What is an Eco-Hijab?
An ‘eco-hijab’ is a contemporary coined term used to describe the relationship between ecologically driven Muslims, and the Arabic word for the Muslim dress sense: hijab, meaning ‘barrier, covering or veil’. This eco-hijab fuses Muslims’ ‘green’ values with with their visual identity of modest clothing, for example organic hijabs made from bamboo.

As a lifelong eco-hijabi* I too advocate greener living by adopting the 3 R’s: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce, and upcyling my own headscarves (hijab/tichel) – more on that later! Another term I personally use is ‘eco-Muslimness’ whereby a person may not necessarily be a hardcore Muslim environmentalist, but tries to follows the Muslim principles of moderation, environmental welfare and waste-reduction.

Eco hijabs on the rise
Muslim fashion trend setters began online through blogs, while ‘offline’ particularly in the Middle East, runways and design houses have expanded the niche for organic but chic fashion. In the fashion world, Muslim women are championing their entrepreneurial skills in self-run clothing businesses, which is proving a hit against top fashion industries.

Zaufishan interviewed Mariam Sobh (photo-ed above in red), American eco-Muslim and lifestyle guru who founded the Muslim fashion blog HijabTrendz, on what her eco-living views are.

Green Prophet:Tell us a bit about your website. When and how did it begin? Who’s on the team?
Mariam: Hijabrendz is the original fashion, beauty and entertainment blog for Muslim women, which started in early 2007. But it’s also for anyone interested in modest fashion, so it’s pretty much open to everyone.

When I was on maternity leave from my job as a political reporter in ’07, I was trying to figure out how to use my frustration, with the lack of available media and fashionable clothing for Muslim women, and turn it into something positive.

The team consists of myself and columnist Nadia Malik, a former newspaper reporter who writes about pop culture from the angle of a Muslim woman.

How long have you known about or practiced eco-fashion? What encouraged you to get into and promote the contemporary lifestyle choice of ‘eco-Muslimness’?

I actually grew up very aware of the environment and being healthy. My parents were really into greener living, so I have to say that for me it was just part of my life. It wasn’t some new fad that I joined or wanted to be a part of. And I like the idea of ‘eco-Muslimness’. I think it’s important for Muslims to promote these types of ideals because Islam is very in tune with nature and promoting good. What better way to show how we value God’s bounty he has bestowed upon us, than by making sure it continues for generations to come?

What have the reactions to the eco-section on your website been like from the community?

I made a YouTube video a while back asking readers if they were concerned about eco friendly hijab options. The response was interesting. Some folks say they never thought about it, and others do tend to make a conscious choice to purchase items that are fair trade, organic, locally made etc.

Do you see any connections between the western Muslim’s eco-fashion and the Middle East?

A lot of the garments are shipped around the world from the Middle East, but many of those items are mass produced in China, or Pakistan and so to get things to become eco friendly, designers really need to be right there where it’s made, making sure they are using the best possible fabrics as well as ensuring their products are made under humane conditions.

In places like the United Arab Emirates I think it’s imperative they try their best to find more sustainable materials for their designs. They have become quite the hub for abayas (long dresses) and shaylas (scarves) and many people look to them for the next “big” thing in the area of hijab fashion. But items from the UAE also tend to symbolize “excess” and wastefulness. So it’s important to showcase that Muslims can be rich and have luxury, but at the same time be conscientious enough to do so in a responsible way. Perhaps incorporating some recycled pieces of fabric/trim into their designs.

In your opinion, how can living an eco-lifestyle help reduce waste?
I think the main thing is to be conscious of everything you do. You have to live in the now and be aware of your surroundings. When you do that you’ll notice that you can seriously get by on very little. You can still cut corners and you’ll be OK. One green tip I love is when you use detergent to clean your clothes use 1/3 of what the instructions say and you’ll still clean the clothes the same. Basically when you are conscious about your lifestyle, you’ll automatically reduce your waste.

What 3 lifestyle tips would you give to people, and Muslim women in particular for living a productive ‘greener’ life?

1. Buy organic produce whenever you can. Fresh fruits and veggies along with clean drinking water-best beauty product ever!
2. When you buy makeup, make sure the labels state clearly that they are free of chemical products. You’ll be surprised how much better your skin is when using natural items. Also, the product will last longer, so even if it’s pricey, it’s worth it in the long run.
3. If you are sick of your old hijabs, have a hijab-swap party with your friends. Trading scarves will make you feel like you just bought some new stuff. And it’s a form of recycling.

How can designers make mainstream fashion trendy and eco for everyday Muslims?

Designers should try their best to use fabrics from sustainable sources. I know it’s hard for folks who are just starting a fashion line as they may not have the financial means to buy organic material.

Another thing they can do is have their garments made in an area where jobs are needed and make sure the people working are paid living wages. When it comes to eco-friendly, it doesn’t just have to be about using materials, but it can also be about sustaining the local community and helping to bring up its economy.

Finally, what changes do you hope to see in the Muslim community with regards to eco-fashion and environmental awareness?
I think the Muslim community needs to get more involved with local efforts in the mainstream to promote environmental awareness.

Green Prophet would like to thank Mariam for taking part in our Eco-Hijab series.

