OnIslam.net

CAIRO – Drawn together by appreciation of mother nature and teachings of faith, a group of Muslim environmentalists in the central British city of Sheffield rolled up their sleeves in the service of their wider community and their religion as well.

“For Muslims the Qur'an is very clear: Islam teaches us about our duty," Nabeel Nasser, the vice-chair of the Sheffield Islamic Network for the Environment (ShINE), told the Sheffield Telegraph on Saturday, June 11.

"And so it’s not an optional thing, you have the responsibility to go out there and improve your environment.”

Nasser was speaking as about 300 ShINE members, along with their families, friends and supporters, staged an activity day in Weston Park, a public park of over 5 hectares, in a bid to encourage the locals to care more about their domestic environment.

“The day is giving us a platform for getting our message across,” Nasser said.

“We want to encourage all Sheffielders to think about the environment, to think about improving Sheffield together.

“We think it’s a duty for everyone, you don’t have to wait for Streetforce to do their thing, the more we can do as Sheffielders the better it is for all of us.”

Armed with litter-pickers, the ShINE members made sure no litter escaped their campaign in the public park while children taking part learnt a new lesson with the main theme for the day was recycling.

Organizing litter pick days as its main focus up to now, the five-year-old network hopes to organize seminars at mosques and community centers in the future.

Nasser said that the network's activities do not only reflect its members' interest in preserving the environment, but also adherence to the teachings of their faith.

“It’s stated in our tradition you must keep everything clean, it’s considered a noble act to remove litter from a path, for example, and it’s forbidden to chop down a tree if there’s no reason to do so," he says.

"Our tradition says you should be aware of everything that’s been created around you, humans and non-humans.”

Misconceptions

Nasser says that by serving the wider Sheffield community, the ShINE is also involved in a campaign to dispel conceptions about Islam, an effort that trigger distinct reactions even from members of the Muslim community.

“One reaction is very supportive, with people saying it’s about time you’re doing this kind of thing, we should encourage it because people are fed up seeing Islam linked to all these other issues," Nasser said.

"But the other reaction is that people say you’ve got to get your priorities wrong with all the other things going on."

But, Nasser said, the ShINE will continue its efforts unabated.

"We think this is probably the best way of dealing with these bigger issues, it's about showing we’re not always in the middle of trouble, we’re in the middle of something good.”

Hostility against British Muslims, estimated at nearly two million, have been on the rise since the 7/7 attacks.

A Financial Times opinion poll showed that Britain is the most suspicious nation about Muslims.

A poll of the Evening Standard found that a sizable section of London residents harbor negative opinions about Muslims.

“The awful impression people get of Islam is really saddening because it portrays Islam as the opposite of how it should be portrayed," Nasser said.

But he also urges Muslims to be patient.

"If society is against you, don’t retaliate, be patient," he addresses the Muslim community.

“You’re not going to teach people unless you’re patient. In Islam, patience is beautiful.”

Nasswe said that ShINE is cooperating with the wider environmental movements, to raise awareness about big issues like scarcity and climate change. He even went further describing his movement members as "footsoldiers."

“The big concepts can’t happen unless at ground level people understand why they’re doing something.”

Otherwise, he added, they will just dismiss big issues like climate change.

“We understand the Qur'an says this thing above us, the atmosphere, is to protect you and God says we should take care of it and don’t harm it.

"Often at big conferences they talk at a level that local people can’t get to grips with, but we think this is a way to say I am contributing to that issue.

“It’s about helping people to see their place of contact, how we can do things to help the world as a whole."