Sustainable Development in Islam

In addition to our stereotype discussion in Tinjdad, we got a unique opportunity to sit in on a sustainable development presentation.

At the local high school, Hachimi gave a presentation on a topic that's become a large part of what we're doing, and part of my own personal goals. However, Hachimi surprised everyone at the last minute and tweaked his presentation topic from a simple "Sustainable Development in the World" to "Sustainable Development in Islam".

Islam keeps coming up in every last aspect of everyone's life here. Religion is so powerful and so prominent in everyone's lives. Some rough notes of his outline and presentation are as follows:

Intro
His intro began with, "In the name of Allah, the most merciful." He focused his argument on human entitlement to nature and stressed that we are nature's manager, not owner.

Land Reclamation
He started with verses from Koran and went into human responsibility as dictated by Allah. "Plant a tree, but don't forget that it's a gift from Allah, and if an animal eats from it, you will be rewarded in the afterlife."

Water Pollution
"No one should bathe in the water if they are unclean." He related that the only reason to have clean water is because you need it to clean yourself before you pray. So if the water is polluted, then you can't clean yourself in order to pray.

Sustainable Forestry
"If anyone plants a tree, they will be rewarded in the hereafter. Advise troops to not kill trees or animals."

Knowledge and Education
"Allah taught Adam the names of all things. This is why only humans have the knowlege of nature."

Poverty and Alleviation
"Poverty is described in Islam through a direct connection to language." Meaning there are specific words in Arabic that translate to poverty and alleviation principles.

Responsibilities Toward Underprivilaged Communities
Sustainable development is compatible with Islam in social, econimical, ecological, and political realms.

Questions from the presenter's peers:
What is the water pollution connection to sustainable development in islam?
"View water to clean your body. We need to clean before prayer."

Is there a difference between sustainable development and Islam and other religions?
"No idea."

Do all Muslim nations practice this example of sustainable development?
"Modernization is the problem for other countries. Islam accepts positive points of modernization."

How do we do this?
"Change peoples' minds"

Moderization isn't against Islam?
"Not all countries use koran as source of law."

My Thoughts
This was a challenge for me to write about neutrally. Tim pointed out that due to my natural aversion to religion, not just to Islam, that I'm biased about the twist on this sustainable development presentation. Perhaps so. I should be proud that someone is using something they believe in to make a connection to something that's good for the planet's continued health. I can definitely see the value in using a language that people understand to communicate complex principles. If people don't care about garbage and pollution, why not use a religion, like Islam, to draw a connection to the problem that people can recognize?

It was an interesting perspective on one topic I know well, and on another that keeps popping up and confusing me.

To my faithful readers - If you're not reading Tim's blog, you might be missing a significant part of my story! Some say his blogs aren't quite as magnificent as mine, others say his might be slightly more profound... Check it out!