From warming temperatures to the constant news of extreme disasters and wars, the hardships we collectively face today feel heavier than we can bear because we have forgotten our place in the universe as human beings. These hardships feel burdensome not only because of their severity but also, more critically, due to our lack of preparedness, complacency in maintaining the status quo, and, in some cases, our direct complicity in causing these difficulties. As Muslims, we must never forget that no matter the level of uncertainties surrounding us where we may not be able to control everything, we can be reassured with the absolute certainty of Allah SWT overseeing everything and always in control of all our affairs.  

Losing sight of our purpose and place in the universe has led to a degradation of our beliefs, principles, and values—similar to the repercussions of God’s first creation’s sin: Satan forgetting his place in the assembly of God and refusing to submit to God’s will after being blinded by his pride. This disobedience was followed up by harbouring such malice and ill-will against God that permanent disbelief in God’s mercy took hold of Satan, completely blotting his chances of deliverance in all realms. Have we not learnt our lesson? 

Humans plunder, murder, ravage, deface, and exploit Mother Earth. When asked about consequences, there is always a scientifically engineered answer reassuring us that all will be well. However, the truth is that we have long neglected to seek Divine pleasure as the pinnacle of our endeavours—modern man has severed his relationship with Al-Malik as His Abd (servant). Now, in our vanity stemming from a misplaced sense of self-sufficiency, we look to the stars as a possible refuge after causing colossal corruption on Earth, rendering it increasingly uninhabitable.

Allah said in the very first revelation to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen—taught humanity what they knew not. Most certainly, one exceeds all bounds once they think they are self-sufficient.” 

(Quran 96:3–96:7 – Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran)

Allah appointed us as Khalifa on Earth while declaring Earth as a place of prostration, or sujud.  

“We are always-already in a state of return to God, and our movement upon the earth that is masjid thus becomes a constant motion of (re-)turning toward the niche, the focal point of that masjid. This turning is a humbling, in humility—the turning as sujud and of sujud, on the earth-as-masjid—and too as a turning in expectation: because every spatial point upon this earth is the site of sujud, and every niche is open, and every prostration is a melting of the self toward the Center, and every empty space is a site of Omnipresence.” 

(Basit Kareem Iqbal, Islam & Science, Vol. 7, Summer 2009, No. 1)

Read more: A Climate Professional’s Insight on Islam & Climate

Internalizing the status of Earth as a masjid—a place of prostration to God Almighty or sujud—is essential for centring our place in the cosmos. By submitting humbly to the Omnipresence, Vastness, and Continuity of Allah (SWT), we acknowledge that the Earth is made and declared a place of prostration; everything in it is making sujud to one Creator. By actively seeking God through an unending sujud, all creation on Earth becomes relatives in Islam—a principle beautifully preserved by many Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. Our role as Khalifa cannot be envisioned and honoured without first internalizing our relationship with the rest of God’s creation. Without this realization, we will never learn how to walk gently on this Earth. 

“Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste ˹the consequences of˺ some of their deeds and perhaps they might return ˹to the Right Path˺.”

(Quran 30:41 – Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran)

The path to reconciling with Mother Earth starts by finding our place in the universal congregation comprised of the vast creation of God, actively worshipping Him at all times. While doing so, seeing everything in existence through God’s divine quality of Rahma, mercy—an inherent characteristic of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) further perfected through regular practice, granting him the deepest perceptions of how natural objects around him felt, for instance hearing the cries of a tree, empathizing with its hurt and tending to its emotional needs by hugging it.

Earth is a masjid, a sacred place of prostration, and everything placed upon it is sacred. 

Unless we, as the human race, learn to stay in our place—respecting, honouring and cherishing all of God’s creation, and bowing in unison and humility alongside all our relatives to one Creator—we will never begin to undo what our hands have wrought. Now more than ever, we need to start our return to the Right Path, and it starts with repentance to Allah.

Read more: Exploring the Spiritual Connection Between Food and Ramadan

The post Holding on to Islam in a Warming World appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

The COP29 managed to put together a deal at the eleventh hour of the talks wrapping up, wherein wealthier nations agreed to provide developing countries worldwide $300 billion annually in climate financing. A laughable offering, well below the estimated $1.3 trillion that experts estimate is needed for developmental and climate goals of countries struggling to fight the devastating impacts of climate change. A bloc representing the 45 nations most vulnerable to climate change have stated that “this is not just a failure; it is a betrayal.” 

