info@greenummah.org

A green future needs to be built by all of us

Our story begins in 2019 when a group of young, passionate Muslims came together to talk about a problem we noticed. There was a lack of understanding of the ways Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) were and continue to be disproportionately impacted by climate change. Without that understanding, there wasn’t an effort being made to include these communities in the environmental movement. We were inspired to build a non-profit that addressed these barriers and empowered Canadian Muslims to use their skills, knowledge, and experiences to build a green future.

 

A green future needs to be a just future

To build a green future, we need to rethink how to live, from the choices we make to the systems we build. This is an opportunity to build a greener and more just world. That is why we are committed to environmental justice. We know that Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) are disproportionately impacted by pollution, climate change, and other environmental burdens. We recognize that we are presently on Turtle Island, home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. At Green Ummah, we want to actively work together to create an inclusive movement toward environmental justice.

Our Vision

The Muslim community has a responsibility to a healthy planet. With over one million Muslims living across Canada, we believe that mobilizing our communities to think about sustainable solutions will have a substantial positive impact in Canadian households, mosques, community centers, workplaces, and civil society.

“And it is He (God) who has made you khalifa upon the earth” (Quran 6:165). The word khalifa has many meanings, including deputy, guardian, friend, and steward of the earth.

We are committed to environmental justice. As a Canadian-based organization, we recognize that we are presently on Turtle Island, home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. We know that Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) are disproportionately impacted by pollution, climate change, and other environmental burdens, yet excluded from the mainstream environmental movement. At Green Ummah, not only do we recognize our colonial history, but we aim to actively work alongside local Indigenous groups to create an inclusive movement toward environmental justice. This land acknowledgement is not the end goal, but part of a larger project of decolonization.

Our Board of Directors

Aadil is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Hons. B.A.) and Windsor Law (J.D.). Aadil currently works as an Associate Lawyer at Scargall Owen-King LLP, a boutique law firm in Toronto. While at Windsor Law, Aadil was involved in community-based projects advocating for local municipalities to pass emergency climate declarations and create stronger environmental protections. Aadil truly believes in working on local or community levels to create wide-scale changes. With this in mind, Aadil co-founded Green Ummah. Aadil is passionate about education and is striving to open a path for Muslim youth to be innovative changemakers on environmental policy in Canada. To contact Aadil, email him at aadil.nathani@greenummah.org

AADIL NATHANI

Director of Operations and Partnerships

Hebba Fahmy currently works at Sound Vision Canada designing professional development training for educators and not-for-profit leaders. Hebba holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, specializing in human resource management. She later completed Montessori teacher education training and spent many years in classrooms focusing on holistic development, child-centred learning, and student leadership. As an educator, Hebba’s special interests included global citizenship and environmental stewardship. Most recently, Hebba completed a professional certificate in Not-for-Profit Management from Western Continuing Education. She serves on the Board of Directors at FAB (Fit Active Beautiful) Foundation, a charitable organization helping girls in Hamilton’s low-income communities become strong, confident women by introducing them to goal-setting skills and the power of physical literacy. To contact Hebba, email her at hebba.fahmy@greenummah.org

HEBBA FAHMY

Director of Education

Iman Berry is a fourth year business administrations and political science at Western University and the Ivey School of Business. Iman is passionate about politics activism and has worked In student advocacy groups, she is currently serving on Western Universities Senate. She is passionate about international environmental issues and is currently working at the UN International Organization for Migration in the Labour Mobility and Social inclusion group addressing the upcoming issue of Climate Migrants. Iman hopes to continue to foster inclusion and justice in the environmental movement as well as explore environmental policy implications. To contact Iman, email her at iman.berry@greenummah.org

IMAN BERRY

Director of Fundraising

Mariam Rajabali is a graduate of the University of Waterloo (Hon. B.A.) and Windsor Law (J.D.) Mariam currently works at a full-service firm in Ontario. Prior to entering law school, she worked as the Business Development Manager at the largest student housing co-operative in Canada. She co-founded Green Ummah out of a passion for inspiring environmentally- friendly and sustainable daily practices. Mariam believes that making small steps towards sustainable and waste-free communities will lead to the much needed systemic change in how we manage the environment. She hopes to empower young people to be more conscientious of how we treat the planet, so that our footprint and future is sustainable. To contact Mariam, email her at mariam.rajabali@greenummah.org

MARIAM RAJABALI

Director of Finance and Internal Affairs

Marium Nur Vahed is an entrepreneurial leader with a background in building social impact-driven organizations. Through her advocacy and non-profit work, she has driven the conversation forward on diverse issues including equity, diversity and inclusion, mental health, and civic engagement. Marium bridges disciplines through an HBA in Anthropology and Diaspora and Transnational Studies from the University of Toronto & an MSc in Digital Management from Ivey Business School – and brings this lens to her leadership. Marium co-founded Green Ummah because she believes that creating a green future – from reimagining the systems we build to the choices we make – is the challenge of our generation. She believes that in order to build this future, we must encourage innovation from all communities, including Muslim communities. To contact Marium, email her at marium.vahed@greenummah.org

MARIUM NUR VAHED

Director of Innovation and Strategic Growth

Imam Yousef Wahb is Yaqeen Institute Research Director, a LexisNexis Author, and an Islamic Law Instructor at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law. Imam Yousef holds a Masters of Law LL.M from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University. Imam Yousef also serves as a founding board member of the University of Windsor Muslim Chaplaincy, and an Islamic Compliance Advisor at Beneficent. To contact Yousef, email him at yousef.wahb@greenummah.org

YOUSEF WAHB

Director of Islamic Outreach and Research

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