals. He was even caught on tape ridiculing the idea that science called for a fossil fuel phaseout.

The event, hosted at a $7 billion venue furnished by oil wealth, accredited more than 2,400 fossil fuel industry lobbyists, which dwarfed the participants from the 10 most climate-vulnerable countries combined. Some 85,000 attendees, including more than 150 heads of state and government, were sprinkled among the representatives of national delegations, civil society, business, Indigenous peoples, youth, philanthropy and international organizations in attendance. It was a far cry from the first event in Berlin in 1995, a low-key affair with fewer than 4,000 delegates focused on multilateral climate change cooperation. 

The global stock take text lays out the pathway that nations must take to limit global warming to the previously-agreed-upon goal of no more than 2°C higher than pre-industrial levels (https://unfccc.int/documents/636608).

Major Commitments in the Final Text 

• An unprecedented reference to transitioning away from all fossil fuels to enable the world to reach net zero by 2050.

• A significant step forward in the expectations for the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by encouraging “economy-wide emission reduction targets.”

• More than 120 nations committed to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030. The world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters, the U.S. and China, agreed to this even before the conference started.

• The fossil fuel industry has long pitched carbon-capture technology, which sucks carbon dioxide out of the air and stores it deep underground, as a climate panacea. But environmentalists worry that the technology, which has a spotty track record and has never been widely deployed, could become a smokescreen for prolonging fossil fuel use for decades.

• For the first time human health received significant attention. More than 140 countries, including China and the U.S., along with the countries in the European Union, signed a declaration asserting that climate change is costing people their lives and health. 

• Conference participants also pledged $85 billion to different climate issues and made 10 pledges: Several actions were announced to address methane pollution, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. The U.S. announced regulations to cut methane pollution from the nation’s huge oil and gas industry by nearly 80% through 2038. 

• A significant outcome ahead of the conference was the consensus reached between the U.S. and China to triple renewables capacity and cut power-sector emissions by 2030, coupled with commitments to urgently reduce methane emissions. 

A clear failure was that of fairness, of climate justice for the countries least responsible for the climate crisis but suffering its worst impacts. COP28 neither delivered for low and middle-income countries, nor did it secure assurances that countries with the greatest historical responsibility for climate change will go furthest, faster and generate the finance needed for a just global transition. 

COP28 was doubly disappointing because it put no money on the table to help developing countries transition to renewable energies, said Nafkote Dabi (climate policy lead, Oxfam International). “And rich countries again reneged on their obligations,” he continued, “to help people being hit by the worst impacts of climate breakdown, like those in the Horn of Africa who have recently lost everything from flooding after a historic five-season drought and years of hunger.”

Given the COP conferences’ overarching goal to discuss and negotiate climate change policies and actions, the use of private jets by high-profile individuals clearly undermines this goal. This symbolizes a disconnect between environmental concerns and individual actions and a lack of commitment to sustainable practices. For instance, King Charles, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary David Cameron are just three of the attendees who traveled in separate planes. But they are just three participants among hundreds and hundreds of others who traveled there by private jets or yachts.  

It has to be seen how their declarations translate into real action. As former vice president Al Gore said, “Whether this is a turning point that truly marks the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era depends on the actions that come next.” 

ISNA’s Green Initiative Team includes Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza and Saiyid Masroor Shah (chair).

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By The ISNA Green Initiative Team

Mar/Apr 2024

For the past ten years, the ISNA Green Initiative Team (hereinafter “team”) has been encouraging mosques, Islamic centers, schools, homes and individuals to adopt environmentally friendly practices. The site energystar.gov has recognized ISNA as an Energy Star Success Story.

As Muslims, we know that the blessed month of Ramadan has many layers of significance, among them the revelation of the Quran’s first verses and the bestowal of prophethood upon Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). During this month, Muslims are not just required to fast from food and drink but are also instructed to engage in spiritual contemplation by focusing on self-improvement and increased worship, as well as practice self-restraint, sacrifice, empathy for the less fortunate and abandon wasteful practices ( Quran 6:141).

The team encourages the leadership of Muslim institutions to form a “green team” that can guide their community toward more eco-conscious practices. Ramadan is a great time to give up bad habits and begin new ones. This team can be instrumental in getting youth involved in creating awareness and educating members about the significance of observing a greener Ramadan.