——————-
What’s that mean?
*Hijabi: Contemporary word describing a Muslim woman in hijab.
Eco-hijab: Modest Muslim fashion with awesome environmentally friendly roots.
Eco-Muslimness: Contemporary coined term describing the efforts of ‘green’ Muslims.

For More Eco-Muslims And Green Fashion:
Are Muslim Women Ready For Bamboo Hijab and Chadors?
From Rockstars To Recycling: Interview With Kristiane Backer – An Eco-Muslimah
“Organic and Islamic” – Muslims Showcase Ethical and Fair-Trade Fashion
PopLove Designs Brings Upcycled Eco Chic Fashion to Tel Aviv (and the Whole Wide World)
H&M Israel Brings Sustainable Fashion to the (Overwhelming) Masses

The post Eco-Hijabs on the rise among Muslim fashionistas, interview with Mariam Sobh appeared first on Green Prophet.

After looking at The Forum of the Ornithological Society of Kuwait, the Saudi Green Blog, The Oman Eco Group Blogs, the UAE Environment & Life Blog, and the Yemenite Blog for Sciences and the Environment, we are now continuing our journey through the Middle East. Today we are arriving at the Gaza Environmental Engineering Blog.

According to the blog’s summary (no longer online, 2021), it deals with environmental engineering as well as scientific news. Its aim is to “supply all the pioneers in the fields of environmental engineering and sciences in beneficial and satisfactory information concerning the fields of environmental sciences and culture.” All this is done with an environmental encyclopedia. Active since December 2009, it is written in Arabic and administered by the students of the Department of Environmental Engineering within the Islamic University of Gaza.

General Articles on Environmental Engineering and Sciences

This blog includes many general articles on environmental engineering and sciences such as: an article on Environmental Engineering, important environmental links, international environmental dates, climate change, reports on environmental chemistry, environmental pollution, and more.

Environmental Issues in the Gaza Strip

This blog includes also many articles concerning environmental issues in the Gaza Strip. One of these articles is titled “Corrupted Fetus in Gaza because of the Israeli Nuclear Waste”.

According to the authors, a Palestinian institute for human rights said in December 2009 that the birth rate of corrupted fetus in the eastern areas of the Gaza Strip increased as a result of the radiation emanating from the Israeli nuclear plants and its waste, which is buried throughout the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Institute said that only 48% of the toxic waste from the Israeli plants is buried in the formal waste burial places, while the burial place of 52% of the toxic waste is unknown. It is suspected that it was buried in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Another article titled “Al-Mizan Center Publishes A Report concerning Environmental Pollution and the Issue of Medical Drainage in Khan Yunes” gives information about another environmental issue which is prevalent in the Gaza Strip.

On December 15, 2009, the Mizan Center for Human Rights issued a report on environmental pollution and the issue of medical drainage in Khan Yunes.  According to this report, Khan Yunes is suffering from the issue of medical drainage, also because of the negligence of Israel, which needs to establish a mechanism to drain the waste water.

Some of the recommendations mentioned are to allocate emergency funding to complete the mechanism to drain medical waste water in the city; to allocate money out of the general budget to develop the sources of water in the Gaza Strip; to prepare the rain water drainage network, and to work on benefiting from the rain water. At the end of the report, the Mizan Center stressed that Israel is to blame for the creation of the issues of the medical waste drainage as well as the pollution of ground water in the Gaza Strip and especially in Khan Yunes.

It also demanded that the international community push Israel to lift the siege from the Gaza Strip in order to allow needed materials to complete a medical waste water drainage system.

According to an article dealing with medical waste purification stations in the Gaza Strip, there are three such stations. Beit Lahiya station in the north was established in 1976 and serves about 190,000 people; the Gaza waste water station, which was also established in 1976 and serves all the population of the city of Gaza. And there is a station for the treatment of waste water in Rafah.

Moreover, an article titled “Wadi Gaza… and the Going On Blow on Human and Environmental Rights” tells the sad story of Wadi Gaza, which according to the writer of the article, instead of being a natural reserve has become a polluted river. Wadi Gaza begins near Hebron and spills into the Mediterranean Sea in the Gaza Strip. Its length is about 160 kilometers.

Wadi Gaza within the Gaza Strip is full of animal corpses, debris, solid waste, and waste water. This results in the pollution of the ground water within the Gaza Strip. The writer of the article blames Israel for all of this damage. This is because Israel built a few dams and water reservoirs in the streams of Wadi Gaza, which caused the Wadi water to stop taking its natural course and to flow less in Wadi Gaza. According to this article, Israel has been preventing water from flowing to the Gaza Strip for a long time by way of Wadi Gaza in order to build dams on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Thus, in case of floods or heavy rain, the agricultural lands on both sides of the Gaza Wadi are flooded.

Sum On the Gaza Environmental Blog

The Gaza Islamic University Environmental Engineering Blog is a very unique environmental blog, since it brings to the fore the concept of the environment as seen by a militant radical Islamic group, in this case Hamas. This blog provides valuable information concerning the environmental concept of the Islamic University in Gaza, ruled by Hamas.

While giving valuable information concerning some of the environmental issues and challenges faced by the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, the blog writers claim that the State of Israel is the source and to blame for all all these problems.

