Jakarta – In a significant move towards environmental sustainability and climate action, Republika and various Muslim elements have joined forces to launch the Muslims for Shared Action on Climate Impact (MOSAIC) and the Forest Waqf Project in Jakarta.
MOSAIC, a collaborative movement inspired by Islamic teachings, aims to mobilise Indonesian Muslims to lead efforts in decarbonisation and sustainability. The initiative involves engaging Islamic leaders and rallying Muslim youth to support climate solutions actively. This project is a direct outcome of the Muslim Congress for Sustainable Indonesia held in 2022 and seeks to underline the intersection of Islam and climate while empowering individuals to drive climate action across the nation.
Rika Novayanti, a member of the MOSAIC Steering Committee, shared insights into the initiative’s origins, stating, “The MOSAIC initiative arose from a 2019 study that identified Indonesia as one of the countries where belief in climate change was least likely. In 2020, with a more appropriate research context, the results were shocking – 9 out of 10 Indonesians worry about climate change but also believe that God has the highest power. This underscores the potential to discuss climate change within the context of Islam, given that Indonesians trust religious leaders more than political figures.”
Novayanti said the 2022 Muslim Congress for Sustainable Indonesia results include increasing the role of Islamic infrastructure in leading climate change initiatives and a more urgent approach to the climate crisis and emphasised the need for youth and women’s leadership.
The Forest Waqf Project is a key component of MOSAIC’s initiatives, building on the success of the Muslim Congress for Sustainable Indonesia in 2022. Waqf, defined as land given for worship or public welfare according to Sharia, has been utilised in various forest initiatives across Indonesia, including Bogor, Aceh, and East Java.
Dr. Khalifah Muhammad Ali, from the Bogor Waqf Forest Foundation, highlighted the positive impact of the initiative, stating, “The waqf forest near Halimun-Salak National Park has been running for three years, with tangible outcomes such as increased nesting bee populations and improved water quality around the forest.”
Emmy Hamidiyah, Deputy Secretary of the Indonesian Waqf Board, emphasised the vast potential of waqf in Indonesia, reaching an estimated 180 trillion annually. While acknowledging the current focus on poverty alleviation, Hamidiyah urged a paradigm shift, allocating resources to deal with the impact and addressing the root causes of poverty through environmental initiatives.
She said that “until last October, Rp 2.3 trillion was collected. Waqf money is not directly distributed but must be managed, and then the results are distributed to beneficiaries. Of the funds realised at Rp 97 billion, 48% were allocated for education. For the environment, it is still under Rp 5 billion. Zakat managers are more concerned with dealing with poverty, or issues of proximity, education, and increasing income, not yet to what causes them to be poor.
Hamidiyah hopes that “after more socialisation, hopefully, there will be a paradigm shift. So, not only allocating (the funds) for things that deal with the impact but also things that cause poverty.” (nsh)