It’s not easy to change habits, but with some perseverance the Islamic Center of Evansville, Ind., has had some success. For example, no plastic water bottles are allowed during iftar and other community events. Attendees have become more mindful about minimizing food waste. And, they installed solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint and received EPA Energy Certification in 2022. It also received the IPL “Cool Congregations” runner-up award of $500.

“Your mosque is one of only 130 congregations to have achieved ENERGY STAR certification for their worship facilities,” said Jerry Lawson (national manager, Small Business and Congregations, EPA). “This is out of 39,368 total U.S. facilities certified, and out of about 400,000 U.S. worship facilities.” 

Ramadan is a great time to remember our responsibility to care for and protect Earth, which, by God’s grace, provides the food we need to sustain a healthy life. Interacting mindfully with our environment and within our ecosystem is a manifestation of faith. As we fast, let’s reaffirm our sense of self-restraint, ethics of conservation and accountability to make this Ramadan both spiritually and practically better. 

To celebrate the tenth Green Ramadan Campaign, ISNA will be awarding $500, $300 and $200 to three mosques that exemplify the best Green Ramadan. The relevant details will be communicated through ISNA’s digital media. In recognition of this effort, the team, through the courtesy of Pen and Ink Pot Foundation, will also plant a tree on your behalf at a place needing trees. Your Islamic center or mosque will also receive a certificate of achievement. After Ramadan ends, please email your contact information and details of your Green Ramadan to isnagreenmasjid@gmail.com. 

Let’s be the change we want to see in the world by turning eco-friendly practices into habits that will allow us to live in a more merciful, compassionate and caring way, so that we “walk upon Earth gently” (25:63).

Fourteen Tips to Make Your Ramadan Greener 

• Reduce food waste. Eat more fruit and vegetables and less meat. Get as much local produce as possible. Remember that the Prophet ate mostly grains, dates, water, milk, honey, vegetables and fruit. 

• Take only what you can finish, eat moderately and repurpose leftovers for the next day’s iftar so that food isn’t thrown away. The Prophet said, “The son of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back. If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath” (“Sunan al-Tirmidhi” 2380)

• Recycle materials, especially plastic water bottles, which take a very long time to decompose and now make up 25-30% of our landfills. Bring your own reusable water bottle to iftar and taraweeh. Avoid using plastic disposable bottles, as an estimated 80% of them are not recycled. 

• Avoid all Styrofoam® plates and cups at iftar parties, as they are nonrecyclable and non-biodegradable. Never warm styrofoam in the microwave, as doing so can release toxic fumes. 

• Place recycling bins in your mosque so people don’t trash all the fundraising fliers and extra literature distributed in Ramadan.

• Replace light bulbs with energy-saver LEDs and schedule your facility for an energy-efficiency audit. Consider installing solar panels, using light sensors and carpooling when possible. Driving with a friend can keep you more accountable for taraweeh and ease parking issues at the mosque. 

• Reduce water use. Use low flow, Energy-Star plumbing fixtures, install water fixture sensors, conserve water even while making wudu’ and use warm to cold water for laundry. As we learn in the hadith, “Never waste water, even if you are at a running stream” (“Sunan Ibn Majah 425”).

• Consider planting trees and vegetable gardens at home and at the mosque. Start a vegetable garden with soil or hydroponics, a type of horticulture that enables crops or medicinal plants to grow without soil by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions. “Any Muslim who plants a tree or sows seeds and then a bird or a person or an animal eats from it is regarded as having given a charitable gift” (“Sahih al-Bukhari” 2320). 

• Strive for a healthy mind, body and spirit. Follow prophetic medicine tips. Buy fair trade products, get daily Vitamin D from sunlight and stay hydrated. Avoid foods with a high concentration of preservatives, sugars, oils and salt. 

• Reconnect with nature and inhale the beauty of God’s creation while reminding yourself to walk gently on Earth.

• Celebrate this month by joining civic activities, volunteering at homeless shelters, collecting food for food pantries, joining community social projects, inviting non-Muslims to community and home iftars and taking care of Muslim inmates. Find ways for children and youth to participate in age-appropriate Ramadan activities. For instance, they can be “Green Ambassadors” during community dinners. 

