Muslim Environamental Groups? Is there even such a thing…

I know there must be because we found an Environmental Group in Iran of all places and when I tried to be cute and download some environmental screed in Arabic (save our planet save ourselves) my computer got mad at me (language not recognized) and would not do it. But it does get you to wondering how many times am I going to have ask this question? Like, scooby, how many religions are there in the world? rut row

http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

  1. Christianity: 2.1 billion
  2. Islam: 1.5 billion
  3. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
  4. Hinduism: 900 million
  5. Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
  6. Buddhism: 376 million
  7. primal-indigenous: 300 million
  8. African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
  9. Sikhism: 23 million
  10. Juche: 19 million
  11. Spiritism: 15 million
  12. Judaism: 14 million
  13. Baha’i: 7 million
  14. Jainism: 4.2 million
  15. Shinto: 4 million
  16. Cao Dai: 4 million
  17. Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
  18. Tenrikyo: 2 million
  19. Neo-Paganism: 1 million
  20. Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
  21. Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
  22. Scientology: 500 thousand

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But I have seen someplace that counting all the sects there maybe as many as 4,200 individual religions. I am hoping that they all do not have environmental websites or this little blogger is in deep doo doo. Another classification system show this:

There are twelve classical world religions. This is the list of religions described most often in surveys of the subject, and studied in World Religion classes (some of them more for historical rather than contemporary reasons):

  • Baha’i
  • Buddhism
  • Christianity
  • Confucianism
  • Hinduism
  • Islam
  • Jainism
  • Judaism
  • Shinto
  • Sikhism
  • Taoism
  • Zoroastrianism

In alphebetical order not order of importance. Please no holy wars here. Amazingly enough the big three Judeao religions have come through pretty well so far…

temple.jpg

again a lot of pretty pictures..

http://environment.harvard.edu/religion/religion/islam/projects/islamic_foundation.html

Islam Engaged Projects

Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES)

The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) is an internationally recognized charity organization articulating Islamic perspectives on the environment that activates those properties inherent in Islam that are capable of remedying the socio-ecological imbalances of our time. IFEES is motivated by Islamic principles such as tawhid (unity), amana (entrustment) of the Earth to khalifa (the stewardship of humankind), and a system of ethics grounded in the Qur’an and sunnah (the guidance) of the Prophet Muhammad. The main objective of this multi-dimensional organization is to set up a center for Islamic research on conservation practice which would serve as the primary training site for practical and theoretical subjects based on the principles of Shariah. The center also serves as a demonstration and promotional site for experimental projects on sustainable land resource management and traditional and non-industrial farming techniques (e.g., organic farming) as well the development of alternative low energy, low cost technology (e.g., water wheels, solar panels, and waste recycling). IFEES currently produces collaborative instructive materials, maintains its own publication, the Qur’an, Creation and Conservation (1999), written by Fazlun Khalid, is compiling a database that will act as an informational exchange unit for environmental affairs, and organizes conferences and seminars throughout the world. IFEES networks globally with NGOs, international organizations, academic bodies, and grassroots organizations, and invites collaborative efforts with organizations and individuals who are dedicated to protecting the Earth for future generations.

And then there is this:

Date: Sunday 19th March 2006
Time: 10am – 6pm
Venue: Muslim World League, 46 Goodge Street, London W1P 1FJ
(Nearest Tube: Goodge Street Station)

One day meeting with all UK Islamic Environmental groups to
discuss activities, future events and strategies.

The meeting will be chaired by Dr Fazlun Khalid, who is the
founder and director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and
Environmental Sciences (IFEES). Local Islamic eco-groups include:
LINE, MINE, SHINE, WELCOME

*ALL WELCOME
*FREE event but must register

To register or for further enquires about event please contact:
Tel: 079092 032 136
E-mail: events@ifees.org.uk This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Website: www.ifees.org.uk

http://12degreesoffreedom.blogspot.com/2007/10/lesson-in-muslim-environmental-ethics.html>

And this:


>
>Many environmentalists believe that conservation is an American idea. E.O. Wilson goes so far as to say that Americans invented it in his recent Atlantic Monthly essay that I posted this past Tuesday. Do you think he was referring to Native Americans?
Probably not, so it may come as a surprise to him and others that the Koran (or at least a modern interpretation of it) has provided the inspiration and guidance for the development of programs in Tanzania designed to help fishermen sustainably harvest the waters off the west coast. (GW)


African fishermen find way of conservation in the Koran

Then, the local imam told him that using dragnets to fish and spears to catch octopuses was wrong.

As a devout Muslim, he listened.

“I’ve learned that the way I fished was destructive to the environment,” says Mr. Haji, “This side of conservation isn’t from the mzungu,” he says, using the Swahili word for white man, “it’s from the Koran.”

On this remote edge of the Indian Ocean, an experimental model for implementing Muslim environmental ethics and education is yielding results. Local and international nongovernmental organizations, which pioneered the project, will publish a guidebook later this year in English and Swahili to be distributed throughout the Swahili-speaking coast of East Africa and eventually in Muslim communities around the world.
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ALLAH ACKBAR

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