How climate change affects global Muslim communities

Two weeks ago, Muslim communities around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr (festival of breaking the fast) after Ramadan – a month of fasting between sunrise and sunset. Now that the celebrations have come to an end, Sabrina Khan-Dighe and Aqila K. Indra reflect on how climate change affects Muslims all over the world.

Muslim pilgrims on their Hajj - a five-day religious pilgrimage to Mecca and nearby holy sites in Saudi Arabia

Ramadan is known as a time of reflection – it’s a holy month during which Muslims reflect on being a better person, and also think of others less fortunate. Eid al-Fitr is usually spent with loved ones, wearing fancy clothes, eating, exchanging gifts, and travelling to mosques. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change have made it quite hard for some Muslim communities to celebrate.

However, despite the challenges faced, Islam continues to place high importance on environmental protection, and there have been several incredible efforts by organisations and individuals in which this can be seen.

More affected, less responsible

Most of the world’s Muslim population resides in places that are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Out of a recent list of the 10 countries most at risk of climate disaster, six are Muslim-majority. These climate vulnerable countries will always be more affected than more developed countries due to their geography, their financial stability or other social challenges.

Muslim-majority countries Chad and Somalia are two prime examples. Chad is ranked the most climate vulnerable country out of 185, and is therefore prone to extreme weather events such as flooding and long term desertification, drastically affecting food security. Similarly in Somalia drought has caused crop failure, loss of livestock and caused widespread malnutrition and even starvation.

These effects of climate change make it difficult for Chad and Somalia to celebrate Eid the way we are able to in the UK, and these effects will only get worse.

Muslims also celebrate Eid by going to mosques to pray, yet communities’ ability to pray in peace is again jeopardised by climate change. Muslims in Bangladesh have witnessed how worsening climate-change-driven heat, heavy rainfall and storm surges threaten their coastal mosques.

And in Mali, climate-change-induced heavy rainfall ruins the Great Mosque of Djenné. Each year, the entire Malian city replasters the mosque before the rainy season begins. Teams prepare the mud, transfer it to baskets and then give them to young men who climb up the mosque and apply the mixtures. The local community has turned this into a day-long festival – called Crépissage (plastering).

Photograph of the Crépissage festival (image credit: Timothy Allen)

Despite the disastrous effects of climate change, caused mainly by fossil fuel exploitation, Western states are breaking records for oil production. This means that whilst areas like the US and EU are amongst the top polluters, the least-polluting countries are disproportionately affected.

The top three greenhouse gas emitters — China, the United States and India — contribute 42.6% total emissions, while the bottom 100 countries only account for only 2.9%. Chad and Somalia only contribute 0.22% and 0.09% of global greenhouse emissions respectively. As the world continues its steady exploitation of fossil fuels, those in the periphery are forced to face the inevitable consequences of actions that are not their own.

Islam and environmentalism

While it's important to reference the problems, we must also highlight what Muslims do to combat the perpetual destruction of the planet. Environmentalism has always been a key element of Islamic teaching, and thus to many Muslims, Islam involves a desire, even an obligation, to take care of the planet.

Islamic scriptures are clear that humans were put on the Earth to exercise Allah’s power and authority, with responsibility to look after the planet. The Quran contains approximately 200 verses concerning the environment. Muslims are taught that “greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth”.  

The Quran also has verses emphasising the importance of taking care of the land and water, of showing respect to other living beings, and not to consume more than is needed. It is teachings such as these that have inspired many Muslims worldwide to uphold the importance of the environment.

As an example of this, founder of Muslim environmental group Islam and Earth, Memona Hossain points out that a historical example of Islamic frameworks in agricultural practices can be found in the works of Ibn al-Awwam, a Muslim agriculturalist from 12th century Spain. He published a foundational work on agriculture, hugely influencing societal growth for Andalusian Spain. These farming practices are being revisited today, as Spain grapples with its own contemporary climate change issues.

Climate action by Muslims today

All over the globe, there are incredible Muslim organisations and activists taking crucial steps to tackle the effects of climate change.

Islamic Relief is a UK-based humanitarian charity which works across a variety of important subjects such as human rights, conflicts and natural disasters. Beyond their on-the-ground relief work, the organisation promotes eco-consciousness as derived from Islamic teaching. As well as sharing international challenges for people to complete, they have raised crucial funds for communities globally. This has gone towards improving water irrigation systems for farmers in Somali and experiencing drought to helping with food security for the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.

Organisations like Ummah for Earth, a faith-based alliance-led group of more than 30 organisations are also emphasising the link between Islam and environmentalism. They have published a brilliant guide on how to help pilgrims perform Hajj and Umrah in an environmentally friendly way, and they also share Ramadan recipes.

Ummah for Earth has also called for humanitarian support in Palestine, and they have a ‘Protect 2 Progress’ video series which highlights pockets of the Islamic communities which are affected by climate change.

Two Billion Strong is a campaign which seeks to increase the representation of the Muslim community in the climate movement and increase the conversations within the Muslim community around climate change. They are doing this because “the communities and countries impacted the most by climate change are mostly those that do not have the support, the finances, or the infrastructure to recover quickly from the effects”.

In Indonesia, the “Green Islam” movement has also seen a drastic rise among religious figures. As one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and nickel, as well as one of the top emitters of greenhouse gasses, the country faces a constant battle against its own environmental degradation. With this said, however, the Islamic communities in Indonesia have proven themselves to be empoweringly active in dealing with this issue.

To highlight a few notable actions, Istiqlal Mosque – the largest mosque in Southeast Asia – has taken the initiative to install 500 solar panels, slow-flow faucets and a water-recycling system. Other efforts include grassroots-level activities from NGOs and communities raising donations to install solar panels on mosques, replanting trees in damaged forests areas, and inspiring the local children to follow in these footsteps.

Though it's easy to fall into despair or find ourselves desensitised to the state of today’s world, it is important that we stay resilient in the face of adversity, focusing on solutions and taking inspiration from those demonstrating leadership.

This blog was co-written by Sabrina Khan-Dighe and Aqila K. Indra.