The 'Al Mizan: A Covenant for the World' declaration, involving Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, Head of the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, continues to be a focal point of interest and discussion in international circles. The Covenant was also presented in Moscow and Ankara.
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir gave a conference at the Research Institute for the Intellectual Foundations of Branches of Knowledge on the topic of "Al-Mizan: The World Environmental Covenant". He participated in the 17th Islamic Forum, organized online in Moscow by the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation and the Council of Muftis of Russia. The forum was opened by Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, who also serves as the Grand Mufti of the Muslims of the Russian Federation and the Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, as well as its Secretary-General.
This year's forum topic, based on Prof. Dr. Özdemir's proposal, was "From Ecological Preaching to Ecological Thinking: Finding the Best Way to Speak". Religious leaders from the Russian Federation participated in the forum, including the Head of Religious Affairs of Turkey, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, and the Chairman of the Council of Ulema of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Representatives of Abrahamic religions also participated.
Al-Mizan: The World Environmental Covenant Introduced and Discussed in Ankara
Özdemir, on the other hand, gave a conference in Ankara at the Research Institute for the Intellectual Foundations of Branches of Knowledge on the topic of "Al-Mizan: The World Environmental Covenant".
In the program where the opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Halil Rahman Açar from Yıldırım Beyazıt University's Department of Philosophy, Açar, drawing attention to the local and global consequences of problems caused by climate change, said, "Professor İbrahim has been working on this topic for over 30 years. Today, we will listen to the formation process and content of the 'Al-Mizan: World Environmental Covenant,' which a core team of Muslim environmentalists has been working on for some time. Since he is also part of this team, we will gain firsthand knowledge about the formation and content of this covenant."
Prof. Dr. Özdemir began his speech by emphasizing the role of religion in fostering environmental awareness and conservation consciousness in society.
Özdemir stated that the United Nations Environment Programme has focused on the importance of leveraging these resilient beliefs in areas such as climate change, environmental protection, sustainable use of biodiversity, and reforestation over the last decade, and made the following observation: "Considering that religious beliefs can play a significant common role in the fields of science, economy, politics, and education, their value in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals also emerges."
Why al-Mizan?
Özdemir stated that today, members of religious groups in many countries are joining a broader alliance, including scientists, political decision-makers, and civil society organizations, to influence social and environmental transformation trends, and he explained why they chose the concept of al-Mizan as follows:
"We paid particular attention to the name of the Covenant being a Quranic concept. Thus, we aim for this text, with its name and content, to be adopted by all Muslims. Our core team consists of eleven people, three of whom are women. There is also an environmentalist Shia imam in the core team. Thus, we aim for the Covenant to embrace all Muslims and be adopted by them. We hope that the Covenant will be a roadmap for Muslims. If we, as scientists and thinkers from different fields, can combine our experience with an interdisciplinary spirit and understanding, and approach the enormous problems ahead from a holistic perspective, we can also find solutions."
Prof. Dr. Özdemir noted that "Al-Mizan: The World Environmental Covenant can be summarized as offering a moderate framework approach to Muslims' responsibilities, stemming from religion and civilization, to contribute to current global issues, achieve sustainable development, and mobilize national development plans for 2030 through international joint action."
Prof. Dr. Özdemir emphasized and thanked the European Climate Foundation for its support in the promotion of the Al-Mizan: World Environmental Covenant.
The conference, attended by academics, university students, and institute members, concluded with a Q&A session.
After the conference, Prof. Dr. Özdemir was given a surprise gift: a portrait of himself.