I really love watching Al Jazeera English particularly certain programmes like "Earth Rise" and "People and Power", and just saw the episode titled "Argentina: the Bad Seed" which I have linked in above. Well worth a watch. It couldn't help spark a whole series of thoughts in my head. Here are just a few:
The programme talks about the change in Argentina's economics through the large scale production of soya, a crop in worldwide demand. 95% of Argentina's soya is exported. It is not a food crop helping the rural populations of Argentina but an export crop growing the economy, providing jobs and expanding wealth (we will come back to this). The GMO soya boom has not only helped Argentina out of a pit of economic despair which seemed unimaginable a decade ago, but also ensured it has weathered the recession storm with continued growth, unlike most of the world. It is now a leading economy in Latin America, and it can all be put down to this one crop. Argentina produces more soya than any other country in the world.
As mentioned by the CEO of Los Grobo in this documentary, we are undergoing a new industrial revolution, a soya revolution. Soya today is used not only as food but more so as animal feed and fuel. In fact, more than 50% of the grain traded in the world is used for animal feed and biofuel. This same grain could be better used to feed the over 1 billion people in the world who go hungry everyday. We could take this grain from the mouths of cattle and our engines and instead feed the mouths of hungry children.
Such monocultures are gaining ground worldwide, whether it is soya or palm oil that is the product in demand. However, thought the landscape may appear to be green, these crops can never replace the forest. They are not forests, there is no biodiversity here. In the last 20 yrs Argentina has lost almost half of its remaining forest cover to agriculture. Every year we lose over 13 million acres of forest worldwide, species are dying out 1000 times faster than natural. Nature is giving way to short term economic gain.
Over farming and large scale agriculture does not benefit us in the long term, whether because of the loss of biodiversity or because of continued soil degradation. It is estimated that around the world 40% of Arable land has suffered long term damage. And so, we clear more land, and damage more. As well as this, as one of the scientists in the documentary mentions, in Argentina alone 300 million litres of pesticide are used to sustain such crops, further diminishing biodiversity and killing the land.
However, in Argentina side effects have also been witnessed by the human population, with growing rates of cancer, birth defects and malformation. As these effects are mostly seen in the rural population exposed to the large scale farming and crop dusting, urban populations remain unaware, celebrating the benefits brought by the soya economy. Unaffected, they also remain unaware or uncaring in relation to the land grabs and bullying experienced by the small scale farmers and rural population in the face of multinational corporations.
This is much like us in the Western or "First" world: we do not see the direct effects of such natural destruction, we do not experience the immediate effects of loss of biodiversity or climate change. Our lifestyle is fuelled through such land grabs, such mass agriculture, such deforestation and more. Yet, when it improves our lifestyle at the disadvantage of others, as long as we are not witness to it, it seems we couldn't really care less. It would simply be too difficult on our part to make a small change in our lifestyle, wouldn't it? Who cares that there are people dying because of the way we live?!
I
am a self declared Muslim Feminist. The state of women's rights in our communities
is one of the many reasons why. The position given to me by my religion and my
God are others. For me International Women’s Day is a day to highlight the
achievements of women in all the fields and across the world but really to use
the day to promote change, to highlight how much is yet to be achieved, to
highlight the sad fact that we NEED this day simply because across the world,
including in the ‘first world’, women have yet to be seen as REAL EQUALS to
their male counterparts: in business, in family life, in marriage, in the job
market, in education. This is the sad truth, and if women in the ‘first world’
are still fighting prejudices, stereotypes, objectification, preconceived ideas
and even hatred, then there is an even greater challenge for those living in
the less ‘developed’ parts of the world.