• Ask your imam to deliver at least one Friday khutba on conserving and protecting the environment and contributing to the greater social good.

• On Eid, gift experiences instead of just more stuff. Your loved ones might enjoy indoor skydiving or a visit to an ice cream museum rather than more cakes and home decor. 

• If you do exchange gifts, opt for reusable gift bags and boxes to avoid wasting wrapping paper. 

Find out more at ISNA Green Initiative – Islamic Society of North America

ISNA’s Green Initiative Team includes Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, Uzma Mirza and Saiyid Masroor Shah (chair).

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

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By the ISNA Green Initiative Team

Jan/Feb 2024

Today we are witnessing unjust wars, the degradation and exploitation caused by the Zionist apartheid state, of not only a group of people and their economy, but also the violation of the rights of voiceless nature. This is causing the exponential rise of unsustainable practices, environmental degradation, and biodiversity decline. Further choking the existence of the occupied people and their land is the added layer of climate change. High temperatures, increased rainfall, sea levels rising, and increasing toxic wastes in the land have become unmanageable. 

The dehumanizing and oppression of people deprived of human rights and the right of self-determination; illegal settler colonialism; restrictions on movement; the destruction of farmlands and the native biodiversity of fauna, flora and its pollinators — to the dismantling of renewable energy infrastructure and an agricultural economy — is a direct result of an apartheid state, resulting in an ecocide. Ironically, under the facade of the victim, today the apartheid state is the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Part of the Fertile Crescent, the cradle of agriculture and civilization, Palestine is located at the intersection of continents and has five phytogeographical areas. Since 1948, those Palestinians surrounded by Israel have been living under its brutal occupation, where uprooting olive trees, demolishing homes (Rebuilding Alliance.org) and marauding Israeli settlers are being used to constrict the Palestinians’ economy and limit their access to food, clean water, hygiene, and natural resources. Uprooting olive trees and choking off the water are tools for the ever-expanding boundaries of the Zionist state, not a “Jewish state,” as stated by Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesperson of Neturei Karta. 

This is not dissimilar to other stories of land acquisition, in particular apartheid in South Africa, European colonialism, or slavery in the Americas, and the same realities in the Ottoman and Arab empires. Archbishop Tutu said he saw “the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks, suffering like us when young white police officers prevented us from moving about.” 

Zoughbi Alzoughbi (founder and director, Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center), who once visited a Native American reservation, said, “I found a historical map showing the stages of land dispossession of the First Nation people … To the staff and supporters of Wi’am the message was obvious; both Native Americans and Palestinians were Native to their lands, colonized by another people, told there was a way to live peacefully together, then violently removed from their own land, then forced onto small reservations of land, then slowly had even that land taken away by home demolitions and new settler colonies, only to end up treated by the colonizers as obstacles to peace and not as people.”

The Importance of Olive Trees

Olive trees are a primary source of income — about $12.3 million lost — for over 80,000 Palestinian families who rely on the olive harvest. According to UN figures, approximately 48% of the West Bank’s agricultural land is planted with olive trees. These trees account for 70% of Palestine’s fruit production and contribute approximately 14% to its economy. In addition, 93% of the harvest is used for olive oil production and the remaining 7% for local consumption. Olives, olive oil, and olive wood are used to produce soaps, table olives, and pickles 

Since 1967, 800,000 olive trees and 2.5 million trees have been uprooted — supposedly for security reasons. Since 1995, 60% of Palestinians have lost farmland to Israeli settlements, walls, military zones, by-pass roads and other closures (MIFTAH and VisualizingPalestine.org). Israeli agricultural export companies such as Mehadrin and Hadiklaim are among the primary beneficiaries of the destruction of Palestinian agriculture — they export produce from illegal settlements using stolen Palestinian land and water, as well as profit from the siege on Gaza.

Since October 2007 Palestinians have been unable to access their farmland (BDS & AlJazeera Nov 6. 2023). Israel has denied Palestinians access to their natural resources, including shared water resources, an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of oil reserves in the West Bank and more than $2.5 billion worth of natural gas off Gaza’s coast (UNPress, Oct. 17, 2022).

