The conflict between two rival military groups, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), is exacerbating existing famine and environmental damage in a war fuelled by natural resource exploitation.

Climate change contributed to this conflict, and this conflict is contributing to climate change. 

Terrible weather conditions, reduced seed quality, and a lack of rain caused many Sudanese farmers to migrate to cities in search of work. This has only increased desertification and resource scarcity, resulting in armed conflicts over the control of crops and water.

Farmers who migrated to cities had traditional methods of managing desertification, such as planting gum arabic trees, practices now declining due to extreme weather and increased violence.

These trees, the source of a crucial ingredient in a range of everyday products, are currently being looted by the RSF to fuel the war, thus further contributing to desertification and degradation.

Middle East Eye reported that a staggering 70% of the world’s gum arabic supply comes from Sudan, with a recent UN report saying $14.6m worth of the supply was looted by the RSF – an accusation the military group denies.

But looting gum arabic trees is only half the environmental degradation taking place.

Relentless and continuous gold mining is further destroying the land, damaging health, and funding weaponry to fuel the conflict.

Both militaries, the RSF and the SAF, are accused of funnelling an obscene amount of gold to the UAE and Egypt in return for weaponry and military assistance.

Sudan filed a case against the UAE at the ICJ in March, accusing the country of breaching the Genocide Convention by supporting the RSF, known for its widespread sexual violence against civilian women and children.

The UAE strongly opposes the ICJ case, calling it “nothing more than a cynical publicity stunt”, and said they will seek immediate dismissal.

Despite this, Sudanese activists call for a boycott of the UAE, including gold and Emirati-funded institutions. 

This fight over gold resources existed between the military factions before the civil war began, and is a main driver of the conflict itself. Military groups smuggling tonnes of gold out of Sudan only prolong and exacerbate the fighting. 

Gold trade is a multi-billion dollar sector which is primarily unregulated and contributes to 70% of Sudan’s exports. 

Not only are small Sudanese mining communities exploited for this gold mining, but the mercury and cyanide used to extract gold are bleeding into rivers, poisoning people’s health, and destroying habitats, trees and farmland. 

Due to flooding last year, these toxic chemicals reached as far as the Nile River. 

And this extreme climate event washed mercury and cyanide from the gold mines into drinking water and irrigation sources in North Sudan, poisoning communities and degrading whole ecosystems. 

Crops and farmland flooded with toxic chemicals further contribute to resource scarcity and exacerbate the armed conflict as militias fight over limited subsistence.

Furthermore, militaries contribute to more than 5% of global emissions, demonstrating the sheer scale of environmental destruction caused by war.

Read more: Sandwip: A Drowning Land and the Sufi Spirit

In this way, a vicious cycle commences. Climate change leads to resource scarcity, which leads to conflict. And conflict is fuelled by looting and mining, which causes environmental degradation, thus contributing to climate change.

Consuming ethically is a small way to cut off this cycle. This includes boycotting gold from sources fuelling war and conflict in Sudan, and ensuring the products we eat, drink and wear contribute towards sustainable practices. 

Alongside personally consuming ethically, Muslim communities must put pressure on global corporations and governments to ensure they import gum arabic and gold from Sudanese communities rather than militias. 

Allah says in Surah Baqarah:

“Eat and drink the sustenance God has provided and do not cause corruption in the land.” 

By appointing man as God’s Khalifa (steward), Islamic teachings promote the protection of the Earth, the conservation of water sources, and responsible consumption practices. 

The Earth is a sacred trust, or amana, given to humankind, and this conflict is destroying people alongside forests, rivers and wildlife.

Therefore, consuming products which poison the Earth through mining and deforestation are forms of fasad (corruption) explicitly condemned in the Qur’an.

Even contributing to the destruction of trees through gum arabic and illicit mining practices is a form of corruption, as preserving and planting trees is sunnah. 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.” 

When taken literally, this showcases how even in the darkest hour, mankind has a profound responsibility to protect and nurture the Earth.

We must step up to advocate for long-lasting peace in Sudan to protect the people and the land.

The post Sudan’s Tragedy: War, Resource Plunder, and Climate Crisis appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

However, the tide is turning against food waste in Britain. Sustainable ways of observing the month of Ramadan, including ethical Iftars and zero-plastic policies at mosques, are gaining favourability. Mainstream Islamic organizations are steadily adopting environmental protection measures and ramping up their efforts during Ramadan. 

For more than five years, London-based initiative Green Deen Tribe has hosted a series of Iftars across London centred around three main themes: reducing non-reusable plastic waste, decreasing meat consumption, and cutting food waste. 

