Sharjah, UAE –: His father once taught him: “earth is a mosque, and everything in it is sacred.” Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, acclaimed author of ‘Green Deen’, believes in demonstrating the Islamic religion as that which protects the planet.
Arriving from Brooklyn - New York this month, the American Muslim is set to speak at the ‘Forum for Environmental Change’ held on Monday 17th October, 2011 during the Green Middle East exhibition, at the Sharjah Expo Center.
Ibrahim hopes that his latest book, ‘Green Deen’ will help rebrand Muslims from terrorists to environmentalists. “I use ‘Green Deen’ to (also) mean finding inspiration in one’s faith to become more conscious about humanity’s effects on the planet. Islam is a ‘Green Deen’ in many ways. First and foremost, Islam recognizes that while God is all-powerful, humans can and do impact the Earth,” he stated.
“The planet is my home, and yours too. Together, we can protect, maintain, and respect it. How we treat the planet is a reflection of how we treat ourselves. And that’s why I’m a pedestrian. There’s nothing better than walking on the Earth as God intended.”
With Sharjah being at the forefront of leading positive environmental change, the ‘Forum for Environmental Change’ which is organized and hosted by Bee’ah – the UAE’s leading integrated and award-winning environmental and waste management company – and held at the Expo Centre Sharjah, aims to create a platform of knowledge and expertise for the region’s environmental industry.
“The Emirate of Sharjah is renowned as the cultural and religious hub of the UAE. We at Bee’ah are committed to positioning Sharjah as the ‘Green Emirate’, by not only building the systems and infrastructure, but also fostering the social change required to achieve our goals.” commented Chief Executive Officer at Bee’ah, Mr. Khaled Al Huraimel.
“Ibrahim’s dedication to the environment is rooted in his teachings of Islam, inspiring and connecting people through their faiths, encouraging them to bridge the gap between their beliefs and their affection for our planet Earth.”
Mr. Saif Al Midfaa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah added saying, “As a key speaker at Green Middle East, Ibrahim will motivate both delegates and Sharjah’s youth, through his experiences and well-spoken persona, about how Islam has been in existence for quite some time and the role of Muslims to protect the world and its environment.”
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin is a second generation American Muslim, media personality and a policy advisor in New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. He has worked with Green for All, Green City Force, Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice and the Prospect Park Alliance.
A strong and inspirational public speaker, Abdul-Matin has appeared on “Fox News,” Al-Jazeera and ABC News “This Week”. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, CNN.com, HuffingtonPost.com, The Daily Beast, GOOD Magazine, ColorLines, Wiretap, and Elan Magazine. “Green Deen” has been featured on “The Brian Lehrer Show,” “Global Grind,” “Energy Now” The Center for American Progress, and America.gov.
Green Middle East is set to be the leading regional exhibition for the environment industry in the Middle East region. Visitors from across the region will visit Sharjah, including government institutions, ministries and municipalities, to attend and exhibit their latest products, services and initiatives to demonstrate their commitment and sense of environmental responsibility towards enhancing our ‘Green’ nation.
For attendance to the Green Middle East exhibition and Environmental Forum, visitor registration forms are available online at www.green-middleeast.com
