Muslims Gave New “Alveoli” to the Capital’s “Lungs”

21/10/2019
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Kyiv ICC visitors, NGOs activists from the All-Ukrainian Association "Alraid", in particular, from the GreenDeen Initiative, together with the youngest members of their families, joined the #millionderev Initiative.

Adherents of Islam have launched the 500 Trees Project and raised funds for nearly 100 of 500 young trees to be planted this autumn. It is a respond with a kind of "allaverda" to the Millions Trees Project, which aims to have planted this number of trees in Kyiv and other cities in two years.

Plants, especially trees, are the ‘planet lung’. Therefore, on October 19, we can say, Muslims have donated five hundred new ‘alveoli’ to the flora kingdom. That day the activists along with Kyiv inhabitants, who also cared about the nature, started to transform the vacant land along the highway in the industrial area (Bohatyrskaya Street, between buildings 3a-3g.) into a future square – which would improve the ecological situation and become a recreation area for the district residents.

Among those who not only donated money to purchase young trees, but also came to help, was Shadi Amer - Secretary General of the "Alraid" Association.

 – I am from Palestine. I have been living in Ukraine for over twenty years, so I care about the environmental situation in the capital of my second homeland. I learned about today's action within the One Million Trees Project, supported by our activists’ Initiative 500 Trees, from the announcement on the ICC page on the social network, and I simply could not stand aside! So today I participate as Kyiv inhabitant, because every citizen, every inhabitant of this city must care about it in the best possible way. And as a Muslim I am obliged to preserve nature. The earth was created by Allah, He is our Creator, and He gave it to us for our disposition, ordered to preserve it in the best way, to work for its good, because both we and the generations after us will live on it and enjoy its benefits, - said Shadi Amer.

Muslims came to the voluntary work with their families, with children who not only saw their parents following the Quran precepts, but also helped the adults: they were bringing young trees, holding them, while the adults back filled the roots – that looked very touching.

The participants didn’t want to be interviewed or to comment on, as they participated in such events not for glory or praise, but for the sake of the Most High. However, our journalist managed to persuade one of the activists, Anastasia to comment on:

 – My name is Anastasia, and I, as well as others, – you see, –   today almost half of the mosque is here - came here to plant trees and I am very glad! Before that, of course, we made the intention that we would do this for the sake of Allah so that our planting would be accepted. It is very nice to be here: new faces, new acquaintances with active social people. <...> I am glad that we managed to buy young plants, so let's make Kyiv greener and involve the children in this good activity!

I asked Anastasia’s young assistant, Raid, who came with her, to share his impressions:

- I was helping too: by holding the trees, putting the ground there, - says the boy. - It was my desire. I never did that, so I wanted to try. If I come there one day and see that this tree will have grown big and strong, so I will feel great – I had planted a tree for the first time in my life, and it grew up, became beautiful, and now we are taking the air!

#Millionderev movers, Roman Danylenko and Serhii Antonyuk, said that since they have started this project (about three years ago. - Ed.), they managed to plant several thousand trees with the help of unindifferent citizens. They hope that this initiative will cover more and more cities in Ukraine. It should be noted that the founders spoke well about Muslims, who have joined this project. They also plan to improve the condition of the rivers, and save them from becoming shallow (planting willows on its banks. - Ed.).Among their plans is also establishing more than two dozen parks in different regions of the country.

Reference: The name of the GreenDeen Initiative is symbolic and understandable to Muslims. Green combines two concepts: the colour of wildlife and the symbol of Islam, and an association with ideas of paradise. Secondly, any action to protect the environment is traditionally called green one. Green means environmentally friendly technologies. The second part of the name, Deen, is also symbolic, because it is used to refer to such concepts as "worship", "humility", "faith", "God-fearing" and so on.

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