Restoring Planetary Balance: Exploring Muslim Eco-Social Covenants for the Earth
摘要
Emancipatory knowledge systems that inspire people to live in connection, in harmony and in justice with nature are needed to reimagine eco-social contracts. Yet the beliefs, values and knowledges embedded in people’s cultures that provide imaginaries to inform and inspire eco-social action are seldom centred as the foundation for ecological ideas and practices. Islam’s liberation eco-theology has inspired a nascent movement, rooted in the ideas and practices of the religion, to voice its concern and act in response to the climate and ecological crisis. This chapter seeks to address the epistemic injustices in ecological knowledge by presenting the eco-theology of Islam as a basis for reimagining eco-social contracts. It presents central tenets of Islam’s eco-theology and then considers the representation of this eco-theology in three eco-social covenants or declarations. Islam’s eco-theology forms the centrepiece of these covenants, centring God as the Owner of all creation, recognising the intrinsic value of all creation and affirming the need for Muslims to understand and live within the dynamic balance and equilibrium on Earth. They also call on Muslims to align with liberatory movements working for eco-social change in the world today.