There any many, both men and women who cringe when they hear the words women's
rights or Feminist, particularly within my own, Muslim, community. To them I
say remember this: Women's rights are the rights of your sister, your mother,
your daughter, you niece, your cousin, your aunt, your grandmother, your
friend, your partner, your ally, your wife. It is your duty as a Muslim, as a
human, to ensure I have my rights, just as it is a duty on me that I uphold
yours. Treat me as you would wish to be treated, not as an object or as a
burden, but as a person, a fellow human being, a companion. The Prophet (SAW)
gave us many examples in his treatment of women as equals, as companions, as
teachers, as scholars, as warriors. He brought an end to female infanticide,
taught us to respect women and not to treat them as objects or see them as
burdens.
“When
news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) a female (child) his
face darkens and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide
himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it
on (sufferance and) contempt or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil (choice)
they decide on!
Al Qur’an (16:58,59)
And
yet, as Muslim communities, we can see within so many problems that go against
the very teachings of the Prophet (SAW) and of the Qur’an itself. Yes, it is
not only Muslim communities that face these challenges but let us not deny that
they are there, let us not shy away from facing them, challenging them and
conquering them. Whether it is Female Genital Mutilation, forced hijab, forced
marriages, ‘honour’ killing, withholding access to education, not letting women
work, perverting the role of women within the family and the household,
withholding women’s earnings and inheritance, domestic violence and so many
others, there are examples within Islam that deal with them all and teach us to
act against these wrongs. We should not only hate them in our hearts, we should
speak against them and act against them.
The
Messenger of Allah (SAW) once said: "Acquiring
knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim. (At-Tabarani) And the scholars
have agreed that this narration applies equally to men and women.
‘"Knowledge" in this context refers primarily to knowledge of the
Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, as no Muslim should be ignorant of his or her Faith,
but it also covers other areas of general education, which can contribute to
the welfare of civilization. It is precisely the ignorance about their religion
among Muslims that has led to men oppressing women because they believe it is
permitted, women not demanding their God-given rights because they are ignorant
of them, and children growing up to perpetuate their parents' follies.
Throughout Islamic history, men and women both earned respect as scholars and
teachers of the Faith. The books of Rijal (Reporters of Hadith) contain the names
of many prominent women, beginning with Ayesha and Hafsah.’ (ref:
http://www.islamicfinder.org/articles/article.php?id=411)
A
woman also has the right to keep her property or wealth, whether earned or
inherited, and spend it as she may please.
"And wish not for the things in
which Allah has made some of you excel the others. For men there is reward for
what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they
have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of
everything."
Al Qur’an (4:32)
A
woman has the right not only to an education but to her views and to express
her opinion freely whether to an Imam or the ruler of her country as
demonstrated by a famous incident involving Omar the second Rightly- Guided
Caliph. Omar was
once standing on the pulpit, severely reprimanding the people and ordering them
not to set excessive amounts of dower at the time of marriage. A woman got up
and shouted, "Omar, you have no right to intervene in a matter which Allah
the All-Mighty has already decreed in Quran: "But if you intend to replace
a wife by another and you have given one of them a Qintar (of gold, i.e., a
great amount as Mahr bridal money), take not the least bit of it back; would
you take it wrongfully without a right and (with) a manifest sin?" (4:20)
And after being reminded of this Verse, Omar withdrew his order, saying,
"I am in the wrong and she is correct."
In
Islam there is no such thing as forced marriage either. Although the guardian
of the girl whether her father, brother or uncle may play an important role in
mediating her marriage, under no circumstance is he allowed to force HIS choice
on her against her wishes. The woman is always free to accept or reject his
choice, or to make her own choice. A woman named Khansa Bint Khidam once came
to the Prophet (SAW) and complained: "My father
has forced me to marry my cousin in order to raise his own status (in the eyes
of the people)." The Prophet (SAW) told her that she was free to dissolve
this marriage and choose whomever she wished to marry. She replied, "I
accept my father's choice, but my aim was to let the women know that fathers
have no right to interfere in the marriage." (Ahmad, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah)
The
men in our communities should also remember that it is NOT their role to police
other people’s deeds, not to comment on a women’s appearance or her state of
hijab. This may be the position of her father, but not yours, and even her
father cannot force her to do as he wills. Remember, force only drives a person
to hate that which you would have him/her love. Islam is peaceful,
compassionate and beautiful, the truth of which is tarnished by roughness of
being and force. Also, let us all look to ourselves first: the men in our
community also have many issues of hijab, so why always look at the women? Are
skinny jeans really halal for men? What about tight trousers? Or drowning
yourself in aftershave? Or maybe walking with your trousers halfway down your
backside? Modesty is a duty on both sexes, let us not forget this. Men must
also learn to lower their gaze, for that is also a duty on them. Let us look to
ourselves first for Allah will judge us on OUR deeds.
