White House to honour Muslim woman for environmental work

Huda Alkaff is among a dozen people to be honoured for their efforts for protecting communities from climate change

A Muslim woman from Wisconsin, US is among a dozen people set to be honoured by the White House for their efforts for protecting communities from climate change.

Huda Alkaff who spent over a decade promoting environmental preservation as an Islamic ethic will be honoured as a "Champion of Change."

"These champions demonstrated clear leadership across the United States and around the world through their grassroot efforts to green their communities and educate others on the moral and social justice implications of climate change," the White House said in a statement.

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Alkaff is the founder and director of Islamic Environmental Group of Wisconsin, now known as Wisconsin Green Muslims. Overwhelmed, Alkaff said, "It's an honour, of course."

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Though Alkaff stood out amongst others for her services, she said she would be receiving the honour on behalf of everyone in the Muslim and other interfaith communities. "It's a collective effort," she said.

Wisconsin Green Muslims has previously received the national GreenFaith Water Shield certification. According to the website, the certificate acknowledges faith-linked organisations that undertake educational, spiritual and practice initiatives aiming at conserving water and protecting water quality.

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Alkaff is also a founding member of the Interfaith Earth Network and Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light.

The article first appeared on Journal Sentinel