MADE launches the Ultimate Water Challenge

The Muslim Action for Development & Environment (MADE) has launched its newest campaign to raise awareness about water consumption and educate Muslims about the importance of conservation.

The Ultimate Water Challenge encourages Muslims to reduce their water use through completing a series of challenges from March 21st-March 25th, 2016. Participants can either sign up as an individual or a team and compete against each other across several categories. The overall goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and funds to support well-boring initiatives in Zanzibar.

CHALLENGE LEVEL 1 – Only for the Conscious!

Beat the Tap: Use only the Prophetic amount of water [the mudd approx. 675ml] during wudu for the five prayers over five days - mudd is included!

CHALLENGE LEVEL 2 – Only for the Brave!

Beat the Bucket: Beaten the tap? Well then how about the ghusl bucket challenge and use 1 bucket for your daily shower – challenge yourself and be one of the brave!

CHALLENGE LEVEL 3 – Only for the Heroic!

The Ultimate Water Walk: Is the bucket a breeze? Then take the Ultimate Water Walk carrying a weight of 20 litres for 6km through central London passing iconic places whilst raising awareness of water injustice and the Islamic teachings of water. Experience what many women and children go through daily who do not have access to water - challenge your endurance and be one of the heroes!

To learn more and sign up as an individual or a team, visit www.made.ngo

5 Ways to be more green this Ramadan

The blessed month of Ramadan is drawing nearer by each sunset – and boy can I feel the excitement in the air.

There is no doubt that in the month of Ramadan; we are able to renew and strengthen our spirituality, increase both our mental and physical state and purify our hearts.

Yet, as we change our habits to become closer to Allah, we should also look at ways to become closer to the earth (figuratively speaking of course). “It is He (Allah) that has appointed you (mankind) as stewards in the Earth…” (Qur’án, 35:39) - With this in mind, I have compiled my 5 ways to be Green this Ramadan

1. Drop the Grande Vanilla soy sugar free, shaken not stirred latte - now hear me out. I know that coffee is very much the essence of intelligent life on Earth and without it we become only shells of our former selves. But this Ramadan can be a great way to drop the coffee, not only will it have lasting health benefits, but coffees are making the world more brown than green, and no I’m not talking about teeth stains. It takes 140 litres of water to create one cup of coffee. With water scarcity becoming a real and prominent issue effecting 1.2 billion people- let’s do what we can to help!

For more information about the hidden cost of water click here

2. Eat your greens... please - go veggie this Ramadan, I mean you can do full throttle and go the whole month as a vegetarian (or dare I say it, a vegan *insert horror scream*) or just avoid the meats (please take note of the plural) once or twice a week. From Middle Eastern Dolma to Southern Asian Aaloo Gobhi, the Muslim world has a range of vegetarian dishes just waiting for you to try.

To find out even more reasons to go veggie click here

3. Skip the supermarket, get the local stuff - the majority of our food from the supermarket is imported. This means that the food we eat has travelled thousands of miles, leaving massive impacts on our environment. This Ramadan let’s try to eat as local as possible, whether that be growing our own mints in the flower pot for those special mint teas after Taraweeh, or going to the local city farm/community garden to buy some greens. To be fair, if you live in London, you’re spoiled for choice. With the amount of city farms, community gardens and farmers market- you’ll never believe just how close they are to home and how cheap the veg is! A bag of spinach, a bag of lettuce, a packet of strawberries and a bunch of coriander all for under £5 #WINNING, and if you help grow the produce you can take it home for free! Did I mention #WINNING

Check out your nearest local producer here

4. Spend more time outside - let’s try and not get sucked in by the comfort of our homes this Ramadan, let’s spend more time outside! Whether that is by starting to garden, turning that small patch into your own personal produce section, or praying and doing dhikr outside. Once you find that special outside space, visit it regularly and let it remind you of what’s at stake.

Just in case you’re not quite sold on the outside thing, click here

5. Don’t take that free water bottle at the Masjid… - unless it is a reusable bottle that you can just keep using till the end of time and the bottle can accompany you forever and ever, much like this sentence. There is no doubt about it, Masjids hit full capacity during Ramadan, and as lovely as it is, it gets REALLY hot. Now the Masjids do what they can to help - by turning that air conditioning on, and getting the volunteers to ensure everyone is well by giving out free plastic water bottles. Now I might be speaking for myself, but normally I’m there at the word ‘free’- but try to not take those free plastic bottles this Ramadan. Buy a reusable water bottle, not only will you look chic, stylish, effortless (the list can go on) but you will be reducing your carbon footprint, helping clear those landfills sites and reaping up those ‘saving the world’ points.

For more info, check out MADE’s ‘I drink tap’ campaign here

So you have read the list on how to be green this Ramadan! So share and spread the greenness, and just like Hulk, nobody can be too green, so share your own tips below!

Fatima El-meeyuf, Eco Ambassador

This article was originally featured onMADE  in Europe in June 2015. 

Huge support for ‘Islam Is Green’ environment campaign

  Earlier in March, the Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) launched its ‘Islam is Green’ campaign in conjunction with the ‘Time to Act Climate Change’ march in London.

The ‘Islam is Green’ campaign saw iERA’s official launch of their official website, a destination designed to empower Muslims in tackling climate change, and fulfilling their religious duties towards nature.