This blog is a window through which one can see how radical groups, in this case Hamas, take advantage of the environment in order to attack their enemies, in this case Israel, and blame them for all their problems, including environmental ones.

More On Environment in Gaza
Hamas Thwarts A Greener Gaza
Electric Cars in Gaza: Necessity is the Mother of Invention!
Solar Cooking Ovens: Another Eco-Solution from the Gaza Strip

We removed links to this blog in 2021 as it was no longer online

The post The Gaza Islamic University Environmental Engineering Blog appeared first on Green Prophet.

After looking at “The Forum of the Ornithological Society of Kuwait and at the Saudi Green Blog, and at The Oman Eco Group Blogs, we are continuing our trip through the Gulf Countries and arrive this week at the UAE Environment & Life Blog. This is a new blog, which has been active since June 2010. It is written mostly in Arabic and its aim is to update its readers in all the “new scientific researches and activities which are connected to agriculture and environment.” This is a personal blog administered by Dr. Magd Juratly, who according to his biography is an agricultural engineer. His expertise lies in organic technology and consulting in agricultural issues. He has a PhD in Agricultural Sciences.

As a personal blog, it contains many posts connected to the research interests of Dr. Magd Juratly or to his work as an agricultural consultant. The blog also deals with environmental developments and projects in the UAE. In addition, it brings many scientific research articles on environmental and agricultural issues.

Product Promotion
Dr. Magd Juratly has been using the blog to promote and notify the public of some of the environmental friendly products of various companies he consults for. One such product is the EKOFLORA “Organic Fertilizer.” According to this post, these are “excellent organic fertilizers for the production of a large and healthy crop.” They are produced by “EKOFARM,” located in Turkey.

“Organic pesticides” are also profiled. These were developed to find a solution against insects and diseases that damage crops and entail an Arab-Turkish cooperation.

Environmental Developments, Projects and Coming Events in the UAE
Dr. Juratly notifies his readers on environmental developments taking place in the UAE. One of these developments is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 25, 2010 between the UAE Ministry of Education and the UAE Society for Natural Life in order to raise the environmental awareness among school children.

This MoU is a result of the new strategic aims of the Ministry of Education in the field of environmental education. Both sides agreed to work together on creating environmental learning and awareness programs in all the schools. Furthermore, the MoU stressed the need to spread the environmental competitions within the schools.

In February 2010, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water started to issue a monthly environmental magazine called “My Environment.” The Ministry issued this magazine in order to raise environmental awareness among UAE citizens and includes a variety of important articles concerning the environment in the UAE, as well as in the world. Subjects covered include agriculture, terrestrial and marine life, and various others.

In addition, the blog updates its readers on upcoming environmental events. One example is the Fourth International Date Palm Exhibition, which will take place in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates University on October 20-24, 2010. This exhibition will be conducted under the auspices of al-Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The exhibition will deal with all aspects concerning dates and palms: different species, production, and tightening connections between the different date and palm growers from the UAE and from other countries.

Another event is the exhibitions of “Gardens and External Beauty in the Middle East” and “Lighting in the Middle Eas.” These exhibitions will take place in Dubai between October 31, 2010 and November 2, 2010. The “Lighting in the Middle East” exhibition will focus on lighting solutions in the cities, buildings, theaters, etc., as well as lighting in the greater Middle East and North Africa. The “Gardens and External Beauty in the Middle East” exhibition is the international commercial exhibition for gardens, external beauty and landscape engineering.

Environmental and Agricultural Scientific Researches
The blog includes also many posts concerning general environmental scientific research, which are not limited to the UAE. For example, it includes posts on the importance, advantages and types of biosphere reserves,  Syrian cotton, Bio & Organic Shops, the benefits and importance of coated seeds, the benefits and importance of natural reserves for humans and the environment, the importance of  forests for  humans and the environment and how to protect them, environmental pollution, and reflections on the spread of environmental diseases and more.

UAE’s Blog in Sum
Dr. Magd Juratly has been using his blog for three different aims. The first is to notify the public in the UAE concerning environmental friendly agricultural products. The second is to notify the public in the UAE on environmental developments in the country and future environmental events that will take place. Lastly, he has included many scientific articles concerning environmental and agricultural issues.

Thus, the posts in this blog comprise a mix of Dr. Juratly’s research interests as well as spesific posts focused on the environment. In this way, he has been working hard to raise environmental awareness among the public in the UAE.

More On Environment in The UAE
Growing Green Ethic amongst Emirati Businesses
Public Transportation Takes Flight in Dubai
Solar Power To The People Of Abu Dhabi
Organic Farms Growing in Dubai

The post Green Prophet Flies To “The UAE Environment & Life Blog” appeared first on Green Prophet.

After looking at a personal Iraqi environmental blog, and at “The Forum of the Ornithological Society of Kuwait, we are arriving at the Gulf countries. This time, we are flying to Saudi Arabia and to a blog called “Green Papers”. Written in Arabic by a young Saudi woman named Faten, who has a Masters Degree in Environmental Management Technology, this blog has been active since April 26, 2010.

According to the post called “Who Am I”, this blog deals specifically with environmental issues in Saudi Arabia and generally with environmental issues throughout the world. Faten hopes to create a unique environmental awareness in the Arab society. This, in order to take even a limited part in the protection of the earth.

