Protecting Coral Reefs Through Faithful Stewardship of God's Creation

Off the coast of East Africa in Zanzibar, a community of fishermen had been dynamiting the precious coral reefs as a way to catch larger numbers of fish. Ironically, this method ultimately destroyed the natural habitat where the fish mate and reproduce, creating a scarcity of fish and near-irreversible damage to the coral reef.

For many years, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the largest secular environmental protection organizations, has been trying to intervene with no success.

Then, they turned to the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES).

In partnership, the WWF brought together the community’s fishermen, neighboring imams (Islamic religious leaders), and local political leaders for a workshop based on the teachings of the Qur’an (the sacred text of Islam).

Islam is rooted in respect for all life forms, as well as the interconnectedness of humankind and the natural world.

Spurred by their devotion to Allah, the fishermen understood that destroying Allah’s creation was in violation of their deepest values. This motivated them to bring their actions back into alignment with their existing beliefs.

Within days, the fishermen stopped dynamiting.

Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences founder, Haji Fazlun Khalid, recalls, “The leader [of the fishermen] said to me, ‘We can break the government’s laws, but we cannot break Allah’s laws.'”

For people of deep faith, framing environmental protection in spiritual terms has a unique effect. It supports and encourages people to bring their behavior and actions in alignment with what they already fundamentally believe, rather than something imposed by a government or environmental nonprofit organization.

Coupling scientific reasoning with environmental care and spiritual rationale can spark imaginative ways of thinking and prompt more profound, sustainable transformations.

Over 70% of the global population describes itself as having a religious identity with a Sacred Worldview. The potential for scaling these solutions is nothing short of astounding.

“I used to think that the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change,” says Gustave Speth, Co-Founder of Natural Resources Defense Council. “I thought with 30 years of good science, we could address those problems. But I was wrong.”

He adds, “The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy… And to deal with these, we need a spiritual and cultural transformation.”

By The Fetzer Institute