These
are but a few of the many examples we can find within our own faith to tackle
these issues. Let us live by these examples: let us live by the Prophetic
example. We should not forget that some of the most important figures within
our faith are women, whether it is Ayesha (RA) the wife of the Prophet (SAW)
and one of the greatest scholars of Islam, being the source of hadiths for much
of our faith, or Sumayyah, the first martyr for her faith within Islamic
history, or Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet (SAW) who is held as an example
to us all. Following these early figures are of course the many female scholars
and teachers to whom we owe so much and who have been so well documented in the
research of Sheikh Akram Nadwi: definitely something we should all study and
make ourselves aware of.
Today too, we have so many amazing women out there, making a difference in our
families, in our communities and to the world at large. Any active volunteer
within community groups and non-profit work will tell you that the most active
and committed volunteers are most often the women, the girls, the sisters. They
are also usually the majority in this kind of social work. Yet, do we give them
the respect they deserve, and do we teach our sons, the males in our community
to look at them in that light and treat them as such? Do we help promote and encourage
these women? To do the same with their wives and daughters? If not, why not?
Were not the women we admire in early Islam activists in their own right?
And
I say this to the women in our community too. Sisters, let us be a support to
one another, let us not judge, let us not point fingers, let us not jump on the
bandwagon, let us not help arm the very people who would withhold our own
rights given the chance. Let us acknowledge each other, learn our rights and
help uphold them. Let us cheer when one of us succeeds, and help pick back up,
inspire and enourage those that are struggling amongst us. This is a reminder
to me as much as to you.
This year, let us all commit to improving the world together, to upholding the
rights of half the world's population for just think how much further we might
have gotten as a planet if only we had invested in that plentiful resource, our
women. Think what hidden talents exist, what solutions to the world's many
problems might be found. Just a thought.
Happy International Women's Day everyone.
I shall end with this, one of my favourite Spoken Word pieces and one I think
is a MUST WATCH particularly on this day:
If there is enough food for everyone, why does everyone not have enough food?
(MADE in Europe stunt for #IF launch)
I have just returned from a great day at the MADE in Europe Enough Food for Everyone #IF campaign training day. If you haven't heard of this organisation or the campaign yet, here's a brief summary of both:
MADE in Europe:
The planet is being destroyed by irresponsible and selfish living and
it's the world's poorest who are first to feel the effects of the
changing climate. This challenge will take more than just our money. MADE in Europe is a Muslim-led movement of young people who want to see
our community leading the fight against global poverty and injustice. Our response is
rooted in the Islamic traditions of social action, justice and
environmental stewardship. It's about being smart, ethical and green in
the way we live. Our mission is to inspire and enable a grassroots European Muslim youth
movement of faith in action for tackling global poverty and injustice
through volunteering, campaigning and education.
IF: Hunger is the great scandal of our age. Nearly one billion people go to bed hungry every night and two million children die from malnutrition every year. Islam calls on us to stand up for justice and feed the hungry – yet
despite the millions of pounds we give every year to tackle extreme
hunger, more people die around the world from hunger than from
tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS combined. The time has come to move beyond charity and start tackling the root causes of global hunger.
MADE in Europe have joined with over 100 organisations to launch the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign – a historic campaign which seeks to bring global hunger to the top of the agenda in 2013. It consists of a series of campaign asks to combat global hunger based around the issues of Transparency, Aid/Investment, Tax and Land.