Vulnerable communities, with little agency in these talks, remained sidelined at this year’s COP, even as they bear the brunt of climate change they didn’t cause. The choice of venue for COP29, hosted in Azerbaijan, added insult to injury, spotlighting the petrostate’s history of crimes against Armenians and its fossil fuel ties to Israel during an ongoing Palestinian genocide. This reaffirms the global communities’ failure to see climate justice as an intersectional fight against all injustices, failing to address the systemic injustices and human rights violations while elevating regimes complicit in violence and environmental exploitation. 

Read More: The Untold Crisis of Climate Change, Media Bias, and the Forgotten Muslim Refugees

Within the same week of a disappointing COP29 came the news of the U.S. indictment of Gautam Adani, an Indian billionaire accused of a bribery charge to secure a massive $2 billion solar energy contract. Which begs the question, why are corrupt billionaires taking charge of the so-called “clean energy” revolution? Meanwhile, America’s climate future faces a leadership shift that amplifies billionaire saviorism, granting undue influence to people like Elon Musk—despite allegations of human rights abuses, anti-union practices, and authoritarian alliances. This begs yet another question: why do we, ordinary citizens of the world struggling to survive the chaos of ecological devastation unravelling all around us, rallying behind billionaire climate saviorism? Have we not learnt our lessons yet?

The climate justice movement has already been hijacked by opportunists leveraging greenwashed capitalist agendas, delaying the systemic change urgently required. This so-called “green revolution” has become synonymous with battery stored renewable energy as the best path forward to a sustainable future, while undermining the urgency and delaying the work of shifting to an economy that centers degrowth. Only through rejecting capitalism can we reduce our culture of hyperconsumption, which is the only way we can pave a viable path for a future that guarantees harmonial cohabitation with all creation on Earth, a precedent already practiced by Indigenous people around the globe.

The failure of COP29 reflects not only a lack of ambition but also a continued denial of agency to front-line communities, who are often excluded from decision-making despite bearing the greatest burden of climate impacts. Instead, there has been an increase in influence by corrupt industrialists in steering global climate policy with greenwashed capitalist agendas. 

Today, the climate action movement is dominated by a push for renewable technology development, an important component for which is battery storage. However, the catastrophic costs of developing this technology is barely garnering attention in these international climate events. The continual ignorance of the plight of Congolese from the rush of cobalt mining is indicative of a movement that is no longer serving the people or planet. How are we, as consumers, urged to expedite the electrification of our communities with a heavy reliance on battery storage sourced amidst the growing calls raising alarm of a silent genocide underway in the DRC? Can we take a pause to reflect why we have signed up for a green revolution that is being delivered through the exploitation of innocent children mining rare metals with their bare hands in extremely hazardous conditions? 

This is a crucial junction for grassroots mobilizers and front-line defenders to reclaim the fight for climate justice on their terms, rejecting tokenizing pledges and centering Indigenous and vulnerable voices in the fight for an equitable and just future. By building global alliances grounded in solidarity and resistance, the movement can dismantle the structures perpetuating climate and systemic injustices.

The post Climate Justice Belongs to the People, Not to Green Capitalists appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Earlier this year, a group of UN independent experts warned that acts of harassment, intimidation, violence and incitement based on religion or belief have risen to “alarming levels” across the world, including against Muslims. The rising tide of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-migrant sentiment among the ‘safe havens’ of the Global North, amplified by dehumanizing rhetoric in mainstream media, has created a chilling backdrop for the escalating violence and oppression faced by communities worldwide.  

Recent statistics reveal that 47% of the world’s 117 million forcibly displaced people come from Muslim-majority nations. Conflicts in Sudan, Yemen and Palestine consistently rank among the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with other countries like Afghanistan and Syria, both plagued by conflict and climate risks, projected to contribute significantly to the estimated 1.2 billion climate refugees by 2050. This number will undoubtedly further increase as the Middle East is further destabilized by imminent wars, which, coupled with the growing anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-immigrant sentiment, is especially disconcerting.