Environmental Institutions in Saudi Arabia

The blog includes some information on environmental institutions in Saudi Arabia.

One of the most important environmental institutions in Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Society for Environmental Sciences, established on February 28, 2006. The Society was established as a result of the resolution of King AbdulAziz University’s Council in order to level up the environmental sciences and develop scientific thought in the environmental fields. This Society aims also at spreading environmental awareness and facilitating the means of communication and exchange among the concerned experts. The society also gives consultancy services to other Saudi institutions.

Another important institution is the Saudi Green Building Council (SGBC), chaired by Sultan Faden and comprised of environmentalists and environmental engineers. This council has encouraged the concept of green building by disseminating information about building materials which are less damaging for the environment, waste recycling, heat insulation, and making the energy consumption more efficient.

On April 27, 2010, Prince Turki bin Naser, the general manager of the Coucil for Meteorology and the Protection of the Environment, announced that environmental societies will be established all over Saudi Arabia. He also announced that the first court which deals only with environmental issues has been in existence since 2001.

In addition, the General Council for Meteorology and the Protection of the Environment established stationary and mobile environmental laboratories in order to have more information on the pollutants in general. This is part of the plan that the General Council for Meteorology has been preparing in order to increase environmental awareness.

Environmental Projects in Saudi Arabia

On July 22, 2010, a post titled “School Sens” describes the School Sens project, which was launched by the Saudi Environmental Society in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. The project includes a number of kindergardens and schools. The aim of this project is twofold: to make children aware of the environment and its protection and to train teachers on the environmental principles that will make this project a success. It is being implemented in Jeddah and ‘Anizzah.

In a post published on June 25, 2010, Faten reported that the Higher Committee for the Protection of the Environment in Riyadh, under the chairman Sutam bin Abd al-Aziz, conducted its sixth meeting in the headquarters of the Higher Association for the Development of al-Riyadh City.

This meeting focused on an implementation plan for the protection of Riyadh’s environment, which includes 48 environmental projects divided into 5 categories: pollution, waste, water resources, natural resources, the open areas and natural life, and environmental management.

In another post titled “The Global Gardens of King Abdullah… The Peak of Magnificence…, Faten describes the Global Gardens of King Abdullah’s giant project in Riyadh, considered to be one of the most important environmental projects globally, as well as an historical achievement.

The Gardens will be located in the west part of Riyadh, near the Riyadh-Jeddah Highway, on  approximately 2 million square meters of desert land; they will use recycled water and renewable energy systems and include trails for people to walk and enjoy. According to the post, the second phase of the project will begin after Ramadan and the whole project will take 30 months to complete.

During the last two months, demands to establish an environmental police have been raised in Saudi Arabia. The General Manager for the Protection of the Natural Life in Saudi Arabia, Prince Bandar bin Muhammad Al Sa’ud. Also, and businesswoman Khadija Bukhari are among those calling for an institution that will police environmental protection.

Environmental Developments and Events Throughout the World

On July 24, 2010, Faten announced the  annual environmental conference organized by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development to be held on 4-5.11.2010 in Beirut.

The Arab Forum for Environment and Development was established in 2006 in Beirut as a regional NGO. It includes environmentalists, civilian society organizations, and businessmen. Its aim is to encourage environmental policies and projects throughout the Arab world. According to the 2010 annual conference brochure, this year’s event will focus on water.

Saudi’s Blog in Sum

Although this blog is relatively new, it includes a lot of important material on the current environmental situation in Saudi Arabia and on the efforts of the Saudi government to raise the environmental awareness among the public.

It has the potential to reach a lot of people throughout Saudi Arabia. According to Saudi Arabia Internet Usage and Marketing Report, the number of the Saudi internet users as of June 2010 is 9,800,000, who comprise 38.1% of the overall Saudi population totaling 25,731,776.

Since the number of Saudi internet users has been rising dramatically in the last few years and this tendency might continue, this blog and others might reach more and more people and hopefully make a difference in the country’s environmental situation.

Top image via joi

More On Environment in Saudi Arabia

Protective Fence Causes Mass Starvation of Saudi Wildlife

Summer Heat Jams Power Production in Oil-rich Saudi Arabia

Saudis Listen to Call for Green Hajj

The post Green Prophet Flies To “The Saudi Green Blog” appeared first on Green Prophet.

After looking at Mazen Abboud’s environmental blog from Lebanon and at SAWA for A Better Syrian Society, we are flying this week to Syria’s next-door neighbor, Iraq, and to a blog written in Arabic called The Iraqi Environmental Blog, active from September 2008. This comes in due time, as we learn about Iraqi bird conservationists risking life and “wing” to save birds in the face of Al Qaeda infidels.

This blog is a personal blog written in Arabic by Alaa Kamel Alwan (left), an Iraqi engineer. In his profile, Alaa writes about himself that he lives in Basra, Iraq, and that he is “an environmental activist and an informant as well as a member of the Arab Professional Informants League.”

In his first post  titled “the Iraqi Environmental Blog” Alaa Kamel Alwan writes that this is a “personal initiative,” which aims at supporting the realization of the 10th principle of the Rio Declaration from 1992 concerning the transparent distribution of environmental information among the civilians.

