Where's the (hormone-free, antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed, humanely raised, zabiha) Beef?

If you've ever found yourself asking this question, check out Green Zabiha. Some brothers and sisters in our area are attempting to put together a green zabiha meat distribution service and need your help with some market research.

Check out the site and their survey here: http://greenzabiha.com/

World Water Day, March 27, 2008

Continuing on the theme of adequate clean water supplies touched upon by Imam Johari and myself at the last dinner, I wanted to share the upcoming event:


World Water Day

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2008
Location: Koshland Science Museum
Time: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Cost: $8/$5 for students
Age Range: 13+

Participate in World Water Day with an in-depth look at safe drinking water and why it is essential. Roland Steiner and other experts will discuss the status of the local water supply, effects on regional water demand, and implications for global distribution.

Roland C. Steiner, Ph.D., P.E., serves as the Regional Water and Wastewater Manager at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). Prior to this position, he worked at the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin for 17 years on issues involving water supply, water quality, and associated land resources for the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In previous positions, he worked in England and Wales for national and regional water and wastewater management agencies, and taught Mathematics at the University of Baltimore. He is a Professional Engineer in Maryland, and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Water Works Association, and Water Environment Federation. Dr. Steiner is a member of the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council.

Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Contact the Koshland Science Museum at 202-334-1201 or ksm@nas.edu for tickets.

Calling all eco-conscious muslim women...

To attend DC EcoWomen's Hour this Wednesday February 27th at 6pm!

DC EcoWomen is 'a social community of women who care about the environment' and aims to 'foster networking, collaboration, and career-building opportunities at every professional level.' The centerpiece of the organization are the monthly EcoHours - where women from various background come to share stories of their careers. For 2008, they also have a professional development workshop focused on resume writing and a number of other events planned.

Visit their website at www.ecowomen.org. To join the email lists, visit EcoWomen mailing list, for announcements only regarding events and EcoHours; and the EcoWomen community list, to receive or share environmental announcements from the entire EcoWomen community.

As a semi-regular attendee and an often reluctant networker, I can only say that these events are pretty fun/relaxed and a great opportunity to meet other green women in the DC-area. Let me know if you'd like to join me for Wednesday's EcoHour at the Penn Quarter Teaism!

For more information about the event, click here.

REFLECTIONS

The following are written responses to the question, “What Will You Leaf Behind?” after group discussions from the Green Dinner on 2/8:

P

“an inspiration to engage in spiritual contemplation in the woods”

{

“My legacy”

N

“Learn about water rights and organizations Insha'allah”

~

“Learn about the consequences of nuclear power”

"

“keep it simple~ man”

ƒ

“teach kids to play outside again!!! it's good for them and they need to respect the earth, more than their X-Boxes”

E

“meditation and reflection”

:-p

“my smile ”

P

“take my kids to sit in the grass for a few hours”

Q

“plant a tree”

J

“to conserve water”

x

“to no longer be wasteful”

q

“to start recycling”

+

“to conserve all sources of energy- light, water”

b

“loss of ego”

ý

Butterflies & Green Muslims

We're meeting for an exciting day of tea, planning and butterflies this Saturday morning, February 23, 2008!

10:30am - Green Muslims Planning Meeting - Teaism Penn Quarter. Please confirm with sanjana.ahmad@gmail.com if you plan to attend. http://www.teaism.com/Restaurant/PennQuarter7.html

1:30pm - The New Butterflies + Plants Exhibit - Natural History Museum. Tickets are $6 for adults and discounted for groups of ten or more:
http://www.butterflies.si.edu/tickets/index.htm

Please purchase your tickets for Saturday afternoon in advance (you may want to coordinate with others for the group rate), weekend spots go fast! A few of us will be taking the 1:45pm tour on the 23rd.

Hope to see you there!

