Haze from forest fires in Indonesia that has hit several countries in Southeast Asia these past months is not something new. It has occurred repeatedly for decades. In a recent study by NASA, it was reported that the haze in Southeast Asia this time around is likely to have a far worse impact compared to the incident in 1997. This is exacerbated by the season due to prolonged dry natural phenomenon of El Nino surrounding region. The drought makes wildfires intractable especially with the slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by the plantation concession firms and small farmers in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Up to today, a total of 600 million tonnes of greenhouse gases has been emitted and scattered in the atmosphere over Southeast Asia. This haze episode has beyond doubt disrupted the normal activities of the people in this region. And most certainly has caused adverse health effects, especially to those who already have health problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD). Health Department Director of the state of Sarawak, Datuk Dr Zulkifli Male informed that patients who seek treatment of respiratory effects in that state alone have increased by more than 30 percent. In Indonesia, where Air Pollution Index (API) readings have reached more than 2000, health problem are much, much worse.
Comment:
For the past decades, the issue of haze due to indiscriminate open burning in palm oil plantations have become a common problem in the Southeast Asia region. Reports published in Indonesian media blamed palm oil plantation concession companies as the cause of the haze. In a statement quoted by the magazine ‘Tempo’ on 16 September 2015, these concession companies practice open burning in palm oil plantations to save cost and maximize profit. This is made worse with the reluctance of employers to comply with regulations that prohibit open burning. At the same time, weak enforcement on the part of the Indonesian government has caused widespread violation of the regulations. It is also recognized, in a statement published on the website Kompas.com that ‘capitalist greed and an indifferent Government’ have certainly exacerbated the problem. The suffering of the population in the region over a very long duration clearly manifested the negligence of the responsible authorities in their obligation to attend to the affairs of the society and the state, not to mention the greed of the capitalists to obtain maximum profit, without regard to the impact on the environment and life. The lesson to be learnt from this is self-evident. When man disregards the responsibility being shouldered on him by Allah سبحانه وتعالى and chooses to act based on his whims and desires, misfortune looms. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has said:
ظهر الفساد في البر والبحر بما كسبت ايدي الناس ليذيقهم بعض الذي عملوا لعلهم يرجعون
“Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by (reason of) what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of (the consequence of) what they have done that perhaps they will return (to righteousness)”
(al-Rum, 30:41)
As Muslims, we are aware of the omniscience of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in all matters. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has the power to inflict disaster on or avert disaster from man. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has the authority to move smoke, haze, winds, clouds, rain, storms and hurricanes to inflict disaster on man as a result of His judgment or as a result of man’s wrong doing. However, when disaster is inflicted on man, from Allah سبحانه وتعالى, due to man’s own wrong doing, then man deserves to be punished. The Governments of the region must fully investigate and bring the perpetrators of this damage to justice. Unfortunately we do not see serious action by the Governments, especially the Indonesian Government in solving this problem and this comes with a price – sacrificing the health and well being of the people in the region. It is regrettable that on this matter, the Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla put the blame entirely on the companies without acknowledging the shortcomings and negligence his Government in enforcing the rules. He also refused to apologize to the people of the region and even has the audacity to blame the neighboring countries for not being thankful to the clean air obtained for the past eleven months before the occurrence of the haze!
In Islam, the haze problem can be avoided and overcome through two approaches, namely through the implementation of the Sharia laws and some practical aspects in avoiding environmental disasters. From the point of view of Sharia law, concession to any company to exploit forests is a prohibition since the forest areas are placed under public property (al-mulkiyyah al-‘ammah). The State will be the manager of the forests where she must take into consideration the benefit to the people and preservation of sustainable ecosystems. From the practical standpoint, the State is obligated to monitor and enforce punishment in order to preserve and conserve the environment as this preservation is closely linked to preservation of the life of man. The state will carry out only sustainable development and utilization of forest resources that does not destabilize the ecosystem. In order to achieve this, science and technology must be relied upon in finding ways to clear agricultural lands without having to destabilize the environment.
Regrettably, without Islam the solution to this dire problem seems distant.
Dr. Muhammad – Malaysia