Taking stewardship of the environment has been the focus of the Global Dawoodi Bohra Community, and the Dawoodi Bohra Community of Collin County is no exception.
This year, on the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, The Dawoodi Bohras of Collin County partnered with EarthX to take part in an interfaith initiative called “Sound the Call – How your Faith Inspires you to take care of the Planet.”.
EarthX, a member of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is an international nonprofit environmental group that educates and encourages people and organizations to build a more sustainable future.
The EarthX Sound the Call event was “A call to action – a commitment to change our behaviors, to think more equitably, to live more sustainably, to act more compassionately, to share the bounty of our planet with all who inhabit it and protect the Earth from those who do it harm.”
The President of the Dawoodi Bohra Community of Collin County stood in front of the under-construction McKinney Masjid or mosque and said “The Earth is your Mother, Be Good to your mother. Our Spiritual Leader, His Holiness, Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin teaches us that it is imperative on us as human beings to take care of our resources, the natural resources that have been provided to us by the Creator.”
Dr. Tasneem Dohadwala, a member of the Dawoodi Bohra Community, stated that “The Dawoodi Bohra Community has long been an advocate for environmental responsibility and conservation especially via Project Rise” and mentioned the human responsibility to safeguard those resources.”
Dr. Husain Haideri, who along with his wife Umme Hani has taken the initiative to keep the Masjid area green added, “As we may know, as trees grow they help stop climate change and provide us with many health benefits. The Dawoodi Bohra Community of Collin County at our home, at our Masjid in McKinney, has made it our mission to make this place beautiful and environmentally sound – first and foremost by making tree planting a priority. This is also what my faith teaches me.”
Zainab Husain, a plant lover and conservator produces her own fertilizer and works to reduce the community’s carbon footprint. Via the Dawoodi Bohra “Happy Nest” initiative, she has worked with young girls of all ages on various upcycling projects. Upcycling practices strive to reduce our carbon footprint by converting revitalizing plastic waste into useful and sustainable products.
For the “Sound the Call” – Collin County Community members, Aziz Hashim and Murtaza Husain, led by Houston Community member Behlah Saifee recited the Holy Quran – specifically a verse that speaks to the natural resources and bounties that Nature has provided us and our duty to serve as good stewards of these precious resources.