As the Israeli government cuts off fuel supplies, Palestinians living in Gaza use rooftop solar panels to help access electricity. However, since the Oct. 7 attack Israeli forces have ordered a complete siege of Gaza, which has cut off electricity and fuel supplies and targets hospitals via the solar panels on the AlShifa Hospital (ClimateHomeNews). 

Writing in The Guardian [UK] on July 9, 2019, Miriam Berger reported that Israel sprays the buffer zone to allegedly deprive potential “terror elements” of cover; however, farmers in Gaza say doing so damages crops and livelihoods. Forensic Architecture, a research agency based at Goldsmiths, University of London, stated that over the last five years Israeli planes have sprayed herbicide more than 30 times on the Israeli side of the buffer zone with Gaza. Even private rooftop home gardens are not spared.

Israeli water construction is another way to strangle Palestinian agriculture so that Israel can acquire more land. Tel Aviv builds water pipelines through Palestinian lands that help destroy the land, a practice that constricts the Palestinians’ water use and causes the destruction of olive trees and ends a generational livelihood (Corradin, Camilla. Israel: Water as a tool to dominate Palestinians. AlJazeera News. 2016).

Only an estimated 1% of solid waste is currently being recycled. The Israeli occupation has transformed the occupied Palestinian lands into a landfill for hazardous and toxic wastes and sewage since 1967. In fact, 60% of Israeli waste ends up in the occupied areas. This reality chokes the life of Palestinians while destroying the soil, and poisoning and polluting the groundwater. Israel’s disposal of its wastes is a clear violation of international laws related to environmental protection (MiddleEast Monitor, 2018).

A Solution 

The Olive Tree is a symbol of peace in all Abrahamic faiths. The Torah says, “Even if you are at war with a city … you must not destroy its trees” (Deut 20:19-20).  In Gen. 8:11-12, a dove returned an olive branch to Noah on the Ark, signaling the Flood’s end. Quran 24:35 proclaims, “The parable of His light is as if there were a niche within it a lamp: the lamp enclosed in glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touch it.” 

The Quran explains that humanity holds a privileged position among God’s creations — vicegerent (khalifa) — and that each person is entrusted with caring for God’s creation. And yet it repeatedly warns Muslims against hubris by asserting that they are no better than any other creature. The Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) acknowledges that God’s knowledge and power covers everything. Therefore, abusing one of His creations, whether it is a living being or a natural resource, is a grave sin. 

Prophet Muhammad was a steadfast advocate of environmental justice, its preservation and conservation and environmental rights. He constantly sought to maintain a harmonious balance between all members of humanity and nature. He was a strong proponent of sustainable practices and equal access by all users of the environment. His words about the environment can be related to contemporary environmental issues.

In closing, the solution lies in the cry of the olive trees. This cry denotes a non-diverse, colonialist worldview, the exact opposite of the Abrahamic traditions. Muslims, as followers of the middle way — as God’s khalifah — are obliged to safeguard the trust gifted by God. Killing innocent women and children is murder, which God abhors. Indiscriminate killing cannot be validated as self-defense by any side. 

May God bless the slaughtered humans– and the destroyed environment. “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware” (49:13).

The ISNA Green Initiative Team comprises Huda Alkaff; Saffet Catovic; Nana Firman; Uzma Mirza; S. Masroor Shah (Chair).

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

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By Gosia Wozniaka

Jan/Feb 2024

Ahlam Osman stood at the edge of a massive landfill in Arlington, Ore., a dozen miles from the Columbia River, watching trucks dump thousands of pounds of urban garbage and bulldozers push the refuse across a vast sandy field.

She learned that 65 long-haul trucks make their way every day from Portland to the dump site — and that’s not even half of the Portland metro region’s waste.

For Osman, a Somali American who grew up steeped in Islam, visiting the 12,000-acre Columbia Ridge Landfill as a high school senior three years ago drove her, now 22 and a Portland State University senior, to examine her personal impact on the environment and explore how Islam aligns with climate action.

That journey, in turn, led her to become an organizer who encourages young African and Muslim people to engage with nature and advocate for their communities, which face many challenges brought by climate change.

“When I saw the piles and piles of garbage, that really opened my eyes and made me realize, wow, our trash isn’t just disappearing,” Osman said. “I realized that as Muslims, it’s our duty to take climate change seriously and to do our best to protect the Earth.”