Having been involved with MADE for a few years now, I am very excited at the lead role that the organisation has been able to take, and particularly its role as a Muslim organisation within the coalition. This is a unique opportunity for the Muslim community to work with organisations across the board on a subject which we are all in agreement about- Global Hunger today is a scandal.
The main work us campaigners are hoping to achieve in the coming month leading up to the 20th March UK Budget moment is to lobby our MPs and George Osborne to ensure that they know we want them on board with this campaign. That we want them to stick the 0.7% commitment to Aid within our budget, that we want them to include financial disclosure of tax avoidance schemes within the Finance Bill in 2013.
With the UK leading the G8 this year, our Prime Minister and our government can set an example and take the lead on this issue and make sure we see the beginning of the end of World Hunger this year. The Muslim community are at the centre of this. Our Faith stands for Justice,we should be taking a stand on these issues.
"He who sleeps on a full stomach whilst his neighbour goes hungry is not one of us" Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
In the next month, I hope we see Muslim communities being mobilised, talking to each other, talking to their MPs, writing to George Osborne, mosques taking action and exposing the scandal of World Hunger. The MADE campaign training in London is just the frst of many that will take place around the UK, alongside campaign stunts and events. Make sure you take part in your area: be the one to lead the change.
"Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change themselves” Qur’an 13:11
It may take time but this is the beginning of a very important movement for change and it is our duty to be part of it.
As part of Qatar’s public programme at COP18, they held a variety of talks ranging from the technical, dealing with Carbon
Capture technology and more, to the social, how lifestyle changes can impact
Climate Change. I had the pleasure of attending one of the latter which was
entitled “Our Eating Choice is our Most Powerful Voice”. I particularly
empathised with this subject considering I have been a vegetarian now for over
two years but for many, particularly Muslims, I know this is a choice that is
hard to understand or consider for oneself. So let me put across some of the
arguments shared in this talk and maybe we can all get a better understanding
of how our eating habits are impacting our planet.
There are several sides to the argument including how being
vegan can actually reduce long term disease and improve your health. However, I
will concentrate on highlighting solely the impact on poverty and climate
change.
Did you know that 26% of the Earth’s land surface is used
for livestock grazing? That 33% of global arable land grows feed grains for
livestock not to feed us humans? Or that you need 16kg of grain to produce 1kg
of meat? Meanwhile, around 1 billion people starve around the world. Does this
not seem wasteful at all? In fact, if we
were to compare diets we would see that if the whole world ate meat daily we
could feed only about 3 billion humans, yet if we were all vegetarians, we
could feed 22 billion. In a world where the human population is ever on the
increase having tripled since 1950, and food shortages are common across the
developing world, this is a problem that we need to come to terms with as we
look into our future. Surely the question of how our lifestyle could influence
change is one we should take seriously? The more a country develops, the more
meat consumption increases. This is unsustainable and will inevitably lead to
concentration camp style meat production: unethical too. Yet, feeding everyone
is easily achievable.
What does this have to do with climate change? According to
the UNFAO, “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s
most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the
situation.” The UNFAO’s Livestock’s Long Shadow report states that, “Livestock
are the main driver for deforestation... (and) the largest single source of
water pollution.” At the current rate of deforestation, in the next 10 years
Borneo’s famous forests will be gone. Such large scale deforestation is due to
a single decision, to clear forest and plant palm trees for the production of
palm oil instead, the most widely used oil in the world present in food,
lipsticks, biofuels and more.
Monocultures are growing, but they are not forests and
cannot provide the biodiversity or habitats that forests do (Trees provide a
habitat for three quarters of the world’s biodiversity). This same pattern of
loss is true of areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, the Amazon and elsewhere
where Soya is also planted mostly for use in agriculture. Today, more than 50%
of grain traded is used for animal feed or biofuel. We are clearing forest, a
natural carbon capture device to feed livestock and power factories. Does this
make sense?