Read More: Unveiling the Exploitation in the Global Fast Fashion Industry

How Negative Media Biases Desensitize the Masses 

What is the origin of apathy towards Muslims, Arabs, and migrants overall, in the Global North? Is there a correlation between reporting by Western media and attitudes of desensitization toward these groups of marginalized people? Western media frequently portrays Middle Eastern and Muslim victims, particularly in contexts like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, through a reductionist, dehumanizing, and binary lens— ”good” versus “evil”, and “civilized” versus “barbaric” forces. This narrative justifies inaction or complicity in human rights abuses. An example is Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant referring to Palestinians as “human animals” in relation to the siege on Gaza—a statement widely covered yet insufficiently questioned by Western outlets. 

This deep-rooted bias in Western media’s coverage of Gaza’s war reached “genocidal” levels according to Al Jazeera. This claim is corroborated by multiple journalists working at CNN and BBC, who allege systemic double standards. However, BBC and CNN as entities continue refuting these claims.

These flawed narratives and harmful stereotypes skew public perception and erode empathy, undermining the moral imperative to address the suffering and injustice of the oppressed.

This trend of selective empathy is not unique to the Middle East; the crisis in Sudan is similarly underreported as a Muslim-majority country facing severe displacement within an ongoing war.

An extreme outcome of these misinformed narratives in the West could be seen in the violent UK mob attacks and riots that broke out after a storm of anti-Muslim disinformation on social media fueled Islamophobic and far-right violence in the aftermath of a fatal stabbing attack.
This bias can also be seen by the continuing marginalization of Muslim minorities within countries like India and Myanmar.

These trends suggest that the escalating impacts of climate change will deepen existing vulnerabilities, disproportionately endangering Muslim lives in particular. In a world already marked by apathy—and, at worst, justification of mass suffering—this disproportionate risk only grows more urgent.

Flaws of International Justice Systems

COP29’s decisive venue in Azerbaijan is problematic for several reasons. The nation has been criticized for its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, with more than 90% of its exports being oil and gas. The nation fails to meet climate obligations under the Paris Agreement, as well as its past human rights abuse record of alleged state-committed war crimes during the Armenian Genocide. More so, in 2021, The Azerbaijan capital of Baku established its “Green Energy Zone” including the Nagorno-Karabakh region, where ethnic cleansing reportedly took place in 2023. Hosting COP29 in Baku affirms the growing disconnect of climate action from holistic intersectional calls for justice, paving the path for authoritarian governments to greenwash their violent histories. 

Read More: Unmasking Water Apartheid: India’s Dam Projects and Environmental Devastation in Occupied Kashmir

This sets the stage for COP29, where states and countries will come together once again to discuss how to move forward in the fight against climate change. In light of this, we must question whether such events genuinely catalyze meaningful action or inadvertently perpetuate the harmful systems contributing to the climate crisis. Recent analyses linking the climate crisis with a rise in authoritarianism only heighten these concerns, casting a shadow of doubt over our collective future.

Last month in September 2024, a similar incoherence occurred at the UN General Assembly when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to address the nations despite his administration’s role in military actions displacing thousands in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. This appearance was offered to him just months after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s actions in Palestine may plausibly amount to genocide. 

The perpetrator behind these offensives’ ability to address the largest UN assembly—despite the clear ICJ ruling—highlights inherent flaws within our international systems. This, in turn, allows powerful actors to evade accountability and demonstrates the stark disconnect between international rhetoric on human rights and the grim reality on the ground.

This troubling reality raises critical questions: Can institutions that permit and glorify perpetrators of atrocities on international platforms genuinely claim to be committed to any kind of justice—let alone climate justice? With the alarming normalization of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment in the media, coupled with intensified anti-migrant rhetoric, how will the Global North respond to the rising displacement risks from Muslim-majority and Middle Eastern regions affected by climate disasters? With international institutions weakening, who will protect the vulnerable people forcibly displaced by climate change to safer regions in the Global North—a crisis they did not create?

Addressing these intertwining issues exacerbated by the climate crises in a world standing at the cusp of worsening wars requires a multifaceted approach that must include addressing increasing biases against coloured people through ethical media practices, as well as greater accountability for perpetrators of violence. Ultimately, our fight for climate justice will only be effective if it is rooted in a broader commitment to justice in all its forms for all creation, whether Muslim, Arab, migrant or not. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Muslim Climate Watch’s editorial stance.

