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Findings · MA thesis, Leiden University

Islam and the environment in Turkey: knowing and doing

Do religiously committed Muslims put the environmental ethics of Islam into practice? A survey of university students in Istanbul, read together with the Friday sermons of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs.

Background: Babur supervising the laying out of the Garden of Fidelity in Kabul, from a Baburnama manuscript, Mughal India, c. 1590. Victoria and Albert Museum. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

94
university students surveyed at the ISAM library in Istanbul
4.1 vs 2.9
mean scores for environmental knowledge and for environmental practice (scale 1–5)
5 of 312
Diyanet Friday sermons directly about the environment
65%
said imams and religious teachers do not do enough to raise environmental awareness
Method
Data
Questionnaire among 94 students (14 bachelor, 55 MA, 25 PhD; 44 men, 50 women) at the library of the Centre for Islamic Studies (ISAM) in Istanbul. More than a third studied theology. The questionnaire was conducted in Turkish
Measures
Religiosity; knowledge of Islamic environmental ethics (8 statements); environmental practice (13 items); the perceived role of Diyanet; the importance of environmental problems for Turkey
Sermons
Friday sermons in Diyanet’s online archive over six years (312 sermons), and a count of national terms in 150 sermons from 2003–2005
Thesis
An Islamic Understanding of the Environment: Theory and Practice. A Survey on Turkish University Students. MA in World Religions (Sociology and Psychology of Religion), Leiden University. Supervisor: Prof. M. ter Borg
Figure 1

Knowing more than doing

Mean scores for knowledge and awareness of Islamic environmental ethics, and for environmental practice, by group (1 = low, 5 = high).

Knowledge and awarenessEnvironmental practice
12345All respondentsN = 94All respondents · environmental practice: 2.85All respondents · knowledge and awareness: 4.07Womenn = 50Women · environmental practice: 3.11Women · knowledge and awareness: 4.10Menn = 44Men · environmental practice: 2.56Men · knowledge and awareness: 4.04Bachelorn = 14Bachelor · environmental practice: 2.70Bachelor · knowledge and awareness: 4.18MAn = 55MA · environmental practice: 2.89MA · knowledge and awareness: 4.06PhD and aboven = 25PhD and above · environmental practice: 3.18PhD and above · knowledge and awareness: 4.09Aged 15–25n = 29Aged 15–25 · environmental practice: 2.60Aged 15–25 · knowledge and awareness: 4.08Aged 26–40n = 52Aged 26–40 · environmental practice: 3.06Aged 26–40 · knowledge and awareness: 4.08Aged 41–65n = 13Aged 41–65 · environmental practice: 3.28Aged 41–65 · knowledge and awareness: 4.02

In every group, knowledge is high and practice lags behind. Awareness hardly differs between groups; practice is higher among women, older respondents and those with more education.

Show data table
GroupnAwareness (mean)Practice (mean)
All respondents944.072.85
Women504.103.11
Men444.042.56
Bachelor144.182.70
MA554.062.89
PhD and above254.093.18
Aged 15–25294.082.60
Aged 26–40524.083.06
Aged 41–65134.023.28
Figure 2

What the respondents know

Responses to eight statements on Islamic environmental ethics, ordered by the share in line with the ethics described in the thesis.

In line with Islamic environmental ethicsUndecidedNot in line
Islam does not encourage planting treesIslam does not encourage planting trees: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 98%98%Islam does not encourage planting trees: Undecided 2%Islam attaches importance to conservingand keeping water cleanIslam attaches importance to conserving and keeping water clean: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 95%95%Islam attaches importance to conserving and keeping water clean: Undecided 4%Islam attaches importance to conserving and keeping water clean: Not in line 1%Islam has no principles to preventexcessive consumptionIslam has no principles to prevent excessive consumption: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 90%90%Islam has no principles to prevent excessive consumption: Undecided 5%Islam has no principles to prevent excessive consumption: Not in line 4%A Muslim is not responsible for thesurvival of other creaturesA Muslim is not responsible for the survival of other creatures: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 83%83%A Muslim is not responsible for the survival of other creatures: Undecided 11%11%A Muslim is not responsible for the survival of other creatures: Not in line 6%Islam places the world under humancommand to use as they wishIslam places the world under human command to use as they wish: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 80%80%Islam places the world under human command to use as they wish: Undecided 3%Islam places the world under human command to use as they wish: Not in line 17%17%Hunting for sport and pleasure isallowed in IslamHunting for sport and pleasure is allowed in Islam: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 64%64%Hunting for sport and pleasure is allowed in Islam: Undecided 30%30%Hunting for sport and pleasure is allowed in Islam: Not in line 6%Natural resources are shared by allliving beings, not only humansNatural resources are shared by all living beings, not only humans: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 56%56%Natural resources are shared by all living beings, not only humans: Undecided 21%21%Natural resources are shared by all living beings, not only humans: Not in line 22%22%Islam encourages spacious houses withgardensIslam encourages spacious houses with gardens: In line with Islamic environmental ethics 31%31%Islam encourages spacious houses with gardens: Undecided 28%28%Islam encourages spacious houses with gardens: Not in line 42%42%

Most respondents reject statements that contradict core principles, such as planting trees or protecting water. Views are more divided on the rights of other living beings and on how people should live.

