ASIA/PAKISTAN - Air pollution: religious communities launch initiatives to protect the "common home"

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Religious communities of all faiths want to actively contribute to combating the problem of air pollution and smog. With air pollution reaching extremely high levels (three times higher than the limit set by the World Health Organization) throughout the Pakistani province of Punjab, of which Lahore is the capital, especially in the winter months, the authorities have ordered the closure of primary schools and public offices and considered a ban on motor vehicles, while doctors report an increase in the number of people suffering from diseases related to poor air quality, such as respiratory diseases, lung problems and severe allergies.
Lahore, the capital of Punjab with 14 million inhabitants and an important cultural and economic center of the nation, has been called "the most polluted city in the world". Against this backdrop, local religious leaders in their communities have launched "interfaith collaboration initiatives to address the problem, which has become one of the greatest environmental and public health challenges and poses serious health risks," explains Christian James Rehmat, who heads the World Commission for Human Development and reports that Muslim and Christian communities, as well as Sikh and Hindu religious communities, have formed an alliance to work together to protect the environment.
"This cooperation is aimed not only at addressing immediate concerns about pollution, but also at cultivating long-term habits of environmental protection among the population," explains Rehmat. Religious leaders in the city are using their influence "to raise awareness, educate believers and encourage community engagement in sustainable practices," notes Rehmat.
In addition to the campaigns supported by environmental groups and health organizations, “all religious communities have incorporated the message of ‘care for our common home’ in their communities and in their sermons, referring to their own religious traditions”. Christian priests of various denominations “speak of the preservation of creation and the encyclical ‘Laudato Si’, while Sikhs, for example, promote the principle of ‘well-being for all’ and advocate environmental responsibility, and remind Muslims that creation and living beings are not to be understood as ‘objects of consumption’ and also promote environmental protection”.
The collaboration takes concrete form in various initiatives: interfaith groups have launched tree-planting campaigns throughout the city to help create ‘green lungs’ and clean air. Seminars, workshops and community events on sustainable practices are also organized. “Changes in people’s lifestyles are being promoted, such as using public transport, switching to cleaner energy sources, car sharing; religious leaders want to encourage people to adopt environmentally friendly habits and practices,” in a collective and unifying effort. Another request is addressed to politicians: religious communities are also advocating for more prudent environmental policies, calling for regulations on vehicle emissions and industrial pollutants. “We hope that as religious representatives we can persuade politicians to take measures that address the problem of smog structurally in order to make the urban environment cleaner,” says Rehmat, presenting ourselves as interlocutors to municipal and state institutions. A final important goal, says Rehmat, is educational work: “Religious communities are trying to spread these issues among young people, with initiatives that teach children, adolescents and young adults, especially in schools of all levels, the principles of environmental protection rooted in their respective religious traditions. This approach promotes a sense of responsibility for the environment as part of spiritual and moral development and helps to create momentum for change.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 7/11/2024)

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