—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
JAMAICA, New York (March 22nd, 2010) – The Islamic Circle of North America, ICNA, announced today that it will turn off all non-essential lighting across participating ICNA chapters and Headquarters for Earth Hour, as well as encourage ICNA members and all Muslim Americans to do the same.
Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 P.M. local time, is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change and toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. 2010 marks the third year of the event, which attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as New York’s Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, and the Pyramids of Giza.
According to Islamic beliefs, the Earth is a sanctuary in which mankind was made to dwell in comfort. There are more than 700 verses in the Quran that encourage believers to reflect on nature. Further, God compels Muslims in the Quran to respect and revere the environment when He says, “Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (40:57)
The Prophet Muhammad told his followers they would be rewarded by God for taking care of the Earth. He said: “If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 8:41)
What We Can Do:
Individuals
All ICNA members & non-members: Register your commitment through ICNA’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ICNA
Turn off your lights on Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 PM.
Unplug unnecessary items for 1 hour (chargers, laptops, electronics, etc)
Local Chapters and Mosques:
1. Encourage participation in Earth Hour amongst your community.
2. Deliver a khutba, and/or a talk at respective mosques, schools and at home. Make sure to include facts on how much we waste, the importance of this earth, conserving energy, and the consequences for such actions.
3. Encourage everyone to make this change an everyday part of their activities, at the mosque, at community centers, at home, school and work.
National Level
Promote this event on social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Promote Facebook Event http://www.facebook.com/ICNA
Submit your video and Photos for showcase on our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ICNAtv
More information can also be found here https://www.myearthhour.org/tools.
