British Muslims and pro-environmental values, self-identities and personal norms

Evaluating a faith-literate, multi-component educational intervention co-produced with the first green mosque in the UK

Project Team

Dr Davide Pettinato
Research and Outreach Associate
Centre of Islamic Studies
University of Cambridge

Mohammed Fezaan Azam
Director of Operations
Cambridge Central Mosque

The Project

This project pursues a collaboration with the first and only ‘green mosque’ in the UK—Cambridge Central Mosque—to co-develop and evaluate a multicomponent, faith-literate environmental education intervention aimed at strengthening pro-environmental values, self-identity and personal norms among British Muslims.

The project’s objectives are:

to explore existing pro-environmental values, self-identity and personal norms among British Muslims
to evaluate and compare the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of different types of mosque-centred faith-literate interventions in strengthening British Muslims’ pro-environmental values, self-identity and personal norms
to enable Cambridge Central Mosque to develop a holistic programme of faith-literate environmental education, which can become a model for other mosques in the UK and abroad

Methodology

The project innovatively integrates environmental social science (the study of pro-environmental values, self-identity and personal norms) with the sociology of Islam in the UK (the study of mosques and their communities) and Islamic studies (the study of ‘Islam and the environment’).

The project does so through a quasi-experimental design developed through a co-production framework that engages the project partner (Cambridge Central Mosque) and project participants both as stake- and as knowledge-holders.

Inside Cambridge Central Mosque with carpeted floors and wooden sculpted columns

One of the rooms in Cambridge Central Mosque with a mosaic floor and sculptured wooden columns

Guiding Principles

To tailor the project around the structural, experiential, and cultural barriers faced by British Muslims for engaging in pro-environmental behaviour, the interventions have been designed and will be implemented in close collaboration with Cambridge Central Mosque, under the aegis of a ‘green hub’.

The project also aims to minimise its environmental impact whenever possible (e.g., by coordinating public transport for the project participants).

Outcomes

Davide has collaborated with the team at the Cambridge Central Mosque (CCM) to produce a set of videos (thanks to the mosque’s media team for allowing us to include them here):

What Is The Green(ing) Muslim Programme? – Abdal Hakim Murad, CCM Chairman

The Signs Of God In Nature | Green(ing) Muslim Programme – Sejad Mekić, CCM lead Imam

The Prophet’s Compassion For Animals | Green(ing) Muslim Programme – Nurullah Benli, CCM Imam

Cultivating Taqwa Through Nature Connection - Zakarya Gangat, CCM Imam

Impact

The Cambridge Central Mosque has published two video testimonials from previous participants, which highlights some examples of the very significant impact that the Green(ing) Muslim Programme is having.

Seeing the Signs – Green(ing) Muslim Programme

Grief to Growth – Green(ing) Muslim Programme

Showcase

In this video, Dr Davide Pettinato explains the purpose of the Programme, and participants share reflections about the initiative, including personal stories and glimpses from the course in action.