This article was updated with links to provide evidence for marginalization in India and Myanmar.

The post The Untold Crisis of Climate Change, Media Bias, and the Forgotten Muslim Refugees appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Kashmir has witnessed a seismic shift in its governance structure. This legislative maneuver, which stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status, consolidated the Indian government’s power in the region. Consequently, Kashmir’s climate and environmental vulnerability increased. Legislative actions have placed Kashmir’s environment in danger. 

Read More: Unmasking Water Apartheid: India’s Dam Projects and Environmental Devastation in Occupied Kashmir

At a time when climate action dominates international discourse, the environmental consequences of occupation in Kashmir are overlooked. Environmental justice and protection of indigenous rights are endangered. The ruling party continues to perpetuate hate-filled rhetoric fanning Islamophobia, and instilling more seeds for expansionist settler-colonial dreams within the average Indian citizen.

The once pristine landscape hailed as the ‘Third Pole’, now bears scars of relentless ecocide. The increased construction of military infrastructure since 2019 has intensified environmental devastation. From the disruption of natural river flows, and increased flood risks to the deforestation of over 250 hectares of forested land. 

This cycle of devastation has had far-reaching social consequences. Tourism has produced thousands of tonnes of waste with poor waste management negatively impacting biodiversity levels.  

Recently, the Government’s plans to auction and mine lithium reserves in Kashmir suggest further land dispossession, environmental degradation and continued water disputes for indigenous communities. The environmental damage caused by large-scale lithium mining on Jammu and Kashmir’s already fragile ecology will result in water scarcity, affecting a rural district where 5.9 million tonnes of lithium mines have been discovered. It will degrade water sources like the Chenab River and contribute to the glacial melt of the Himalayan mountain ranges. With all eyes on India’s elections, we must remain steadfast in our demand for environmental and human rights for all. 

Crackdowns, Curfews and Lockdowns Are Threatening Livelihoods and Food Security 

The 2019 elections set a distressing precedent for the citizens of Kashmir. The influx of military personnel alongside increased restrictions and school closures to accommodate 700,000 soldiers negatively affected daily life. With the 2024 elections now underway across India, Kashmiris will likely face an increase in these oppressive, restrictive and disruptive measures. 

In a region where 70% of the population relies on agriculture, the excessive militarisation and oppressive government measures jeopardize Kashmir’s food security. Frequent and continual land seizures, imposition of curfews, communication shutdowns, regional lockdowns, and destruction of homes and land have culminated in severe disruptions to food systems. Poverty and malnutrition have become synonymous with many areas of Kashmir, in Srinagar 27% of children under 5 suffer from stunted growth. Frequent lockdowns and curfews have seen farmers face challenges in cultivating their lands. Similarly stringent security measures have made the transportation of goods almost impossible. 

Read More: What is Climate Colonialism?

Since 2019, the crackdown on Kashmir has intensified with the central government banning alternative political organizations and activists, suppressing political freedom and Kashmiri voices. Arbitrary arrests and detention have become common tactics used against journalists, activists and protestors who speak out against the draconian measures enforced in Kashmir. Some laws allow the Government and security forces to arrest and detain individuals without trial for up to 2 years. Recurrent communication blackouts, media restrictions, censorship and surveillance are used to repress and minimize reporting on these unjust policies. 

Kashmir’s Indigenous Tribal Communities Are Endangered by Worsening Ecocide 

The nomadic way of life for tribes in Kashmir is under threat. Tribes including Gujjar, Pahari and Bakarwal that rely on the land itself are facing mass displacement, home demolition, and ecocide due to legislative changes in Kashmir. 

The Indian Government’s push for the ‘eviction and anti-encroachment drive’ has seen numerous instances of harassment and targeting of indigenous and tribal communities– from the felling of over 10,000 apple trees in Kanidajan to the razing of land in Pahalgam. The forced eviction of tribal communities from ancestral lands has had lasting negative impacts on the local environment. 

Read More: Noah’s Ark of Resilience: Islam’s Response to Climate Fatalism

In Roop Nagar, over 233,000 square feet of land was claimed by authorities, resulting in the displacement of over 20 families. Authorities have continued to push indigenous communities towards destitution. The Government’s selective eviction drive has targeted the most vulnerable in society. These nomadic, tribal, and indigenous communities are pushed further into poverty and marginalization. 

