Ecological Inclusion and Nonhuman Animals in the Islamic Tradition

Rod Bennison [1]

Increasingly, humans transgress their ecological responsibilities. Instead of living within a circle of ecological interest, humans act in self-interest and at the expense of a relationship within nature that is caring and responsible. The current human inter-relationship with other animals attests to this attitude. However, evidence exists within some indigenous traditions and, to varying degrees, within all major world religions and secular traditions that human interests and actions have not always been so speciesist, anti-ecological, and irresponsible. It is argued that an ethic based on greater ecological inclusion can be generated from established traditions and belief systems.

For example, despite the fact that Islamic doctrine is imbued with ethics that are based on a strong stewardship (non-ecocentric) tradition, and the existence of a tension between the religious and Muslim secular traditions, there exists within Islam a tradition of strong environmental and animal ethics that is arguably inclusionary. Yet, for Muslims to adopt lifestyles that adhere to doctrinal traditions and as such for them to be more caring and responsible toward nonhuman animals may not be a simple matter, particularly given the tension that exists between secularism and doctrine.

Unlike the other Abrahamic Judaic and Christian traditions, Islam presents what can be a more caring approach to the protection of nonhuman animals, despite secular practices similar to those in the West that are exclusionary such as killing other animals for meat consumption. Islamic teachings exhibit an ingrained environmental ethic of stewardship and a way of life for Muslims that are rooted firmly in seeking harmony with the environment. It can be argued, particularly from Sufi teachings, that Muslims always may have prescribed actions (often drawn from doctrine) that are ecologically inclusive and that protect fellow nonhuman animals. In this regard, despite the disquiet (some would say an all-encompassing hysteria) felt about Islam by some in the West since September 11, 2001, Islam may provide some answers to the environmental crisis that we all face, particularly for those Muslims willing to live by doctrine and accommodate change in their consumerist lifestyles.

* Rod Bennison, University of Newcastle

Note

[1] Correspondence should be addressed to Rod Bennison, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, Australia. E-mail: rod.bennison@newcastle.edu.au. I would like to thank Dr Glenn Albrecht, my PhD supervisor, for the continuing support and for comments on this paper and my colleague, David O’Brien, for his earnest criticism and encouragement on this paper among others.
 

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