'The Muslim Link' article

Article in the Muslim Link about GM Dinner #3!
Written by Zainab Cheema

DC Urban Gardening

Since it's Valentine's Day, you'll probably be seeing a lot of flowers everywhere and wishing - like me - that you had a garden to grow all those pretty plants. Ok, well...maybe not. But in honor of gardens and my love for watching them grow, I'd like to direct y'all to this article in today's Washington Post on urban gardening:

Community Gardens Need Room to Grow (link)
By Adrian Higgins
Thursday, February 14, 2008; Page H01:

"The District, like other major cities across the country, is witnessing a renaissance in community gardening as interest in fresh organic food, fears about loss of vacant lots to development and a concern for the health of the planet combine to breathe life into a staid gardening model rooted in the victory gardens of both world wars.

As they join this environmental crusade, new gardening converts are realizing what earlier generations have learned: Beyond the substantial pleasure of raising a cabbage, these collective plots push blight and crime out of a neighborhood and connect fellow residents."

The weekend before our dinner - DC Urban Gardeners hosted a forum at the Parks Center with workshops on everything from DC's green infrastructure to growing herb and medicinal plants. If you're interested in helping out with various parks and gardens in area or just want to start your own and need advice, link up -- visit their website and join the Yahoo Group. Their blog also has a number of great resources for the (sub-)urban gardener!

Photos from Green Muslims Dinner #3

More pics here!

Haram Veggies

Who can deny the humanity of these adorable veggies?

For those perhaps confused (or alarmed) at the suggestion that some vegetables may be 'haram,' here is some clarification.

Vegetables, like meat, come from living organisms. They are both a miracle attesting to God's creative power as well as a blessing granted for human sustenance. So in the same way that we ought to be informed of the processes our meat undergoes and the possible inhumane and environmentally- negligent practices performed in its production, we should be similarly aware of the complex journey our produce takes from the field to our dinner tables. After all, the Islamic method of animal slaughter is meant to ensure humane treatment. Why not so for broccoli?

Upon discovering the truth behind our food, we must not only choose between what food production practices we indirectly support, but more importantly how they consequently contribute or detract from the wholeness of our own being. While deeming things halal or haram is an exercise in Islamic jurisprudence set aside for those most qualified, figuring out what we decide is acceptable or unacceptable for ourselves is a practice of personal taqwa or God consciousness.

*But you don't have to take my word for it. If interested look into: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Green Dinner #3: An Amazing Location!

We're really fortunate – and very excited – to be holding our dinner this Friday at a landmark in Washington, DC, the Josephine Butler Parks Center. Here's some information about this amazing woman, building and neighborhood:

Josephine Butler & the Parks Center
Meridian Hill (Malcom X) Park and Neighborhood

You'll also find directions to the Parks Center at this same website. Just click on the "Directions to..." link. See you tomorrow, insha'Allah! :)

Green Dinner #3: Food for Thought

We'd like to offer you some food for thought before the dinner on Friday. Something to chew on, so to speak. These posts are both previews and further reading for our dinner's discussion themes. Glance through them if you have time. Don't worry if you don't. We'll go over these same topics during dinner, and you can come back to this site whenever you're hungry for more!

#1: Nature, Childhood and the Prophet (PBUH)

We'll be sampling an excerpt from this popular book - Last Child in the Woods - on children and nature. Here's a taste: "Given a chance, a child will bring the confusion of the world to the woods, wash it in the creek, turn it over to see what lives on the unseen side of that confusion." p. 7

...and an excerpt from this book - In the Footsteps of the Prophet - on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him - PBUH), by Tariq Ramadan. To whet your appetite: "This relationship with nature was so present in the Prophet’s life from his earliest childhood that one can easily come to the conclusion that living close to nature, observing, understanding, and respecting it, is an imperative of deep faith." p. 12

#2: Climate Change

We'll also be sampling an excerpt from this short paper - Islam and Climate Change - by Muzammal Hussain of LINE, on species extinction.

Other resources, if you'd like to learn more about climate change:

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Summary of Fourth Assessment Report - a thorough scientific assessment of the drivers and impacts of climate change
  
• Elizabeth Kolbert: Field Notes from a Catastrophe - a series of articles from the New Yorker that brings to life the impacts of global warming and the people studying it
  
• Andy Revkin: Dot Earth - from NY Times science reporter on climate change and sustainability challenges facing the growing human population
  
• NPR and National Geographic: Climate Connections
  
• Nature Magazine: Climate Change