The BJP’s exploitation of Islamophobia amid increasing Hindu nationalism to secure electoral victories and retain power has dire consequences for the people of Kashmir. As elections unfold across India, it is crucial to scrutinize the glorification of India as a democracy and a leader in the green transition, given the nation’s divisive politics, ecocide and disregard for Kashmiri rights. The future of over nine million Kashmiris remains uncertain in the current climate.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Muslim Climate Watch’s editorial stance.

The post How Political Goals Threaten Eco-Fragile Kashmir appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

In one week, I used 5 plates, 6 utensils, and 5 to-go containers for leftovers, all made of plastic. Of these, I deposited the to-go containers into a municipal recycling bin, and the rest were tossed in trash bags headed for a landfill. But where did those to-go containers go?

Fasting during the month of Ramadan raises awareness of our daily consumption; not only of food and water, but also of our consumption of the material world. Suppose we extend that mindfulness to the entire lifecycle of products we may use for just a few minutes. In that case, we can begin to reduce the amount of plastics that can end up in other countries where they pollute waterways and harm the health of people living there. 

Even when plastics are placed in the correct bins, municipal material recovery facilities may still not recycle them. Plastics are not widely recycled in the U.S., the main reason being it is not economical to recycle lower grades of plastics. These lower grades are classified by their plastic resin identification codes as #3 through #7. These codes can be found on the bottoms of most plastic products. 

When plastic items are not recycled back into a form where they can be used to make other products, it is estimated they can take up to 500 years to break down; however, they never fully disappear. Plastic products break down into smaller and smaller microplastics and nanoplastics that persist in our environment and can end up back in our bodies. 

Given that the U.S. generates the lion’s share of plastic waste per capita in the world, our lack of plastic waste recycling infrastructure contributes to a global problem. Shipping containers carrying mixed plastic waste can be out at sea for months, which makes it among the dirtiest and least desirable waste in the trade.

China served as the world’s primary plastics importer until they banned plastic waste imports in 2017, which shifted the landscape of plastic waste trade around the world. In just a couple of years, the plastic waste we generated quickly made its way to other countries in Southeast Asia, turning rural agricultural lands into dumping grounds for the U.S. Some of the countries that import plastic waste from the U.S. today are Muslim-majority or have large Muslim populations including Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Turkey. Investigative reports have found when plastic waste reaches these countries, none of which have the infrastructure to meet U.S. demands for plastic waste, the plastic waste is still not recycled and is ultimately left in open dumps or incinerated.

Since then, amendments to the Basel Convention and other UN-backed waste conventions have attempted to address the 21st-century problem of plastic waste colonialism, but the U.S. continues to be one of a few nations that have not ratified the Basel Convention.

Developed countries like the U.S. contribute to this global environmental justice problem, which disproportionately harms people living in poverty who receive, process, and ultimately live amongst this plastic waste, and face greater health and environmental inequities. 

The UNEP estimates that half of the plastic products produced in the world are designed for single-use purposes, which include (in descending order): cigarette butts, plastic drinking bottles, plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, plastic grocery bags, plastic lids, straws and stirrers, other types of plastic bags, and foam take-away containers.

After assessing my plastic waste generation this Ramadan, I realized that the to-go containers (marked with a #5 plastic resin identification code) were probably not recycled in the U.S., and may already be in a shipping container overseas. 

While disheartening, I quickly realized how much plastic waste I simultaneously avoided by carrying a reusable water bottle to every iftar and prayer. For next year, I will commit to also carrying a reusable utensil set and collapsible to-go container, which can double as a plate. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Muslim Climate Watch’s editorial stance.

The post How Plastic Choices During Ramadan Shape Global Sustainability appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Metro-Detroit encompasses the city of Detroit and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. This land, known as Waawiiyaatanong, is the ancestral land of the Anishinaabe, Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatomi and the land of the Wyandot nation. During the seed-swapping event, I was inspired to think about this land we call home and the pre-existing relationships the Indigenous people had and continue to have with this land before we arrived here.   

