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In her own words: a fresh seedling who’s growing a greener Ramadan

By Sya Taha, Saturday, 20th June 2015 7:55am

For Nur Khairiana binte Mohamad Malek, a park manager in Singapore, there is always a new project to do, friends to help, needy kids to mentor and classes to take. In 2013 she gathered a small group of youth to start FiTree, a movement that reminds the local Muslim community to return to our fitrah (natural state) as vicegerents on earth. Here she talks about grassroots work, Ramadan and being young, in her own words. As told to Sya Taha.

I don’t consider myself to be an activist because an activist is one who is vigorous in advocating a cause. In my idealist mind, that is someone I aspire to be one day, but I definitely am not one now nor have I ever been one. I believe that to be grateful for one’s wealth, talents, faith and innumerable gifts, one has to put them to good use, in whatever little way one can afford and through whatever opportunities that present themselves.

We hope our fellow Muslims will change their daily habits to help in sustaining the earth. In Ramadan 2013, we ran a campaign to create awareness that being environmentally friendly is an important part of Islam. We “greened up” iftars at mosques by providing alternatives to disposable styrofoam and plastics, such as brown paper, reusable cups and cornware. We got good responses from that campaign, so what was initially conceived as a one-off project became something that we had to continue. The community is ready to listen to the idea that being green is part of Islam, so there was no turning back for us.

I think most people know that being environmentally friendly is good and important. They just don’t realise, or are not reminded often enough, that being green is part of being a good Muslim. How much unnecessary water you allow to flow down the drain while taking ablution matters just as much as the ablution itself and the prayers you do afterwards. As Muslims, all our actions are anchored to our faith. I believe there is so much potential for our community to be greener – if only it was articulated clearly and often enough.

Ramadan is a magical month when everyone tries to better themselves; good acts that are usually difficult, inconvenient and infrequent become easy and normal. It is a month when our propensity to be good is magnified, but magnified also are the ironies. People starve all day, only to buy or cook more food than they can eat and end up throwing leftovers in the bin. People rush to get the best spots in the mosque for tarawih, so instead of walking or taking the bus, they drive there. Mosques want to feed as many fasting people as they can, so they give out porridge the most efficient and convenient way: by pre-packing it in plastic bags instead of scooping it into reusable containers. Ramadan is when we need the most reminding, and also when we are most receptive to lifestyle changes for the better.

My parents brought us all up to be very independent people. It’s only in Ramadan that all six of us actually eat together more often than not, and effortlessly enjoy each other’s company. My favourite thing about Ramadhan is sahur and iftar with the family.

The biggest challenge is to maintain our idealism while keeping it real. We have a lot of green dreams for the community and even more drive to make them happen. But at the same time, we have other personal goals, priorities and responsibilities. We all either attend school or work full-time, and many of us are committed to other organisations, so the reality is there’s only so much we can do. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the expectations the community has of us, but the only way to overcome this challenge is to keep our intentions pure.

Young people should remember that they don’t have much to remember. Every time that you think you know better than someone older than you, remember that, having been young once, they’ve thought the exact same thing too, and that is gold in itself. There is much value in giving the old, the more experienced and the wise the genuine respect that they deserve.

Our earth is a trust and a test. Take the time to open your eyes and really look at the earth in all its beauty – and all the ugliness we’ve marred it with.

I talk to myself. I like to think deeply about things that happened, people I’ve encountered, lectures I’ve listened to and books I’ve read; I find the best way to make sense of all these inputs is by having conversations with myself. Sometimes I find myself so busy running from one appointment to another that I don’t get a chance to have these little chats. That’s when I get frazzled and exhausted, and I simply must take a long bus ride to talk to myself and recharge.

The best part about being single, an adult and financially independent is the freedom to do anything and everything, whenever and if ever. It is a blessing that I know I will one day be deprived of and will crave with such intensity. So I breathe every breath, grateful for this moment and every moment.

My next project is to empower other Muslim youth organisations to sprout their own green leaves, to start their own little green projects within their own little communities, and to want to do so out of their own accord. I’m also mulling over the idea of harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of fresh graduates for community-aid projects, to look into how to capture this group of people such that they continue to help the community even as they are busy building their own lives.

Life is short and youth is fleeting. I am a self-confessed workaholic. I never take work home unnecessarily, but neither do I allow myself to be “free”. Even my holidays must have a purpose. There are just so many things to be done.