“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I grew up in a region synonymous with two things: Energy and Islam. Both have recently been threatened, and both will have to adapt in order to survive.
We are caretakers of the world that was gifted to us. The climate is changing and we are responsible. Not our governments; not our scientists; and not even the energy companies we blame the most. We as a society are responsible for our environmental impact.
I hope to change the way people produce and consume energy, starting in the region of the world that is the most wasteful: the Arabian Gulf.
Even though Islam has been around for more than 1,400 years, Muslims today are in a unique situation. In Muslim lands there is an unprecedented lack of critical thought, and in the Western lands Muslims from all walks of life are being discriminated against. As a Muslim in post-9/11 America, I was directly confronted with these issues. As with energy, we as a society of Muslims are responsible for addressing these challenges.
It's ironic that the first time I entered a mosque was when I left the Muslim world and came to America. Countries in the Gulf are in need of a spiritual and cultural renaissance. While I do not have the answers, I hope to spend my life striving to regain the Muslim society's elite intellectual status.
Our most precious resource is our time. After two years of preparation, I am ready to return home and make the most of it. I want to have an impact on the two things that have impacted me most.
We are caretakers of the world that was gifted to us. The climate is changing and we are responsible. Not our governments; not our scientists; and not even the energy companies we blame the most. We as a society are responsible for our environmental impact.
I hope to change the way people produce and consume energy, starting in the region of the world that is the most wasteful: the Arabian Gulf.
Even though Islam has been around for more than 1,400 years, Muslims today are in a unique situation. In Muslim lands there is an unprecedented lack of critical thought, and in the Western lands Muslims from all walks of life are being discriminated against. As a Muslim in post-9/11 America, I was directly confronted with these issues. As with energy, we as a society of Muslims are responsible for addressing these challenges.
It's ironic that the first time I entered a mosque was when I left the Muslim world and came to America. Countries in the Gulf are in need of a spiritual and cultural renaissance. While I do not have the answers, I hope to spend my life striving to regain the Muslim society's elite intellectual status.
Our most precious resource is our time. After two years of preparation, I am ready to return home and make the most of it. I want to have an impact on the two things that have impacted me most.
— Marwan Chaar