Prof. İbrahim Özdemir: “Caring for creation is a moral imperative in Islam”

Prof. İbrahim Özdemir, a faculty member of the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, participated online in the symposium titled “Stewardship of God's Creation: A Common Responsibility”. Özdemir, who gave a presentation titled “Caring for Creation is a Moral Imperative in Islam”, emphasized that religious traditions bear a common moral responsibility in the face of the global ecological crisis.

The symposium held in Izmir brought together Muslim and Christian clerics, academics, and environmental thinkers to address humanity's responsibility towards the Earth. The program aimed to develop a common environmental awareness among different religious traditions and strengthen cooperation against the climate crisis.

In his presentation, Özdemir emphasized that the environmental crisis is not only a scientific or political issue but also a profound theological and moral crisis, and he also provided information about the Environmental Ethics Platform established within Üsküdar University.

“Wars are razing ancient cities”

Prof. İbrahim Özdemir, drawing attention to some global developments he considers environmental problems, said: “If I do not speak openly about the world we live in today, I would be neglecting my duty both to our own traditions and to this moment we are in. As we gather here, cities are being destroyed and burned. While we speak of the stewardship of God's creation, humans, the crown of that creation, are being systematically annihilated. Wars are razing ancient cities. They are erasing neighborhoods built over generations. They are turning homes, schools, hospitals, mosques, and churches that once shaped human communities into ruins.”

Özdemir stated that in addition to the escalating loss of life every day, millions of people are being displaced, severed from their lands, languages, and sense of belonging, and he viewed all these developments as part of the environmental problem.

Caliphate is a trust and responsibility towards the world created by Allah

Making evaluations within the framework of the Quran, Islamic legal thought, and classical Islamic ethics, Özdemir stated that the concept of caliphate in Islam signifies not dominance over nature, but rather a trust and responsibility towards the world created by Allah.

Özdemir stated that this understanding is best reflected in Yunus Emre's words, “I love the created for the sake of the Creator.” He emphasized that climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and the destruction of ecosystems correspond to the forms of corruption and destruction defined as “fesad” in the Quran.

“Leaders acting together sends a strong moral message to the world”

Pointing to the importance of rebuilding global conscience, Özdemir said, “Caring for creation is not a secondary matter in Islam. It is a moral imperative based on an understanding of compassion, justice, and spiritual responsibility.”

Özdemir also touched upon the importance of religious people acting in cooperation against the environmental crisis, stating that Muslim and Christian leaders acting together sends a strong moral message to the world. He said that jointly defending the sanctity of human life and nature is of great importance for the rebuilding of global conscience.

Islamic ethics encompass not only humans but all living beings

Özdemir also referred to Prophet Muhammad's teachings on animal rights and the environment, stating that Islamic ethics offer a broad understanding of compassion that encompasses not only humans but all living beings.

He explained how this understanding of compassion shaped the daily lives of Muslim communities until the late 19th century, with the following quote from French poet and statesman Alphonse de Lamartine:

“Muslims get along well with all living and inanimate creatures: they respect trees, birds, dogs, in short, everything created by Allah; they extend their compassion and mercy to all these poor animal species that are left to roam freely or are tormented in our countries.”

“Cannot be considered morally legitimate if it leads to injustice”

At the end of his speech, Özdemir stated that practices considered legally legitimate or economically profitable cannot be deemed morally legitimate if they lead to the destruction, devastation, and injustice of the environment created by Allah and entrusted to humans.

Özdemir called on religious institutions, educational communities, and decision-makers to develop new ethical approaches based on compassion, justice, and sustainability.
The symposium, considered part of international initiatives, aimed to develop common environmental awareness among different religious traditions and strengthen cooperation against the climate crisis.

Prof. İbrahim Özdemir currently serves as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at American Islamic College, while also continuing his work as the founding director of the Environmental Ethics Platform at Üsküdar University. Özdemir is internationally recognized for his work in Islamic environmental ethics, the religion-ecology relationship, and interfaith dialogue.