About Us

In 2007, a small group of Muslims hosted a zero-trash potluck iftar during the month of Ramadan. These individuals intended to raise awareness of global environmental issues within a Muslim community while hoping to create a language of Muslim-based environmentalism that would precipitate across communities. This group began a discussion of what unique actions Muslims could take to address environmental challenges at a local and spiritual level. Within a few months, the group held two more green iftars, reaching attendance five times greater than the initial one. It seemed Muslims in the Washington, DC area were thirsty for this kind of thinking and this group was filling a void.

Since then, Green Muslims has continued to organize events to raise environmental awareness and encourage activism. It holds Our Deen is Green! educational programming for local youth, hosts community hikes and cleanups, and provides speakers and educational material for local Islamic centers and youth groups.

Our Mission

To serve as a source in the Muslim community for spiritually-inspired environmental education, action, and reflection. We engage locally while serving as a national resource.

Our Vision

Muslims living in the environmental spirit of Islam, striving towards connection with nature and environmental stewardship.

Our Team

Sevim Kalyoncu, Executive Director

sevim@greenmuslims.org

Growing up in Alabama surrounded by woods and creeks, Sevim discovered at an early age that her most direct connection with God came through nature. To this day, she still finds peace in natural surroundings and holds a deep concern regarding humankind’s responsibility as vicegerent of the earth. She is involved with multiple local climate action groups and dedicated to helping educate youth about the importance of environmental awareness for spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. She holds a B.S. from Georgetown and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and has many years of nonprofit experience in Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also a naturalist interpreter and a yoga instructor.

Afnán Khairullah, Director of Sustainability and Environmental Programming

Afnan@greenmuslims.org

Growing up in New Jersey, Afnán Khairullah received her BA in Environmental Studies, and MS in Sustainability Science. As a student always found herself drawing parallels between environmental stewardship and faith, and this drew her to Green Muslims after moving to DMV. Afnán has been involved in numerous environmental groups over the years, but none have felt more like home than Green Muslims. In her spare time loves visiting national parks and exploring the wonders of this country. She loves kayaking, bouldering, gardening, and hiking, as the mountains always feel most familiar.

Jena Luedtke, Director of Operations

JENA@GREENMUSLIMS.ORG

A native of Minnesota, the Land of Ten Thousand (plus) Lakes, Jena Luedtke, has a keen interest in understanding and embodying the connection of spirituality and the outdoors. After moving to the Washington, DC area in 2006, Jena stepped into the role of an interfaith and community leader. She created and led interfaith and intercultural programs and conferences, including the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi ceremony at the Washington Hebrew Congregation and a Sufi prayer at the Washington National Cathedral. She spearheaded the first-ever Interfaith Iftar on Capitol Hill and the first Interfaith Eid ul Adha Reception at the White House. Jena has led leadership groups from Washington, DC, on intercultural and interreligious study tours, and has addressed interfaith audiences and students at universities on the life of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi and interfaith relationship building. For Jena, connection with the world around me is a guiding principle, a North Star. She believes in creating deep, spiritual connections for the benefit of the individual, the greater community, and the worlds around us to thrive together, as one. Jena is a Golden Gopher alumna, and currently resides in Northern Virginia.

Board of Directors

Tamim Chowdhury

TAMIM@greenmuslims.org

Tamim is a born-and-raised Chicago product and a career Federal professional with sixteen years of federal experience. His passions lie with his M.A. in Education with a focus on transformational leadership and emotional and social intelligence. He serves on the Board of the Muslim Caucus Education Collective and is dedicated to the continuing development of the American Muslim community in civic life. He firmly believes that environmental stewardship is critical to a successful civic life, that it is a critical component of practicing Islam, and that we can could all benefit from having more consciousness of it in our everyday lives. You can read his perspectives, thoughts and observations his blog.

Faizan Mujeebuddin

Faizan@greenmuslims.org

Faizan is an outdoor educator and amature naturalist based in Virginia. His passion for the environment developed early through an insatiable curiousity of the natural world. His goal is to develop environmental stewards by helping people connect with, appreciate, and want to protect the natural resources around them by experiencing it first hand. He frequently leads hikes, interprative walks, and backpacking trips locally and around the country, with his favorites being in Shenandoah National Park. Faizan has previously led outdoor outings with the local Sierra Club chapter and taught a backpacking course at George Mason University. Faizan ocassionally shares his notes and reflections from the trail on his blog.

Advisory Council

Muna Rehman

Muna is an international development professional. In her position, she manages programs that focus on sustainable community-led development in Asia. She served as Green Muslims' Director of Outreach from 2016-2018. She has a B.A. in Arabic Language and Political Science, M.A. in Middle Eastern Language and Culture, University of Texas at Austin.

Rumin Sarwar

Rumin grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where she learned to concentrate on the small actions she can do to make the world a healthier, safer, and more love-filled place. She joined Green Muslims to inspire others to be better stewards of the planet and be inspired to do the same. Rumin received a Master of Science in Public Health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at University of North Carolina and currently works in public health policy research in Washington, DC.

Kori Majeed

Since 2013, Kori Majeed has used her Green Ramadan platform to encourage Muslims to eat mindfully and tread lightly by cultivating sustainable habits during Ramadan. These habits are based on Islamic teachings and principles that call humanity to give all of Allah’s creation their rights. Kori is a GreenFaith fellow, Master Naturalist-trainee, chair of the Green Team at Masjid Muhammad, the Nation’s Mosque, in Washington DC, and 2022 graduate in Islamic Studies from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Kori is also co-author of the ebook "Forty Green Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammadﷺ on Environmental Justice & Sustainability".

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik is the spiritual advisor and board member to Soulful Muslims, Inc. and the boards of Muslim ARC and CAIR National. He previously as the Director of Outreach at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, the first Muslim Chaplain at Howard University (HU) and is the former Head of the National Association of Muslim Chaplains in Higher Education. The imam has also served as the chair of government relations for the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) and was the founding President of the Muslim Advocacy Commission of Washington, DC. He continues to serve on the board of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, one of the nations first organizations of its kind with over 11 faith traditions.