Seed Sustainability Puts Amanah in Action

Afeefeh S., a co-founder of MetroSwaps, is a Lebanese American woman who has been dedicating her time to propagating the importance of sustainability within her community in Dearborn and connecting with the diverse communities within Detroit. Implementing Islamic principles of Amanah, or stewardship, of the land, the event attracted local gardening enthusiasts and hobbyists, offering activity tables where participants could paint rocks or planters.

The guidelines for the overall event were simple: attendees were asked to bring vegetable seeds, fruit seeds, or mushroom spores, avoid GMO varieties and ensure seeds were properly labelled. Among the participants at the event were the Iraqi Seed Collective, committed to preserving Iraqi culture and safeguarding the genetic heritage of crops through heirloom seeds, and Dearborn Public Library’s Seed Library. 

In Michigan, the Seed Library Network exists to map out the Seed Libraries in the state. Seed-saving, integral to Food Sovereignty, is the process of saving seeds from one harvest for future harvest. This allows the farmer seed sovereignty, or the right to save, use, exchange and sell his or her own seeds. This practice has been done historically by Black and Indigenous people in the U.S. persevering their heritages. 

Read More: Seeds of Resilience in Palestinian Agriculture

Al-Hadiqa is committed to continuing the stories behind the seeds gifted by local community members by archiving their stories in an oral history project. Established in 2023 and aimed to embody the Arab American experience, Al-Hadiqa collaborated closely with the East Dearborn community and Garden Juju Collective to craft the garden’s design and narrative tales. Fatima Al-Rasool, Public Programming Coordinator at AANM, notes that many of the residents have brought seeds from their home countries, including zaatar seeds from Lebanon, tomato seeds from Iraq, and pea seeds from Syria. 

Metro-Detroit: An Automotive Hub and Cultural Epicenter

The urgency of the climate crisis has prompted many to commit to community organizing and communication. To understand Metro-Detroit’s environmental connection and cultural identity, one must view its industrial heritage using the lens of the automotive industry. The availability of manufacturing jobs at companies like Ford, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler drew waves of immigrants and migrants to the region over decades in the early 20th century. The impact of racist practices such as redlining and white flight deeply shaped the economic and demographic landscapes of Metro-Detroit, while also leaving behind an environmental footprint that continues to harm the region.

The industrial legacy extends to nearby Dearborn, home to the Ford Motor Company’s headquarters, where the effects of industrialization are still felt through iron, steel and oil refining pollution sources. This results in emissions of toxic chemicals. These pollutants contribute to the elevated rates of respiratory issues in the area. Being one of the most diverse regions in the U.S., Southeastern Michigan faces impacts stemming from the ongoing climate crisis, ranging from issues like floods and food injustice to poor air quality.

Dearborn, neighbouring the Majority African American city of Detroit, has a significant Arab population tracing their heritage across the Arab world, with the majority being from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Despite the decline of the industry, the varied workforce it drew in has left a permanent impact on the cultural landscapes of Metro-Detroit. These detrimental conditions feed into the need for sustainability initiatives like MetroSwaps.

Ramadan & Cultivating Sustainability

The rooted connection that seeds embody is integral to a people who are connected to a land even when uprooted and displaced. Seeds are dispersed by either natural mechanisms or by human activities. However, they can flourish only if given the right conditions. By holding community events that teach sustainability during the month of Ramadan, we gather at a sacred time to reclaim our ancestral practices of seed-saving embedded in the Islamic teachings of land stewardship. 

By preserving the rich ancestral practice of seed-saving dominant across indigenous cultures, the diverse community of Metro-Detroit is passing on the information and stories enclosed in seeds to the next generation. As Fatima says “[…]We are in Michigan, and being here impacts our identities”. Our presence on this land impacts many of our cultures and identities. We are not stagnant, but instead malleable, and in this constant change we must be stewards of this land.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Muslim Climate Watch’s editorial stance.

The post Seed-Saving and Community Initiatives Connect Cultures in Metro-Detroit appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

The ongoing genocide and colonization in Palestine interconnect layers of climate issues, social justice, and public health crises; issues central to my demographic and expressed through our voting choices. My community has done and will continue to do everything to make sure we are heard in the elections.

