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Ibrahim
Ozdemir is a senior lecturer at
the Divinity School of Ankara University, Turkey. He received his Ph.D.
degree from the Middle East Technical University. His major interests are
environmental philosophy and environmental ethics. He is also involved in
the development of Islamic environmental ethics. He is the author of The
Ethical Dimension of Human Attitude Towards Nature (Ankara: Ministry
of Environment, 1997) and Cevre ve Din (Environment and Religion),
(Ankara, 1997).
Abstract of paper given at Islam
and Ecology conference:
Toward A Qur'anic Concept of Environmental Ethics
This paper will deal with Qur'anic perspectives on humans and nature. It is concerned with the Qur'anic value system which contains necessary elements for developing and constructing an environmental ethic. In this ethic, the meaning of nature is explained not only in relation to humans but also to the Creator. Nature's order, balance, and beauty are to be respected accordingly. The question becomes: How does the Qur'an read the great book of nature? What is the main characteristic of this reading and what are implications, not only to human beings but also to all other beings? It assumes that the Qur'an provides an ethical ground for environmental concerns and thus provides necessary motivation behind Islamic legal thought regarding the environment.