As Muslims see their voice and political clout grow in Oregon and elsewhere, Osman is part of a new wave of young leaders across the country who are using Islam as a tool to tackle climate change.

She’s an early adopter in Portland, building on a Muslim green movement that’s further along on the East Coast.

On The Periphery

Being an environmental organizer was far from an apparent path for Osman.

Like many other Somalis in the early 1990s, her parents fled their home in Mogadishu with their growing family during the country’s bloody civil war. They spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya, where conditions were cramped and necessities scarce. The family survived largely thanks to financial support from the father’s uncle who lived in Los Angeles.

The uncle helped bring the family to California, but they moved to Portland five years later after Osman’s mother developed asthma. Portland, they thought, offered cleaner air – though they later realized it was far from pristine, especially during fire season.

They joined an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Somalis who call Oregon home, most of them living in Multnomah County. Thousands of other Africans have also resettled here, many hailing from countries with large Muslim populations, including Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Osman was born at OHSU Hospital with her twin brother – the ninth and 10th of 11 children and the first to be born in Oregon.  was brought up in a traditional Islamic household and a supportive, tight-knit family. She attended Islamic weekend classes to learn Arabic and study the Quran.

As she grew older, Osman said she noticed various things: 

• She watched fellow Somali teenagers struggle with fitting into a society that didn’t share their culture, language or religion and that made little effort to understand or reach out to them.

• Many Somali families she knew faced financial hardships, discrimination and health problems largely unknown back home. Most of them had owned homes and held stable jobs, she said, but now work for low wages. Many, like her father, a former business owner, became taxi, Lyft and Uber drivers or held a series of odd jobs to make ends meet.

• Refugee agencies often placed families in affordable apartment complexes with poor ventilation and no air conditioning, near major roadways and areas without sidewalks.

• Getting food is a problem. Many Somali refugees don’t drive, live far from supermarkets and avoid public transit after displays of anti-Muslim hatred intensified.

• It turns out Somalis and other East Africans have moved into areas considered heat islands, where cement dominates and tree canopies are sparse. This leads to higher-than-average temperatures and denser air pollution. “Where you live, your ZIP code determines your lifespan and health issues, especially in the era of climate change,” she said.

• Many Somalis don’t see the connection, for their families are focused on survival. They also feel a sense of hopelessness coupled with fatalism, because “a part of our faith is the idea that whatever is meant to happen will happen.”

• Portland’s climate movement is predominantly white and few blacks or Muslims work in sustainability-related fields. The Portland Clean Energy Fund seeks to invest millions of dollars in clean energy and climate justice job training programs and apprenticeships for people of color, among other investments. “I think there’s a huge disconnect,” Osman said. “People don’t see the connection to their faith and values.”

Waste Not

Determined to change those disparities, Osman joined leadership and civic training programs, the Multnomah Youth Commission and social justice initiatives. Her older siblings also encouraged her to get involved and pursue higher education, although many female Somalis did not.

“Osman was always very outspoken and very curious. She would seek out why things were happening, and she was driven from a young age to engage in the community,” said her older sister Hanna, who works as a public health planner and policy analyst and became Osman’s mentor.

Then there was the three-year internship with Oregon Metro, when she visited the Columbia Ridge landfill site, learned about recycling and planted native trees and shrubs. This internship would lead to an awakening of sorts.

Osman also sought to incorporate Islam’s teachings after learning that God appointed humans as khalifa (guardians) of Earth and that Islam emphasizes that Earth and its resources are an amana (trust). She tried to avoid fast fashion and buy less, scoured second-hand stores for clothes, took public transit, got better at recycling and sought to make espresso at home or bring her own mug to coffee shops.

Her Muslim colleagues and family members called her “the environmentalist” because she often shared her sustainability practices — although she isn’t overbearing with it,” her sister said. They told Osman she reminded them of Fatima Jibrell, a Somali American activist who campaigned in Somalia to salvage old-growth forests of acacia trees and promote solar cookers.

But Osman wanted to bring change to Portland, not Somalia.