(Amazon rainforest cleared for cattle farming)
The Livestock’s Long Shadow report states that, “...
livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emission, a bigger
share than that of transport,” although some have put the estimate as high as
51%, taking into account the loss of respiration and carbon sequestration
provided by forests. Livestock is a large producer of methane, a gas much more
dangerous to our climate than carbon dioxide. According to Dr. Kirk Smith,
Professor of Global Environmental Health at Berkeley, “A ton of methane emitted
today will exert more warming in one year than a ton of carbon Dioxide emitted
today would exert until 2075”:a
worrying statistic to be sure.
So why be vegan? For all the reasons stated above. It would
mean less suffering for you and the planet, it leaves food for the needy, it cuts
global warming by up to 51%, it allows forests to re-grow, and it leaves more
grains available to create biofuels if needed. Allah has asked us to be the
caretakers of this Earth, it is a responsibility on us and though lobbying,
green transport and green policy are important, this is a simple way we could
make great change. It means the power is in our hands: There is no need to wait
for governments or corporations to institute change. You can make change
yourself by a simple change in your lifestyle. If being vegan is too large a
step, cut down your meat intake, inform yourself on how your meat has been
produced, become a vegetarian.
And for those sceptics amongst you who believe the old wives
tale that I long thought was true i.e. a vegan diet is unhealthy and lacks
protein and nutrients, the American Dietetic Association, the world’s largest
association of professional nutritionists, states that “...appropriately
planned vegan diets ... are healthful, nutritionally adequate... are
appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle.”
As part of the COP18 programme of activities the Qatar
Foundation has organised a series of excursions to environmentally interesting
areas around Qatar. Today, I was able to go on an eco-tour of the El-Khor
coastal Mangroves. The organisation may not have been A+ and we may have left
almost an hour late but it was well worth it. The natural beauty was
incredible: what a way to inspire future
generations as to the need for conserving our environment.
The area I visited boasted both cultivated and wild
mangroves. It is run by the Friends of the Environment Centre and a Flower Each
Spring initiative, and is sponsored by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the wife of
the Emir of Qatar, who is at the head of many progressive initiatives. They
organise regular visits here by local school groups to try and educate them on
the importance of the environment, conservation and recycling.
Our official guide was Ahmed, from the Qatar Foundation, and
he educated us on the unique nature of the mangrove trees in Qatar, how they
are the only plant that can survive in that saline environment in their country
and the effect this has on greening the coast and providing a habitat for a
variety of sealife, birds and insects: giving us a brief overview of the
reasons behind the project.
We were then introduced to a project run by Qatar Foundation
International called “mapping mangroves”. They work with local student
ambassadors to raise awareness of the mangroves and the need to conserve them
amongst local youth. They have created an App that can be used on iphones,
ipads and android phones which allows anyone to visit the mangroves, take
photos and enter details about them, thus creating an interesting way to learn
but also to map the extent of the mangroves themselves.
My guide whilst mapping was Imad, a fifteen year old student
from Al Waqra who was apparently chosen for his relatively good English, he
told me. The mangroves are right on the beach, their roots protruding out of
the soft wet sand so we all removed our shoes and got ready to get dirty and
wet. Sinking my toes into the sand, I probably enjoyed this more than I should
have, but my childish side rejoiced. Who doesn’t enjoy mucking about in wet
sand and in such beautiful surroundings too?
The mangrove trees are great natural carbon capture devices
and provide a habitat for some beautiful creatures. As we went round taking
photos and mapping what we saw, we included descriptions of much wildlife too.
We saw different kinds of birds, some huge colourful dragonflies, and all sorts
of different kinds of tiny crabs, as well as tiny fish. As someone who has
lived in cities all her life, I was embarrassingly excited by all this much to
the amusement of my guide, although he shared my enthusiasm.
I had the most wonderful day and I think it is safe to say,
if more young people were able to experience the mangroves as I did and learn
more about environmental issues at the same time, then we would surely inspire
the next generation to live better, in greater balance with the environment,
then we have in the past.
