INVITATION TO ECO RAMADAN LAUNCH
2pm Friday 3rd May
Outside Tooting Islamic Centre, 145 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7TJ
Balham Mosque & Tooting Islamic Centre invite everyone to the launch of Eco Ramadan outside Tooting Islamic Centre on Friday 3 May. Eco Ramadan is an initiative to inspire a shift to a green lifestyle among Muslims both as an Islamic faith priority and a social responsibility. The launch will be an enjoyable opportunity to learn what Eco Ramadan’s all about and have fun making your bike powered smoothie. The mosque leadership writes:
” Ramadan is a blessed month during which Muslims all over the world will be fasting from before to dawn to dusk. For a Muslim, the primary objective of fasting is to purify the soul through spiritual engagement with Allah (God), our Creator.
The key element of fasting is to abstain from that which is essential, such as food and drink and increase that which is beneficial to the soul and to the Community, such as congregational prayers & supplications, charitable causes and reduction in waste.
This year, Tooting Islamic Centre has decided to significantly reduce the consumption of single-use plastic and food wastage during Ramadan. We wish to drive incremental systemic change and heighten awareness of how we as a community have an impact on our environment. Ramadan is an ideal time to achieve this aim, given the responsibilities in the state of fasting.
The shift to a green lifestyle for a Muslim when it comes to clothing, food habits and use of natural resources such as energy and water, during the month of Ramadan is not only a social responsibility but is also a religious duty.
As part of our Eco Ramadan launch after the Friday congregational prayers:
- We’ll be unveiling our plans to own a water project in Africa and we will provide further details
- We will provide the community an opportunity to create their own smoothie, using cycles, what better way to demonstrate sustainability than blending your own drinks using nothing but pedal power on a vibrant “green” bike
- We will be informing the community about the changes they should expect around Tooting Islamic Centre, in becoming more socially responsible. Last year, during the course of Ramadan, we got through nearly 10,000 single use plastic water bottles and thousands of units of plastic cutlery & crockery – this year, if it cannot be recycled, we’re not providing it!
- The community will have the opportunity to purchase a 500ml leakproof water bottle, to encourage everyone to refill at our newly installed water fountains. 50% of the purchase price will go towards our water project in Africa and 50% will go towards the costs of our “Green” initiatives – giving everyone the opportunity to play a part in our sustainability campaign
We sincerely hope that you will be able to join this fun launch and we look forward to seeing you there”.
For more information, contact:
020 8673 1000 (Balham mosque) balhammosque@btinternet.com
020 8767 2344 (Tooting Islamic Centre) Admin@balhammosque.org
www.balhammosque.org
www.tootingislamiccentre.org
