Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Despite the diversity among Muslims and Islamic perspectives, it is possible to speak about an Islamic perspective on eco-feminism. This perspective is not advancing new interpretations on Islam and environment, but rather a retrieval of existing theological elements of Islam. This is a progressive approach that is based on the concept of “aql” (knowledge transmitted from independent reason) versus “naql” (knowledge derived only from revelation and tradition). This paper asks the question of whether Islamic thought and ecofeminism have any commonalities. And if they do, then what are these commonalities? The methodology I use in the paper utilizes theoretical, historical, and narrative analysis of the texts. The balance of this paper is divided into four sections. The first section describes the main ideas of the eco-feminist perspective. The second section provides a brief description of the Islamic view of the environment, justice, and women. The third section discusses the moral dilemma emanating from this view of the environment for Muslims. The fourth and final section explores the relationship between the ideas of eco-feminism and Islamic views of the environment with suggestions for further research.