In 2021, she worked as a youth environmental coordinator with the African Youth and Community Organization (AYCO), an east county nonprofit that supports immigrant and refugee Muslim African, Irani, Myanmar and Afghani teens and their families in the Portland area. She took them on hikes to local nature areas, raised their awareness about climate impacts and taught them about careers related to sustainability and renewable energy, among other industries.

“Osman has a very strong mindset about fostering an environmentally friendly way of living,” said Jamal Dar (executive director, AYCO).

Osman introduced staff and families to recycling, showing community members how to use the different collection bins and sort materials, Dar said. Such hands-on education is key, he contends, since most refugee families have no knowledge of recycling, having spent decades in refugee camps. Many adults cannot speak or read English, so flier-based campaigns are ineffective.

“There’s a big gap when it comes to communication and services within the community that we serve,” Dar said.

A Stronger Voice

Osman drew inspiration from recently established small, volunteer Muslim American environmental groups that were becoming increasingly visible, including the Wisconsin Green Muslims, Virginia-based Green Muslims or Faithfully Sustainable.

The latter was created in New York City by two Muslim college students who launched a campaign targeting overconsumption during Eid al-Fitr.

“There’s growing interest in our community not only in caring for the environment, but also in connecting with nature as part of our faith and our religious obligations to God,” said Sevim Kalyoncu (executive director, Green Muslims).

This increase in awareness corresponds partly with a shift in how Americans and the government view Muslim Americans, Kalyoncu said.

More than two decades after 9/11, about 3.5 million Muslims live in the U.S. There’s also been a rise in Muslim American politicians — including the nation’s first two Muslim congresswomen and local legislators, including state Sen. Kayse Jama (D-Portland) and Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai, both Somali American.

“We have a stronger voice and we feel more comfortable speaking out,” Kalyoncu said. “And we’re getting more involved in issues of the country and of the world because of that.”

Many Muslim Americans also remain connected to where their relatives still live, she said, which regularly see droughts, water scarcity and floods intensified by a rapidly changing climate.

It’s important to have environmental groups and climate organizers who represent and focus on Muslim Americans as “a stepping stone” that connects Muslims to the wider environmental movement, Kalyoncu said.

Many Muslims find that connection in their local mosque or cultural center. And that’s where the ISNA’s Green Initiative, launched nine years ago, comes in. This program guides mosques and cultural centers on how to implement environmentally friendly practices, among them waste reduction, recycling and installing solar panels, said Saiyid Masroor Shah (chair). 

Three years ago, the organization partnered with the EPA to produce an ENERGY STAR guidebook for Muslim congregations to track their energy use and improve energy efficiency. ISNA also promotes a Green Ramadan and offers resources on other climate actions.

“This is our obligation, because the Quran mentions over and over again that we are the caretakers of this world,” Shah said. “And part of the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) teachings, his methods of conservation practices, is to tell us not to waste food or water.”

Youth Leaders

In September, Osman flew to New York City to attend the first-ever conference in the U.S. focused on the climate movement and Islam. She met other Muslim American environmental leaders and heard from panelists about how climate change impacts poverty and health, how urban farming can help food-insecure families and how the fashion market is trying to become more sustainable.

The conference gave her hope and made her realize that she, as a young Muslima climate activist, isn’t alone and can make a difference.

“Being in this space with other Muslims who came from a familiar background and seeing change-makers who are just as passionate about environmental and climate justice felt like a dream come true,” she wrote after returning home.

This fall, Osman returned full time to PSU to finish her bachelors’ degree in community development. In the future, she plans to study urban planning to ensure that all communities of color aren’t bearing disproportionate climate burdens.

In the meantime, she continues to volunteer with AYCO, lead hikes for African and Muslim teens, as well as develop a new environmental justice program with the Portland Harbor Community Coalition to get more youths of color interested in nature and the environment.

She hopes to take them to the same recycling plants and landfill sites she saw, so they, too, can understand how trash and over-consumption affect the environment.

“We believe that Allah is going to ask us what we did and what our role was when there are injustices going on,” Osman said. “When I think of my legacy, I hope to be a mentor to youth… so they can advocate for themselves and recognize the power of their voice.”

Gosia Wozniacka is an environmental reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive.  Republished with permission. This article is a condensed and modified version of a longer article written by Gosia Wozniacka that first appeared in The Oregonian/OregonLive.

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