Blog Post – Page 5 – Chicago Muslims Green Team

Welcome our new CEO!

Posted on April 1, 2021April 3, 2021 by CMGT in CMGT News

The Chicago Muslims Green Team is excited to announce and welcome Dr. Rohany Nayan as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Dr. Nayan has over two decades of experience as an educator and administrator. Her love for education, community work, and social and environmental justice led her to initially volunteer at CMGT as the Education Coordinator. In this role, she actively designed educational programs and provided professional development as needed. When asked to comment, Dr. Nayan said, “It is a great honor to be asked to lead CMGT in this position, and with gratitude and humility I accept the offer. I look forward to working with the wonderful, inspirational and dedicated CMGT’s team, and realize my beloved mother’s precious advice to me ~ Always leave a place better than you found it. We know that changes do not happen over night. As a Malay saying goes – Sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit (a little bit at a time builds a great mountain).”

Currently as the CEO, Dr. Nayan is focusing on nurturing and growing the vision of CMGT, especially in raising awareness of and planting the seeds for a more mindful, eco-friendly lifestyle based on Islamic principles in the Muslim community and the larger society at large. Dr. Nayan holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Literacy Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a master’s degree in Language Education (TESL) and a bachelor’s degree in English Education (ESL) from the Indiana University-Bloomington. Her work focuses on minority and immigrant families, and their children’s experiences in their adopted country and how the interwoven issues of culture, language, and meaning-making act upon their identity and literacy development. Her work has appeared in several academic volumes.

Dr. Nayan describes herself as an “accidental immigrant” who came to the U.S. to study, but ended up making it her home. In her free time, she enjoys being a foodie who loves diverse cuisines. She also loves reading, studying languages and making paper arts and crafts (e.g., origami and kirigami). She is passionate about building bridges across communities by developing interfaith dialogues and collecting resources especially on Islam, diverse cultures, literacy development and researching cross-cultural awareness. Currently, her immediate goals in life include being more mindful in her choices and lessening her carbon footprint on Earth by adjusting her lifestyle and daily habits. She can be reached via email at: rohanynayan@chicagomuslimsgreenteam.org.

From the Editorial Team of “The Green Leaf”

Posted on April 1, 2021April 3, 2021 by CMGT in CMGT News, Editorial

Greetings and Salaam to Everyone!

We at the Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) are looking forward to two special celebrations during the month of April: Ramadan and Earth Day. As many members of the team prepare for the 29-30 day fast of Ramadan, we are mindful of the Islamic teachings that encourage us to reduce waste and live the value of Earth stewardship:

“He is the one who made you Khalifahs (vicegerents, stewards, guardians)
of the Earth.” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:165)

This year, Earth Day falls on April 22, nearly one week into Ramadan. For the past two years, Green Ramadan has been an integral part of CMGT’s educational efforts to reduce waste and promote a sustainable lifestyle. Our signature event, Zero Waste Iftar helps to educate the Muslim community about recycling, composting, and food waste while encouraging the community to host events in an environmentally-friendly way. Last year, because of the pandemic, we were able to extend our reach beyond local mosques by connecting online with national and international partners to share ideas and approaches that combat the environmental degradation of our planet. This year, we are working with a new partner, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to promote Green Ramadan through initiatives like “Zero Waste Iftars” and “Shop Free Eid.” Like the first Earth Day in 1970, it is our hope these initiatives will become a regular part of Ramadan celebrations across the world! During April, CMGT will continue to gather materials to support our current Jiran Project: PLARN SLEEPING MATS to help neighbors who are facing the challenges of houselessness in Chicago and other metropolitan areas. Please help us to reach our goal of providing 100 plarn (plastic yarn) sleeping mats to our neighbors. You can see our website for more information as well as upcoming distribution dates in early May.

We wish you a beautiful spring, and remember to be light on Earth by being mindful, using environmentally-friendly products and practices. Ramadan Mubarak! May you have a blessed Ramadan, and enjoy the blessings of this holy month.

– Editorial Team of The Green Leaf, Vol. 1, No. 3 – April 2021 Issue

Save Money, Save the Earth

Posted on April 1, 2021April 1, 2021 by Caroline Williams in Life Hacks

Spring is finally here! It’s time to start gardening. Check out these three tips to save money in gardening.

1. Free compost and free mulch

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago offers free Exceptional Quality (EQ) Compost. According to their website, the EQ compost is a sustainable and environmentally beneficial product derived from wood chips collected from the City of Chicago’s routine tree trimming programs. They then process them with biosolids in open windrow machines.

The website lists six pick-up locations in Illinois. My favorite one is at 3500 Howard Street, Skokie. It is very easy to do BYOB (Bring Your Own Bucket). After the big “Free Compost” sign, you can park your car and then fill up your bucket(s) with as much compost as you have buckets for.

Chicago Departments of Streets and Sanitation also offers free mulch that is derived from the debris of trees and branches removed by the Bureau of Forestry. Their website lists four pick-up locations. My favorite BYOB location is at 5333 N. Western Ave. The mulch is available on a limited basis for pick-up during working hours of 6:30 am to 2:00 pm Monday-Friday.

2. Free used gardening supplies from Freecycle.org

If you need gardening supplies and you don’t mind using previously owned ones, sign up to freecycle.org, an online community for bartering. You can list “WANTED” items or items you can “OFFER” for others. Everything must be free and picked up.

