Global Muslim Climate Network (GMCN) is a Muslim environmental organization that seeks to reduce and eliminate fossil fuels, promote the use of weather-dependent energy, and redistribute wealth from oil-producing nations to poorer countries. The organization was founded prior to the Paris Climate Agreements and has been working in the Middle East to increase solar panel use at mosques, conserve water usage, and impose environmental restrictions on timber harvesting and pipeline construction.
History
Global Muslim Climate Network was founded in 2016 by activists in 10 Muslim countries in coordination with the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change. [1] GMCN was formed as a result of a 2015 Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change. [2] Two of the founders of Global Muslim Climate Network, Nana Firman and Saffet Catovic, helped draft the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change. [3]
After the 2004 tsunami that struck Indonesia, GMCN co-founder and Indonesian Nana Firman stated she first realized Islam could help her increase environmental awareness. [4] The coordinators of GMCN are the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Science, GreenFaith, and Islamic Relief Worldwide. [5] The goal of the GMCN is to establish grassroots engagement to encourage cooperation with Muslim governments at all levels to phase-out fossil fuels while transitioning to weather-dependent energy. [6]
Issues
Global Muslim Climate Network’s co-founders Nana Firman and Saffet Catovic helped draft the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change (Declaration) calling for the conservation of water during the cleaning rituals of wudu and reducing plastic waste at the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. [7] The Declaration calls for western and oil-producing nations to help poorer countries through “generous financial and technical support.” [8]
Global Muslim Climate Network has campaigned to convert mosques around the world to be more energy efficient and transition mosques in the Middle East and North Africa to being powered by solar panels. [9] GMCN is training imams to speak on the environment and weather-dependent energy from the pulpit. [10]
Global Muslim Climate Network has called to end the use of all conventional fuels. [11] GMCN has called for the halting of any pipeline construction in the United States. [12] Global Muslim Climate Network has called for oil-producing Muslim nations in the Middle East to end oil production and transition to producing renewable energy. [13] GMCN has called for oil-producing Muslim nations to financially support poor nations fighting global warming. [14]
Global Muslim Climate Network has called for an end to Israel’s “occupation of Palestinian territory.” [15] GMCN has fought deforestation in Indonesia and assisted in protecting low-lying land in Bangladesh. [16] GMCN has called for Muslim investors to use environmental factors as part of an investment strategy. [17]
Leadership
Nana Firman is a co-founder of Global Muslim Climate Network. [18] Since 2015, Firman has served as senior ambassador and fellow at GreenFaith. [19] Firman worked in Indonesia for the World Wildlife Fund on green initiatives in the wake of the 2004 tsunami. [20] After having minimal success convincing locals on rebuilding and the environment, she began using the Muslim religion to further her environmental agenda. [21] Firman has said that climate change has produced more frequent and intense droughts, storms, famine, and wildfires. [22] Firmed has claimed that the Trump administration reinforced xenophobia against immigrants and Muslims. [23] She has claimed that President Donald Trump uses divisive language against Muslims. [24] Firman has endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to end all fossil fuel use around the world. [25]
Saffet Catovic is a co-founder of Global Muslim Climate Network. [26] Catovic has served as senior Muslim advisor at GreenFaith since 2009. [27] Catovic has called global warming, racial injustice, and economic inequality an interlocking crisis. [28] He is a founding board member of the Islamic Society of North America’s green initiatives and co-drafter of the Fiqh Council of North America’s religious ruling on fossil fuel divestment. [29]