Like many of my fellow Arabs, Muslims and allies, I am shattered by the active genocide of my people in Gaza. This feeling is especially intensified as we begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan this week. With over 155 days of Israeli bombardment in Gaza, innocent Palestinians endure daily massacres and starvation, facilitated with help from the U.S. Hunger, climate oppression and environmental warfare are weapons of genocide actively being employed by Israel in Gaza. 

Read More: Israeli Bombs Pushing Towards Climate Devastation

Despite a majority of Americans calling for a ceasefire, the Biden Administration has used its veto power in the UN Security Council to stop an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.  It has also failed to allow the safe delivery of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, all while supplying Israel with the weapons killing Palestinians, my people. These actions are not only directly enabling a genocide, but are also contributing heavily to the climate crisis. 

The climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s military response was equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal. It is greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, this being a significant underestimate. This underscores the urgency for climate justice as historical and current polluters continue to exacerbate climate conditions for vulnerable front-line communities.

Following the significant ‘uncommitted’ votes, the U.S. rushed in to airdrop aid in Gaza, which not only has been criticized as hypocritical, but also reported to be costly, inefficient, and even deadly. Parachutes carrying the aid malfunctioned and killed Palestinians. Disaster relief experts have touted that these are not meaningful enough to make a dent in the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel and the U.S. 

Another attempt at regaining trust with my demographic, and likely a direct response to the uncommitted campaign, manifested at Biden’s State of the Union address, where the President announced that the U.S. will build a temporary port on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian aid by sea. President Biden’s attempts are not nearly enough to stave off his blatant hypocrisy. Moreso, some experts have reported that this temporary port could potentially be an opportunity for the U.S. to extract natural gas from Gaza, amidst a climate emergency when countries are divesting from fossil fuels. 

Extensive and unprecedented destruction has targeted agricultural lands housing perennial trees like olives and citrus fruits, as well as field crops like vegetables. A report by Lawfare said, “the legally proportionate collateral damage by lethal weapons used in civilian populated areas would be thoroughly immoral.” Israel has also dropped white phosphorus on Gaza and Lebanon, a chemical that is not only excruciatingly painful but also greatly harms the environment deep within the soil.

Read More: Israel’s Water Apartheid Policies in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip

Ongoing airstrikes and a lack of electricity or fuel are causing Gaza’s water and sewage management facility to remain untreated, releasing 130,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea every day. However, climate change does not recognize borders and political arrangements, and environmental degradation in Palestine will make its way to Israeli settler territories. 

Gaza also had one of the world’s highest densities of solar rooftop installations. However, the current war has destroyed these solar systems, with 17 of the 29 largest rooftop solar installations either completely destroyed or displaying significant external damage. By denying Palestinians the ability to employ climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, Israel is committing climate apartheid.

The Israeli Occupation Forces have not only blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, but they have intentionally massacred Palestinian civilians as they tried to obtain food from the few trucks that were permitted to enter, inciting the “flour massacre.” Israeli settlers have protested and blocked humanitarian trucks from entering, with 72 percent of Israelis opposing providing humanitarian aid to Gaza according to a survey conducted for Israel’s Channel 12 television. Gaza is now facing famine with at least 800,000 Palestinians starving to death and more than a dozen children dead due to malnutrition. 

Our vote is a protest demanding for the decision-makers of this country to hear us, especially as my fellow Muslims in Gaza continue to suffer during our holiest month. Ramadan has come at the most sensitive of times, and Biden has betrayed his supporters to enable the ongoing massacre of my people. The focus in Gaza this Ramadan, like the rest of the Muslim world, should have been on prayer and spirituality. Instead, they must prioritize survival as they become victims of famine and extreme living conditions worsened by a climate crisis exacerbated by Israel.

Come November, any candidate who wants to represent my demographic will need to earn our vote. This will only happen if U.S. stops the genocide, and urgently addresses the interlocking humanitarian, climate and public health crises. The U.S. must not only acknowledge but halt its policy to ethnically cleanse Palestinians to get our vote.

The colonization of a people and land isn’t a “single-issue.’ I reject any notion that my community and our allies are not clear-eyed about what is at stake this November. We are raising the alarms to stop the crises that are impacting all of us and we’re not being heard. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Muslim Climate Watch’s editorial stance.

The post Uncommitted: Arab American & Muslim Voices Unite for a Ceasefire & Climate Justice in Palestine appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.