I.M.A.M. Joins Global Interfaith Climate Initiative Ahead of Earth Day

On the eve of April 22, International Mother Earth Day, at a time when the world stands in urgent need of moral clarity and collective responsibility toward the protection of our shared planet, I.M.A.M. has joined the global interfaith initiative.

Faiths for a Fossil Free Future, a global multi-faith coalition working to advance climate justice.

This initiative brings together religious leaders, communities, and institutions from across traditions in a shared commitment to safeguard the Earth as a divine trust entrusted to humanity.

Within the Islamic tradition, the natural world is understood not as a resource for unchecked exploitation, but as an amanah, a sacred trust. The Holy Quran offers a powerful admonition against those who bring destruction to the Earth, “And when he turns away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and progeny. And Allah does not love corruption (1:205).

In the light of this Qur’anic perspective, Imam Ali (p) emphasized the vital importance of preserving the land and ensuring the stability of the social order. In his historic covenant to Malik al-Ashtar, written when appointing him as governor of Egypt, he instructed that to achieve this paramount goal, one must engage in continuous consultation with scholars and experts to guarantee stability, justice, and social coherence. He states, “Engage frequently in consultation with scholars and in discussion with the wise, in order to preserve what has ensured the sound order of your land and to uphold that by which the people before you were sustained”(Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53).

It is in this spirit that I.M.A.M. has endorsed the joint statement issued in connection with the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels (April 28–29, 2026, Santa Marta, Colombia)

More information about the conference is available here.

The statement calls for urgent and principled action, including:

• An immediate halt to the expansion of fossil fuel extraction 
• A just and equitable transition to renewable energy 
• Protection of vulnerable communities 
• Ethical accountability of governments and economic actors 

The full text of the statement is available here.

Interfaith collaboration in this domain reflects the profound capacity of religious traditions to converge around shared moral imperatives. In recent years, I.M.A.M. has sought to expand its engagement in such global efforts, contributing the ethical vision of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) to conversations on environmental justice and human responsibility.

I.M.A.M.’s participation in this initiative represents not merely a symbolic gesture but part of a growing commitment to align faith-based values with meaningful action, affirming that the protection of the Earth is both a moral obligation and a sacred duty toward present and future generations.