Campaigning & Advocacy

As Muslims we have a huge responsibility to tackle environmental degradation and climate change and all the associated effects as a result. Whilst paying our Zakat, providing for the poor in sadaqah (charity) can help alleviate some of those issues, the religion of Islam asks us to do more than that. Allah demands that as witnesses to the suffering in the world, we must speak out and raise awareness of injustice. Allah Almighty says in the Quran:
“You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor, Allah can best take care of both.” Qur’an 4:135

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) commanded us to stand up for justice:
“Whoever sees an injustice, he must change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then he must change it with his tongue. And if he is not able to do that, then he must feel it within his heart. But that is the least of his faith” Hadith – Sahih Muslim

As Muslims, we must set an example to others by acting in a fair, honest and ethical way. So whether through actions, speaking out, or having the will to create change, we all have a duty to make a difference to the lives of people impacted by climate change.

Some of the initiatives and campaigns that the Bahu Trust has been involved in to advocate for climate justice:

Climate Coalition, Show the Love – An annual celebration of everything we care about and want to protect from the worst impacts of the climate crisis. People from across the UK use the power of green hearts to join together and ask decision makers to tackle the climate crisis.

Footsteps BCF – We are a founding member of ‘Footsteps’ – A coalition of faith-based organisations in Birmingham working together for a low carbon future

Birmingham Climate Emergency – The Bahu Trust was instrumental in working with Footsteps to push for Birmingham City Council to declare a climate emergency and work towards a net zero future.

UNEP Accreditation – We are the only mosque to have United Nations Environment Programme accreditation and observer status. We use this as an opportunity to campaign and advocate on a global level. We are heavily involved in the UNEP Faith For Earth initiative which brings together faith communities from around the world to tackle environmental

Faith for the Climate – We work very closely with Faith for the Climate, a national network for faith-based organisations working on climate change issues. This gives us an opportunity to work with organisations such as EcoSikh, EcoDharma, Hindu Climate Action to support each other in capacity building. We will also be working with FFTC to develop an appropriate campaign for COP26.

Fossil Fuel Divestment – The Bahu Trust in collaboration with the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) and the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board have jointly called on Muslims to divest from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy to help deliver clean power for all.