Show data table
StatementAgree %Undecided %Disagree %
Islam does not encourage planting trees0.02.197.9
Islam attaches importance to conserving and keeping water clean94.74.31.1
Islam has no principles to prevent excessive consumption4.35.390.4
A Muslim is not responsible for the survival of other creatures6.410.683.0
Islam places the world under human command to use as they wish17.03.279.8
Hunting for sport and pleasure is allowed in Islam6.429.863.8
Natural resources are shared by all living beings, not only humans56.421.322.3
Islam encourages spacious houses with gardens30.927.741.5
Figure 3

What the respondents do

Average frequency of twelve environmental practices.

Practised oftenPractised sometimes to rarely
AlwaysOftenSometimesRarelyNeverNot littering green areas, seas and riversNot littering green areas, seas and rivers: mean 1.2 (1 = always, 5 = never)Using public transportUsing public transport: mean 1.8 (1 = always, 5 = never)Choosing cleaner fuels at homeChoosing cleaner fuels at home: mean 2.3 (1 = always, 5 = never)Saving energy at home and workSaving energy at home and work: mean 2.9 (1 = always, 5 = never)Eating natural, hormone-free foodEating natural, hormone-free food: mean 3.1 (1 = always, 5 = never)Choosing environment-friendly productsChoosing environment-friendly products: mean 3.6 (1 = always, 5 = never)Caring for animalsCaring for animals: mean 3.7 (1 = always, 5 = never)Warning people who harm the environmentWarning people who harm the environment: mean 3.8 (1 = always, 5 = never)Separating recyclable wasteSeparating recyclable waste: mean 3.9 (1 = always, 5 = never)Planting treesPlanting trees: mean 4.0 (1 = always, 5 = never)Supporting action against thermal power plantsSupporting action against thermal power plants: mean 4.1 (1 = always, 5 = never)Helping environmental NGOsHelping environmental NGOs: mean 4.2 (1 = always, 5 = never)

Only avoiding litter in nature, using public transport and choosing cleaner fuels are done often. Recycling, planting trees and supporting environmental organisations are done rarely.

Show data table
PracticeMean (1 = always, 5 = never)
Not littering green areas, seas and rivers1.2
Using public transport1.8
Choosing cleaner fuels at home2.3
Saving energy at home and work2.9
Eating natural, hormone-free food3.1
Choosing environment-friendly products3.6
Caring for animals3.7
Warning people who harm the environment3.8
Separating recyclable waste3.9
Planting trees4.0
Supporting action against thermal power plants4.1
Helping environmental NGOs4.2
Wasting water and energy when washing and cleaning (reverse item)3.1
Figure 4

The religious institution and the pulpit

“Imams, muftis and teachers in the service of Diyanet make an adequate effort to raise environmental awareness.”

Agree: 19%Agree 19%Undecided: 16%Undecided 16%Disagree: 65%Disagree 65%
Diyanet Friday sermons
  1. 5 of 312Friday sermons in the online archive were directly about the environment
  2. 263 times“Turk”, “nation”, “national” and “homeland” in 150 sermons from 2003–2005
Priorities for Turkey
  1. Last of fiveEnvironmental problems were rated less important than unemployment, terror, education and political instability

The Friday sermon reaches most Turkish Muslims every week. In the years studied, it rarely addressed the environment.

Show data table
Responsen%
Strongly agree11.1
Agree1718.1
Undecided1516.0
Disagree4750.0
Strongly disagree1414.9
Key findings
  1. Among highly religious students, knowledge of Islamic environmental ethics is high, but everyday environmental practice is low: a gap between norm and practice.
  2. Awareness hardly varies by gender, age, education or income; practice is higher among women, older respondents and those with more education or income.
  3. Environmental problems were ranked last among five problems facing Turkey.
  4. Two thirds of respondents felt that imams and religious teachers do not do enough to raise environmental awareness.
  5. Only 5 of 312 Diyanet Friday sermons dealt directly with the environment, while national terms were frequent.

Source Gürlesin, Ö. F. An Islamic Understanding of the Environment: Theory and Practice. A Survey on Turkish University Students. MA thesis, Leiden University. A longer excerpt is available on this site: Between Norm and Practice: Islam and the Environment in Turkey.