As such, this blog informs the readers about: the Iraqi government ministries, newspapers, societies, and universities which deal with environmental issues; the Iraqi environmental legislation; the activities of the Iraqi environmental societies; the Iraqi environmental publications; and reports on the environment in Basra and the Marshes.

The Iraqi Environmental Organizations
According to this blog, there are many Iraqi organizations which deal with the environment.

Those include:

The College of Environmental Science and Technology in the University of Mosul, which was established in 2006

Women & Environment Organization, which was established in 2005

The Organization for the Protection and Improvement of the Iraqi Environment, which was established on August 21, 2003

The Natural History Museum in Baghdad, which was established in 1946

The Society for the Protection of the Iraqi Environment, which was established on September 30, 2003

The Iraqi Environmental Ministry, which was established in November 2003

Together Society for the Protection of the People and the Environment, which was established in 2005

The Center for Environmental Studies in the University of Technology, which was established in 2004

The Center for the Research of the Marshes in Dhi Qar University, which was established in 2004

The Iraqi Meteorological organization and Seismologyin the Ministry of Transportation, which was established in 1923

The Center for Solar Energy Research in the Ministry of Sciences and Technology

The Center for Energy and Fuel Research in the University of Technology, which was established on November 20, 2004

The Center for Maritime Sciences in the University of Basra, which was established in 1976

and the Nature Iraq Organization

In spite of the fact that there was almost no environmental activity during Saddam Hussein’s rule, it is impressive that, according to above mentioned list, the current Iraqi organizations and institutions dealing with the environment include a whole array of governmental institutions, research centers, environmental societies, and civil society organizations.

It is noteworthy that none of the these Iraqi environmental institions and organizations were established during the rule of Saddam Hussein over Iraq from 1979, until theafter the American invasion of Iraq, and the fall of Baghdad and the Saddam Hussein’s regime in April 2003. A few of these organizations were established before Saddam Hussein rose to power in 1979.

Iraqi Environmental Legislation
The Blog also gives information concerning the environmental laws that have been promulgated in Iraq recently. These environmental laws include: The Law of the Joining of the Iraqi Republic to the Agreement On Biodiversity from August 19, 2008; The Law of the Ministry of Environment from September 13, 2008; The Forests Law from 2009; The Law of the Agreement of the Iraqi Republic to Join the Basel Agreement from January 14, 2009; The Law of the Joining of the Iraqi Republic to the UN Framework Agreement for Combatting Desertification from April 14, 2009; The Law of the Environment’s Protection and Improvement from September 29, 2009; and The Law for the Protection of the Terresetrial Animals from January 25, 2010.

The environment was part of the Iraqi constitution too. In a post titled “the Environment in the Iraqi Constitutions” Alaa shows that even under Saddam Hussein’s rule, the environment was very important. In the 64th clause of the 1991 Draft Constitution of Iraq, it is said that “secondly, all the state’s mechanisms and all the people have to protect the environment from pollution and from damages to its beauty and function.”

This draft constitution was never promulgated, but, still, it shows that even Saddam Hussein understood that the First Gulf War caused a lot of damage to the environment in Iraq.

Then, at the same post, Alaa cites the 33rd clause of the 2005 Iraqi constitution, which says that “first of all, everyone has the right to live in healthy environmental conditions and, secondly, the state guarantees the protection of the environment and biodiversity.”

The Iraqi Environmental Publications
Alaa enumerates some environmental written publications which have been in existence during the last five years.

The first of these publications was “The Environment and Life.” This is the first Iraqi environmental magazine, which is issued by the Center for Environmental Information and Awareness, which belongs to the Iraqi Environmental Ministry. The first magazine was issued in December 2005. This is a monthly magazine which includes articles, researches, environmental reports, local and global environmental news and details about the projects conducted by the Ministry of Environment throughout Iraq.

Another publication mentioned in the blog is the “Iraqi Magazine for Aquaculture.” This bi-yearly magazine is issued by the Center for Maritime Sciences in the University of Basra. It is issued both in Arabic and in English.

Reports On Environmental Events and Projects
This blog serves also to inform the public about environmental events and projects which are taking place or will take place in Iraq.

A good example is the report concerning the first environmental international conference on radioactive pollution and its implications on the environment and health in Iraq. This conference will be held in Baghdad on November 23 – 24, 2010 under the slogan “towards a real treatment to decrease the suffering of the victims of the radioactive pollution.” This conference is organized by the Iraqi Center for International Studies together with the Department of Geography – Ibn Rushd Cultural Faculty – University of Baghdad.

This report follows many other articles posted in the blog on the campaign to clean Iraq from the radioactive pollution, which started in 2009 and is still continuing. Since Basra and its environs suffered from radioactive pollution more than any other area in Iraq and the author of the blog is from there, it is no wonder that he dedicates many posts to this issue.

Another example is the report about a new environmental-friendly regulation that the supervisor over the Iraqi elections to the parliament issued in December 2009. In the third chapter, which talks specifically about the conditions of the election campaigns, one can find also conditions for protecting the environment, such as prohibition to use glue, gum, and other materials; prohibition to write on the fences. Whoever breaks these conditions will have to pay a fine.