I have been a member of this wonderful grassroots movement in Chicago for many years, and obtained lots of useful stuff and even shared my own items that I no longer needed.

Last year, I posted my WANTED items: shovels and medium sized flower pots. Not only did I get two shovels and multiple pots, I also got some gardening tools for free that the former owners wanted to get rid of.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t halted bartering since porch pick-up became an easy and safe option. We have also shifted communication to email or phone, making face-to-face interaction unnecessary.

3. Recycle waste into gardening supplies

It is very easy to recycle and repurpose wastes. For example, toilet paper rolls or yogurt cups can be reused as seedling pots. Used plastic bottles and milk cartons can be repurposed into planters. Wire hangers can be recycled into many useful things too especially in gardening. I recycle my wire hangers into tomato cages and hooks for my greenhouse.

Another thing we can recycle for gardening supply is, of course, our food scraps! Instead of throwing away egg shells, banana peels, coffee grounds, etc., we should feed them to our plants. I got ½ pounds of red worms after I finished my C3 (Chicago Conservation Corps) training, and they worked wonderfully for turning my food scraps into compost.

Heartiest congratulations to Hola Islam and Karyma Ríos!

Posted on April 1, 2021April 2, 2021 by CMGT in Green Khalifa of the Month

Karyma Ríos is a Mexican revert. She was born and raised in Mexico City, and moved to Chicago four years ago and embraced Islam. She is a Marketing Specialist who graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and is now studying for a Business and Digital Multimedia Certificate. While studying for the certificate, she has also started her Master’s in Islamic Studies at Ribaat Academic Institute and International Open University Bridge to become a certified scholar and teach in Spanish. When she is not working and studying, she loves traveling and learning languages like English, Arabic, Portuguese, Urdu, German, and Mandarin.

In October 2019, Karyma founded Hola Islam with sister Valeria Torres, a Da’wah project with the aim to share the message of Allah ﷻ from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ in Spanish. Alhamdulillah, Hola Islam has connected to more than 2,000 Muslims around the world through social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Hola Islam has reached people of ages 18 to 60 years old from Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, the USA, and more.

They offer online educational workshops like “I Want to Be a Productive Muslim”, “Nutrition”, “How to Pray”, “Islamic Videos in Spanish”, as well as Ramadan programs, Hijabi Power Podcast, and one-to-one help for new brothers and sisters who started this beautiful journey of discovering Islam. Nowadays, the Hola Islam team consists of Karyma Rios and Asif Shaikh in Chicago, Valeria Torres in Mexico City, and Hafiz Rashid in Bangladesh.

In addition to the workshops and programs Hola Islam hosts, they collaborate with brothers and sisters locally and globally. One ongoing collaboration is with Rebecca Aboquaoud from Muslimahs of Chicago in the Halaqah Book Club two Fridays a month at the Islamic Community Center of Illinois. They also offer the weekly class “My Belief” with Anse Khadija Hobbas from Uruguay where sisters from Latinoamerica join and talk about the Pillars of Faith in Islam. Moreover, Hola Islam is part of Alianza International de Mujeres Musulmanas, a network page of Hispanic businesses, organizations, groups, and teachers. Together, they all have worked on the ‘abaya and hijab drive campaign, raising funds and sending donated clothes to Mexico, Chile, and Colombia for sisters. They also have reached more than 1,000 sisters through educational programs to educate the community such as “Discovering Hijab”, “Women in Islam”, and “Women Empowerment” through Instagram and Facebook Live sessions.

Starting April 2nd, 2021, Hola Islam will start the workshop: “Nur in Your Heart”, a 10-day preparation for Ramadan through purifying the heart with Coach Kareema Albatah, who is from the Dominican Republic and now living in NYC. Finally, for this coming blessed month of Ramadan, they are launching their first printed Ramadan journal notebook. With every purchase of the journal, people can help the Hispanic community and make the most out of this special month.

Alongside the collaborations mentioned, Hola Islam stays connected with different local organizations in Chicago and worldwide online organizations like Ojala Foundation, IslaminSpanish, Esencia de Mujer, Latinas in Islam, Muslimahs of Chicago, The Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, Slay Collective, Why Islam? and America’s Islamic Radio.

A Short Story About Me, Nish

Posted on April 1, 2021April 1, 2021 by Caroline Williams in Kids Korner

*Photo Sourced from Rich Greenspun, chicagopipingplovers.org*

Hello, my name is Nish.
I have two siblings.
Their names are Hazel and Esperanza.
Our names have very important meanings.
You can read about the meaning of our names, here.
We were all hatched at Montrose Beach in June 2020.
One of our siblings did not survive.

Our parents’ names are Monty and Rose.
We are a famous endangered Piping Plover bird family.
Our parents are the first pair to successfully nest in Montrose Beach Chicago since 1955.
They made big headlines in Chicago.
You can read more about us here.
You can also watch a documentary movie here to see how they survive.

During winter, we travel a long way.
Last winter, I went to Florida with my mom.
Hazel and Esperanza went to islands in Georgia.
My dad went to Texas.

Our species typically don’t stay together all year-round, but we usually return to the same breeding site year after year.
Will we go back to Chicago this spring? Maybe.
Meanwhile, can you draw a picture of us?
Here is a step-by-step how to draw a Piping Plover bird.