Environmental Ethics in Islam and Greener Shifts Away From Fossil Fuel Dependence in the Middle East

Abstract

The Islamic legal tradition contains a wealth of environmental principles that spell out an ideal relationship between humans and nature, which are considered sacrosanct by thousands of Muslims across the world. Muslim countries are well equipped to interpret Islamic environmental principles and apply them to current environmental challenges. Yet the potential of Islamic principles remains largely untapped. Legal systems in Muslim countries remain entrenched in colonial and Western influences, leaving little room for invoking Islamic environmental principles. In recent years, climate change has catalysed the synthesis of Islamic principles with environmental law and policy. In this respect, the 2015 Islamic Climate Change Symposium is a distinctive moment for Islamic environmental ethics, which has lent an Islamic voice and perspective to the climate movement. The Middle East’s unique positionality as a home to the largest concentration of Muslims, and a region with high fossil fuel dependency, makes it necessary to assimilate Islamic principles in environmental and climate governance.