Reports On the Environment in Basra and the Marshes
Since Alaa is from Basra, it is not surprising that many of his posts describe the environment in Basra, the marshes, and the natural reserves there, such as al-Safiya Natural Reserve.

Suggestions for the Upgrading the Situation of the Iraqi Environment
The blog’s author also makes suggestions how to upgrade the situation of the Iraqi environment. These suggestions include: activation of the new Iraqi constitution to convict whever damages the environment; establishing an environmental police as did Jordan; prohibition of import of materials and products that damages the ozone layer and imposition of a high tax on it; promulgation of a law that will force the car owners to maintain their cars according to the exhaust gas international standards as a basic condition for the renewal of their driving license as is done in Egypt; establishing factories for the recycling of waste as happens in the UAE; establishing environmental-friendly incinerators to treat the medical waste in all the hospitals; establishing an expert committee for ways to clean Iraq from the radioactive pollution.

A Sum of the Iraqi Environmental Blog
The Iraqi Environmental Blog is rich in details concerning the environment in Iraq and serves as a very good source to learn about it as from April 2003, when the Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled.

One can learn from this blog that since April 2003 a lot of environmental organizations, societies, research institutions, publications, internet websites have been established and the environmental awareness among the Iraqi public has been increasing.

In this way, the author, who is an environmentalist and an informant, really realizes the aims for which he opened his blog. He gives the Iraqi public a very detailed information about the issue of the environment in Iraq.

The problem is that according to the Iraq Usage and Marketing Report, as of June 2010, there were only 325,000 Iraqi internet users out of a total population of 29,671,605 people, who comprise only 1.1% of the total Iraqi population.

This means that for the time being the detailed environmental blog does not reach most of the Iraqi population. However, the number of internet users is growing and as a result the environmental awareness among them might increase too.

::Iraqi Environmental Blog

More on Environment in Iraq:

Nature’s Conservationists in Iraq Work in a Firing Zone
Killing in the Name of Water… in Iraq
Will Zaha Hadid Start Thinking Green?

Top image via joi.

The post Green Prophet Flies To "The Iraqi Environmental Blog" appeared first on Green Prophet.

Last week, we looked at Mazen Abboud’s environmental blog from Lebanon. This week, we are flying to Lebanon’s next-door neighbor, Syria, and to a blog called SAWA – For A Better Syrian Society.

Unlike last week, this week we are not dealing with a personal blog, which is dedicated more or less to environmental issues, but SAWA is a blog that deals with all sorts of issues, and the environment is only one of them. This whole blog is written in Arabic and administered by a work group in SAWA ISP, which is the leading internet services provider in Syria.

Maybe it’s no accident that SAWA ISP is the one who has a blog with a section on the environment that started to be active at the end of 2009. The issue of environmental awareness in Syria has been really developing during the last two years or so, following the establishment of the Syrian Ministry of Environment in April 2009 as an independent entity, and the Internet (once banned in Syria) is used as a tool to develop this environmental awareness among Syrians throughout Syria and in the Diaspora.

Among the people who take part in this work group, one can find: M. Maher al-Khatib, chairman of SAWA ISP’s administrative board; Raw’ah al-Masri, Ala’ al-Din Binyan, and Muhammad al-Sayyad from SAWA ISP’s marketing department; Basam Shahadat, a web developer from SAWA ISP’s additional services department; and M. Umar Nafis, the head of the technical department in SAWA ISP. Other writers, who are defined as friends of the blog, take an active part in the blog too.

Indeed, the aim of this blog, according to the “about the blog” section, is to strive for a better Syrian society. It says there that the members of the work group, which administers the blog, are proud to be Syrians and believe in their ability to change the situation in Syria for the better by way of posting in the blog “beneficial and modern cultural and societal information in order to create a better Syrian society.”

This blog includes seven sections about health, family and society issues, social and youth associations and NGOs, tourism, Internet, technological innovations, and the “green life,” which deals with environmental issues.

The main writer in the “green life” section is Raw’ah al-Masri, who seems, according to her posts, to be an environmentalist herself or to have a lot of knowledge in environmental issues.

The “green life” section begins in November 2009 and includes reports on current environmental projects and conferences which take place in Syria and the more interesting part, which includes articles whose main aim is to serve the SAWA ISP agenda of increasing the public awareness to environmental issues.

An Environmental Campaign to Protect the Frunluk Forests in Lattakia
Thus, for example, an article titled “An Environmental Campaign to Protect the Frunluk Forests in Lattakia” was posted on July 1, 2010. This campaign was organized by the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and the United Nations UNDP on the occasion of the International Year of Biodiversity. The campaign, dubbed “Visit them and Keep them Natural,” was launched on June 24, 2010.

The aims of this campaign are to raise the awareness of the Syrian public to the issue of cleaning forests, to administer the eco-tourism at the site, and to protect the biodiversity there.

The Frunluk Forests have been chosen among the three targeted sites of the project of biodiversity preservation and nature reserves management, together with Jabal al-Aziz and Abu Qabis due to its rich biodiversity.

The Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs wishes to draw up from this project modern national policies for management of all sorts of reserves and natural sites in Syria to make them models of eco-tourism. The Frunluk Forests have been announced as a nature reserve in 1999. Studies of the forests which have recorded the existence of 260 botanical genres, 50 species of birds, 22 species of reptiles and amphibians and 18 species of mammals.