Additionally, iERA provided training and delivered a lecture on the importance of looking after the environment from an Islamic perspective at a local community centre. After the talk, iERA volunteers made their way to the assembly point in central London, where they joined a group of more than 5,000 people from various backgrounds who came together to voice their concern on climate change.

During the demonstration, iERA volunteers handed out leaflets to members of the public informing them of how Muslims take the preservation of the environment seriously. They engaged in many interesting discussions, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Demonstrators were very surprised to know that Islam has a supportive stance towards the environment, and this initiated numerous discussions where they wanted to find out more.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2hdU7zTce0]

iERA also teamed up with an organisation called ‘Made in Europe’, a campaign group who envisage the Muslim community leading the struggle against global poverty, injustice and environmental issues. The collaboration with Made in Europe was very productive, and the feedback from the general public was extremely promising.

The ‘Islam is Green’ campaign was endorsed by the general public who wanted more Muslims to participle in future environmental events.

The iERA team also gained interest from a number of independent media outlets, which led to two interviews with Reel News and Nuwave Pictures.

This article was originally featured on Aquila Style in April 2015. 

British Muslims Go Green: 100km Cycle Challenge and First Eco Fair

 

Press Release: British Muslims went green this Saturday, 6th September, as Muslims from all over London took part in a 100km cycle ride from Mosque to Mosque. Muslims pray 5 times a day from dawn till dusk, and each ‘Salah’ prayer constituted a different stop at some of London’s most iconic houses of worship, from the East London Mosque, all the way to the al Manar Mosque in West London.

The ‘Tour de Salah’ challenge, organized by MADE in Europe, forms part of a wider campaign called ‘Green Up My Community’ supported by the City Bridge Trust and aimed at increasing awareness of environmental issues, as well as sustainable practice within the Muslim community. MADE is a grassroots organisation serving to empower young Muslims to make change within their communities, through campaigns and education. The Green Up Campaign is targeted towards Mosques, promoting awareness of climate change and its effects, as well as working with the Mosques to become beacons of environmental justice through efficient waste management and water and energy consumption.

One of the Mosques looking to take an active role on the issue is the London Central Mosque in Regents Park, which co-hosted the first Muslim-led Eco Fair with MADE. As the third ‘Salah’ stop on the map, this was an opportunity for people of all ages, family and friends, Muslims and non- Muslims, to gather for a day of fun and activities, and learn something new about the environment that we all share. With Mosques like Harrow Central, Kingston Muslim Association and the Palmers Green Mosque taking an active part in the cycling challenge, the future looks promising as more follow suit.

Environmental sustainability has become a topic of great urgency in the last few decades, and was cited as ‘one of the most serious threats we face’ by Prime Minister David Cameron. In the latest report by the UN, the effects of global warming were dubbed to be ‘severe, pervasive and irreversible’. UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon has called world leaders to mobilise on September 23rd to discuss their commitment to reducing carbon emissions. On September 21st, people from different walks of life all over the world, including London, will be taking part in a ‘Climate March’ to demonstrate to their respective governments just how seriously they want their leadership to respond to this imminent threat.

“To some extent, it is understandable that the Muslim community is not leading the Environmental movement simply because the Muslim world in the modern era wasn’t at the forefront of damaging it,” comments prominent Muslim theologian, Sheikh Shams. “However, now that we are aware of the issue, given what our deen (religion) teaches us, given the teachings of our Prophet, we need to quickly catch up and get to the forefront because our rightful position is to be leading on all issues of preserving the environment,” he adds.

The Eco Fair boasted a range of activities and businesses, ranging from the pedal-your-own-smoothie bike, to organic and eco-friendly soaps and cosmetics, to Fairtrade cakes, solar-powered phone chargers, and upcycling workshops. The Imam of the Mosque, along with Sheikh Shams who was also cycling the whole leg, both stressed the importance of environmental activism. For many attendees, it was refreshing to see an initiative like this coming straight from within the Mosques. “I think this is a much needed event in the Muslim community, because environment and sustainability are among the key principles in Islam yet the average Muslim probably doesn’t think too much about it,“ remarks Mikhail, a Science teacher from Leicester.

“I never realized how much of a contribution bottled water actually has on the environment. Since coming here, I’ve just been thinking that we need to make a change,” commented David Tsan, one of the cyclists upon arriving at the Fair.

“If there is one thing that we all have in common, it is the custodianship of this planet,” remarked Sarah Javaid, co-founder and acting director of MADE. “In Islam, we believe that we have been given the responsibility of caretaking the Earth as Allah’s vicegerents, and so we see no better cause to unite over. It is great to be working with Mosques, and to see them leading the way on such initiatives. We hope to continue our work with Mosques and really watch them pioneer sustainable change“

As the threat of global warming increases by the day, such initiatives are a welcome effort and a call for further action from both the faith and non-faith communities to stand united in preserving our planet.

1.    MADE in Europe is a UK-registered charity which works to mobilise young Muslims to take action against global poverty through volunteering, campaigning and education.  For more info seewww.madeineurope.org.uk. 

2.    For more info on Tour de Salah: http://www.madeineurope.org.uk/get-involved/tour-de-salah

3.    For more info on the Eco Fair: http://www.madeineurope.org.uk/get-involved/made-fair