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Faith Based Environmental Initiatives in Canada

Joanne Moyer: The King's University 

Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada, Civic Muslims, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Association of Canada

Research Note: Khaleafa is the primary Muslim voice for environmental issues in Canada. Various Muslim leadership organizations are also involved in environmental work, often in partnership with Khaleafa. Despite various inquiries, I was unable to interview people from any of these organizations. Thus, information on this page is gathered from websites and the Khaleafa interview, and is incomplete.

 

About: For more information about these organizations, see their websites:

- Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada: http://www.progressivemuslims.ca/

- Civic Muslims: https://www.civicmuslims.ca/

- Islamic Foundation of Toronto: https://www.islamicfoundation.ca/

- Islamic Institute of Toronto: http://islamicinstitute.ca/

- Islamic Society of North America: http://www.isna.net/

- Muslim Association of Canada: http://www.macnet.ca/English/Pages/Home.aspx

- Noor Cultural Centre: https://noorculturalcentre.ca/

 

Environmental Activities:

  • Civic Muslims promote Earth Hour. They have partnered with Khaleafa do to shoreline cleanups in Rouge Park and with Credit Valley Conservation to plant trees in the Rattray Marsh Conservation Area.
  • The Islamic Society of North America partnered with Khaleafa to do a community planning and good gardening event, a recycling initiative, and the Green Ramadan campaign, and Green Masjid booklet.
  • The Islamic Foundation of Toronto partnered with Khaleafa, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Ecologos, and the City of Toronto to screen a documentary about water.
  • The Islamic Institute of Toronto partnered with Khaleafa and Greening Sacred Spaces for greening retrofit workshop.
  • The Noor Cultural Centre in Toronto held a workshop on the Story of Stuff. The Centre also hosted the Greening Sacred Spaces annual forum one year.
  • The Muslim Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto works with Khaleafa and hosted a winter symposium in 2016 on “Stewards of the Earth: Fulfilling our Environmental Trust.”
  • The Islamic Information Society of Calgary signed “The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties 22 Interfaith Statement” (2016).
  • Individuals mosques across the country have created community gardens, installed geothermal heating, and incorporated First Nations principles about respecting the environment.

Khaleafa

About: Khaleafa was established in 2011 to enable Muslims to use their faith to promote environmental awareness. While based in Toronto, Khaleafa provides a web forum for Muslims across Canada to connect with and steward the environment.

 

Current Environmental Initiatives

  • Khaleafa’s primary work is through its website, providing articles and a discussion forum for reflecting on environmental issues from a Muslim perspective.
  • Green Khutbah Campaign: yearly, imams are encouraged to preach a sermon with an environmental theme, using resources provided by Khaleafa. Started in 2012, this campaign has garnered participants from around the world.
  • Khaleafa also facilitates activities such as clean-ups and hikes in the Toronto area, often in partnership with other local environmental organization and faith-based initatives.
    • Green retrofitting workshop at the Islamic Institute of Toronto with Greening Sacred Spaces
    • Seeds, Sprouts and Scriptures at the University of Toronto Multi-faith Centre with Shoresh

 

Partnerships

 

On this page:

Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada, Civic Muslims, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Association of Canada

Khaleafa