The Syrian Arab News Agency also reported on this campaign in English on June 25, 2010.

But, the interesting part in this post is that at the end of it there is a link to another post titled “The Forests and Its Benefits,” which explains what is a forest, its importance, and the negative implications on human beings and the animals of the deforestation process and the forests being unclean.

This is a good example for how the SAWA ISP’s blog is promoting its agenda of raising the environmental awareness among the Syrian public. Not only does it report on the environmental campaign to protect the Frunluk Forests in Lattakia, but it also explains to the Syrian public in yet another post why the forests are so important and why they should be preserved.

Articles on the Environment in Syria

Another article, titled “The Residence of Tomorrow – An Environment-Friendly National Residence Project,” was posted in February 2010. This article described the “residence of tomorrow” project which was planned and worked on by a group of Syrians, who found a solution to the residence and lack of electricity by way of a sustainable project which produce the electricity by itself without any need for energy sources.

The idea was to establish residence units which will be based on solar energy and on stations for water teatment which will make it suitable for the irrigation of house plants. This project was not limited to the residence un its alone, but created the first environmental house in Syria which is based on solar energy as the energy source and on treated water for the irrigation of plants.

The project supplied small families with small houses and saved the families 150,000 Syrian Lira annually because of the lack of electricity and water payments. This project was conducted first in Damascus and its environs, and later, would expand to other places in Syria.

It should be mentioned that when the article was posted, the project had not been started yet, but according to the Syrian government, it would begin soon.

A series of six articles describing some of Syria’s nature reserves was posted in March 2010.

General Environmental Articles
Other articles in the “green life” section are dealing with general issues concerning the environment, such as: the green building and the environmental friendly buildings; the environment and food pollution; recycling; the influence of the plastic on the human beings and the environment; wind energy; simple steps for protecting the environment in the house; organic food; water saving, air pollution, solar energy, etc.

The Contribution of SAWA ISP to the Environment in Syria
SAWA ISP is not only reporting on environmental projects and issues in Syria and at large, but also taking an active part in preserving the environment. As part of its activities for a better Syrian society, SAWA ISP organized a planting campaign on February 12, 2010. One hundred and twenty SAWA ISP’s workers and their families took part in this campaign in which they planted about a thousand trees on the road from Damascus to Zabadani. This planting campaign was conducted under the supervision of the agricultural administration of Rift Damascus, which supplied the machines, seedlings, and water tanks for irrigation.

It seems like SAWA ISP wishes to advance its agenda for a better Syrian society through raising the awareness of the Syrian public to environmental issues through the internet.

In this theme, it seems to cooperate with the Syrian Government, who wishes to raise the environmental awareness among the public by way of all means available, including the Internet. Indeed, according to Syria Internet Usage and Marketing report, which was written by the Internet World Stats, in June 2009 there were 3,565,000 internet users in Syria out of a total population of 21,762,978. This means that the Internet users comprised in June 2009 16.4% of the total population.

In view of this data and in view of the fact that every year the number of internet users in Syria grows, SAWA ISP does a great job through its blog in increasing environmental awareness among the Syrian public.

::SAWA blog

More about environment in Syria:
Syria’s Master Plan for Renewable Energy
Syria Works to Curb Voracious Plastic Bag Appetite
Drip Irrigation Gives Hope to Drought-Plagued Farmers

Top image via joi; tree via xslim

The post Green Prophet Flies To: "SAWA For A Better Syrian Society" Eco-Blog appeared first on Green Prophet.

The growing awareness of environmental issues throughout the Middle East is manifested in the Internet, which includes an ever growing number of websites, forums and blogs focusing on the environment. Some of the blogs are written in Arabic, others are written in Arabic and include translation into English, and, yet, others are written only in English.

In this weekly review “Green Prophet Flies To…”, we’ll look at a blog from a different country in the Middle East. We aim to give clues to the current environmental issues that each country is dealing with, as well as talk about the identity of the bloggers and the environmental agendas they pursue in their own countries and in the region at large. Here you will find valuable data, opinions and news on environmental topics and exploits which are not discussed anywhere else.

This week we fly to Lebanon and look at Mazen Abboud’s Blog, active from April 2009. In his blog Mazen Abboud writes that he is “an environmentalist, a freelance journalist and a businessman.”

Mazen (left) is an Orthodox Christian Lebanese, who was born in 1972 in Douma village, which is located in northern Lebanon. He studied agricultural engineering in the American University of Beirut. In 2008, he got an EMBA from ESA (Ecole Superieure des Affaires), and in 2001, he established the Federation of Associations of the North of Lebanon, the Union of Northern Associations for Development, Environment and Patrimony.

He is also an alternate member of the Mediterranean commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations Environmental Program (MAP) and an Environmental consultant to it.

Since this is a personal blog, it includes many posts dealing with Mazen Abboud’s life, exploits, and issues other than the environment which he cares about. However, there are many other posts dealing with the environment. Usually, we do not hear much neither in the news nor otherwise on the Christian Orthodox community in Lebanon. This blog gives its readers a rare look into this minority Lebanese community and its environmental concerns.

The blog deals with three main environmental issues: the church and the environment, Lebanon’s environmental policy, and the environmental activities of Mazen Abboud.

