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Islamic Relief led the way for ‘Islamic Declaration on Climate Change’

by | May 25, 2021

Islamic leaders lunch climate change declaration in Istanbul. Photo: Islamic Relief Worldwide

Islamic leaders lunch climate change declaration in Istanbul. Photo: Islamic Relief Worldwide

New Delhi:( Press Release) This year, 2015, is a watershed year for the climate movement. In December 2015, world governments will meet in Paris where they are expected to forge a new, international climate agreement that is robust, ambitious and commensurate with the scientific imperatives outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

To advocate perspectives of Muslim nations and their people on climate change, since 2013 onward when the global negotiations started, Islamic Relief is taking lead to bring voices of Muslim community through continuous engagement with the Government of Muslim majority countries. To give further impetus to this process Islamic Relief took lead in inviting Muslim Scholars from 20 countries on August 17-18, 2015 in Istanbul to discuss various facets of climate, its impact and role of Muslim community. The consultation concluded with a declaration as “Islamic Declaration on Climate Change”, calling on the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims to join hands together to eliminate dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and commit to renewable energy sources.

The declaration, which is based on Islamic teachings, was drafted by a group of top academics and finalised at the International Islamic Climate Change Symposium held during August 17-18, in Istanbul, Turkey.  The symposium’s goal was to reach “broad unity and ownership from the Islamic community around the Declaration”.

Islamic faith communities increasingly recognise that the climate crisis is also a moral crisis. The adverse impacts of climate change that we have witnessed so far, present a clear case for people of faith to examine the underlying moral causes of this phenomenon. It prompts faith communities to take action to halt the desecration of nature that leads to destruction of creation, human and otherwise. Furthermore this is an opportunity for faith communities to provide a vision, inspire others and lead the way in building a fairer, safer, cleaner world built on renewable energy – leading the way on a journey to an economic system that meets development goals and is also spiritually fulfilling. The Islamic faith community represents a significant section of the global population and certainly, can be influential in the discourse on climate change.

The declaration calls on Muslim countries — especially those that are “well-off” and “oil-producing” — to lead the charge in phasing out greenhouse gas emissions “no later than the middle of the century.” Many researchers say these gasses can trap the sun’s rays and raise global temperatures. This has been widely blamed for dangerous shifts in climate and weather patterns, including intense storms, droughts and heat waves.

The declaration also calls on wealthy Muslim countries to provide financial and technical support to less-affluent states so they too can work to eliminate pollution, reduce consumption of finite resources, work to stabilize the Earth’s temperature, abandon “unethical profit from the environment” and help create a global green economy.

The declaration, which invites “people of all nations and their leaders” to join forces to fight climate change, has already garnered support from the grand muftis — interpreters of Islamic law — of Lebanon and Uganda, as well as other prominent Islamic scholars.

Muslim leaders plan to present their document at an upcoming conference in Paris, where international negotiators are set to hash out a global plan to combat climate change.

The authors of the Islamic declaration ended the document with a quote by the Prophet Muhammad PBUH: “The world is sweet and verdant, and verily Allah has made you stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.

For details please write to us: support@islamic-relief.org.in

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