A Green Deen Tribe ‘Ethical Iftar’ typically involves 60-70 attendees bringing reusable to-go boxes to take home leftovers, eating and drinking using their own cutlery and cups, and enjoying hot vegetarian meals. There was only a small amount of food waste during recent Ethical Iftars, as 90% of guests took away leftovers in their own reusable to-go boxes. 

Iftars commence with verses from the Quran to remind attendees of the Islamic principles of shukr (gratitude) and the importance of honouring the barakah (blessings) bestowed on the world by Allah (swt). The recitation of the Quranic verse in Surah Rahman, “Which of the favours of your Lord do you deny?” is one such example of this. 

Green Deen Tribe co-founder Rabiah Mali said: “Consuming in a sustainable way is one of the many ways of honouring the blessings that Allah (swt) has given us, and reducing the harm we’re causing to each other and the wider creation.”

Rabiah asserts the barakah gained during Ramadan from fasting, reading the Quran, engaging in dhikr, and sending salawat (blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)) decreases when Muslims waste their food at Iftar time.

The Islamic principle of ‘Khalifah’ (stewardship) additionally forms a basis for the Green Deen Tribe’s inspiring initiative. 

“The best example of stewardship comes from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who lived in harmony with creation,” said Rabiah. “From humankind to the plants, trees, clouds, moon, mountains, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a beautiful steward to the natural world.”

Read More: Holding on to Islam in a Warming World

The Green Deen Tribe co-founder said to understand the Prophet’s (pbuh) reverence and respect for the natural world, one must first understand Allah’s (swt) purpose in creating the Earth.

Rabiah said: “Everything in creation is in dhikr (remembrance of Allah (swt)) so when we are advocating for trees not to be chopped down, and not to put plastic in the waters, it’s essentially protecting the dhikr so we can be surrounded by more and more remembrance of Allah (swt).”

Therefore, reducing single-use plastics during Ramadan is essential to protecting nature’s constant remembrance of Allah (swt) against pollution. 

The initiative’s long-term goal is for ethical Iftars to become normalized as standard Ramadan traditions.

And luckily, the response has been “incredible”. Mosques and community spaces across the UK are increasingly interested in trialling ethical Iftars, and Muslim and non-Muslim areas are brimming with curiosity as to how an ethical Iftar works.

One such organization is the largest and most established Islamic charity in Britain – Islamic Relief. They recently collaborated with the Green Deen Tribe to host a sisters-only Iftar as part of their EcoRamadan #GreenIftar challenge. 

The charity encourages meat-free dishes, reusable or biodegradable plates, taking leftovers home in reusable to-go boxes, and rehanging last year’s Ramadan decorations throughout their advocacy work.

Islamic Relief campaigns and public affairs coordinator Suraiya Rahman said: “Extravagance and waste are not the way of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and contradicts the principles of fasting, and so we embodied these principles in our Iftar.”

To remind Muslims of the importance of mindful eating in Ramadan, Suraiya quoted the verses of the Quran from Surah Al-A’raf which states: “Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.” 

Suraiya, who will lead the charity’s Muslim Climate Action Week during the summer, asserted how Ramadan is “an opportunity to think about bad habits we want to leave behind and new habits we want to embrace”. This means remaining moderate in consumption, thoughtfully planning meals, and avoiding extravagance to minimize food waste, she said.

Even water used during wudhu (ablution) should be an opportunity to conserve water, thus “embodying the principles of Khilafah”, Suraiya explained.

This principle which entrusts care of Allah’s (swt) creation upon Muslims protects “the mizan (carefully created balance) granted to us by Allah (swt) – the diverse ecosystems that provide us with an abundance of fresh water, food and crops”, she said.

Therefore, taking care of the environment, especially during Ramadan, is an act of ibadah (worship), and a plentiful source of barakah.

Controlling plastic waste during Ramadan is a clear method of protecting the natural world from pollution, as one British Muslim organization has set out to do.

Bristol-based Projects Against Plastic recently joined with Muslim Greens to launch the ‘Plastic Free Ramadan’ conference at the House of Lords – supported by Green Party co-leader MP Carla Denyer. 

The campaign began in 2019 when a Bristol mosque installed a water fountain and dishwasher which cut single-use plastic waste by 70%. 

Mosques across the South West, South East, North West and Midlands followed suit, massively reducing the use of disposable plastics during Ramadan.

Projects Against Plastics founder Naseem Talukdar is encouraging more mosques and communities to get involved, saying the initiative could inspire British Muslims.

Every year, these ethical initiatives witness more engagement, less wastefulness, and wider awareness. Despite statistics showing alarming wasteful extravagance during Ramadan, the existence of grassroots organizations practically committing themselves to environmental protection is promising.

The post UK Muslims Tackle Ramadan Food Waste with Ethical Iftars appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.