The Church and the Environment

Since Mazen is an Orthodox Christian Lebanese, he is interested on the issue of the church and the environment, on which he posted an article on June 5, 2010. The article is titled “The Environment and the Church”. The article is written in Arabic and describes the relationships between the Catholic and Orthodox church and the environment through the eyes of Pope Benedict XVI and Bartholomew, the Orthodox Archbishoph of Constantinople.

In his communique for World Peace Day, Pope Benedict XVI called the environment “a present from God to all human beings.” He said that there is an inseparable relationship between God, the human beings and nature and each person has to conserve the environment in order to build a peaceful world.

The Orthodox Church believes that honoring the creation comes before honoring the creator. It believes that the principle of imposing human beings on nature is limited by the need to serve nature. According to Bartholomew, the environment is the “icon of the creator and a live symbol and proof for his presence among us.” He said that the true Christian is the one who live in coexistence with nature.

At the end of the article, Mazen criticizes the Lebanese church priests for not giving the environment a great importance, which they give to making direct economic profit for themselves instead.

Through this blog, we are exposed to Christian Orthodox environmental activities within Lebanon. For example, Mazen describes in an article in Arabic which he posted on May 10, 2010 titled “Environmental Conference Organized by the Soldiers of Faith Association – Kosba Branch,” an environmental conference organized by this Christian Orthodox association.

This conference was attended by government officials, church officials, representatives of environmental civil society organizations and Mazen Abboud himself. This conference called for more environmental cooperation between the Lebanese government and civil society organization and for conserving the environment.

Lebanon’s Environmental Policy
As an environmental consultant, Mazen Abboud wrote an annual report addressing the environmental issues in Lebanon in 2009 in Arabic, French, and English.

He posted it in his blog in February 2010. Titled “Lebanon & The Environment in Year 2009.” In his report, Mazen Abboud deals with the issues of the impact of climate change on Lebanon; the current election law and its implications on the ability to confront environmental issues, such as solid wastes, sea and air pollution, etc.; environmental violations (increase in forest cutting permits, maritime violations); the Ministry of Environment; Lebanon’s environmental policy; the media’s role; environmental projects and initiatives launched by Lebanese companies; the means to preserve the forests; violations of underground waters; the spread of poultry farms; pollution of rivers and watercourses; and dynamite hunting.

This report includes a separate clause dealing with the lawsuit filed against Israel for its environmental violations during the Second Lebanon War. The aim of this lawsuit is to force Israel to pay Lebanon the full cost of environmental damages to agricultural lands caused by Israel during the war.

Mazen Abboud encourages the Ministers of Environment, Justice, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs to grant this lawsuit a much greater importance and push Israel to pay proper compensation for the damages it caused.

The Environmental Activities of Mazen Abboud
Mazen Abboud describes in his blog his contributions to preserving the environment in Lebanon.

On April 27, 2009, Mazen Abboud published his book “Seeds of Change.” In his book, Mazen describes the environmental problems confronted by Lebanon and suggests solutions to them.

Therefore, in April 2009, Mazen posted articles in Arabic, English, and French concerning his book.

On October 23, 2009, Mazen Abboud, a full member of the Lebanese Tobacco Board, posted an article titled “The Lebanese Tobacco Office is Getting Green.” This post describes a press conference that he conducted a day earlier at the headquarters of the Tobacco Board. He said that the Lebanese Tobacco Bureau adopted a green agenda to minimize its emmissions of CO2.

According to him, the firm’s new green policy guidelines aims “firstly, at decreasing the firm dependence on non renewable energy sources through the efficient use of electricity & the partial dependence on solar energy for lighting; secondly, at increasing the firm recycling capabilities by two folds to minimize its organic wastes; & thirdly, on diminishing the chemical residues content of the locally grown tobacco leaves by adopting more environmentally friendly pest management techniques.”

Mazen Abboud also announced the launching of an environmental prize of the Regie Libanaise des Tabacs, with a main goal to enhance green activities among NGOs & individuals.

A sum of Mazen’s blog:
This blog enables its readers a rare glance into the Christian Orthodox community in Lebanon and its environmental beliefs and actions. It describes the environmental problems of Lebanon from the viewpoint of an accomplished environmentalist, who has contributed a lot for the conservation of the environment, as can be seen from the blog. Mazen also describes his attitude towards Israel, which he blames for the environmental damages caused to Lebanon following the Second Lebanon War in July 2006.

When dealing with environment in the Middle East, we tend to focus on the Muslim environmental agendas while forgetting that there are many other minorities living in the Middle East, such as various Christian sects, Druze, Bahais, Circussians, and others who have also a relationship to the environment.

This blog is a very good example showing the environmental awareness and the great importance given to the environment not only among the majority Muslims but also among Middle Eastern minorities.

More on Green Lebanon:
Eco Tourism in the Middle East: Lebanon
Lebanese Prefer “Green With Envy” Maseratis Over Eco-Friendly Hybrids Cars
Lebanon Looks to “Smart Grid” and Renewable Sources to Generate 12% of Its Electricity by 2020

Above image via joi

The post Green Prophet Flies To: Mazen Abboud's Environment Blog in Lebanon appeared first on Green Prophet.