Protecting What We Love in the Age of AI
I have been reflecting on love: of water, life, and community. Every day from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and water, in part to cultivate appreciation for these necessities that nourish both body and spirit.
Ours is the only faith that fasts from water as part of our daily religious practice, but fasting is far from the only way we honor water. We purify ourselves with water, a sacred gift, trust, and blessing.
The reverent relationship faith communities all over the world have with water marks a sharp contrast to the way wealthy corporations drain and desecrate rivers, lakes, and aquifers in their thirst for growth. Right now, the industry threatening our waters is big tech.
Last month, a bipartisan group of Michigan leaders introduced legislation that would stop the construction of new data centers until next spring. They are no doubt responding to voter concerns about the way this artificial intelligence boom is polluting waterways, driving up utility bills, and destroying the rural character of communities.
At least 27 Michigan cities and townships have already halted new data center approvals, and opposition is surging across the Great Lakes and the country. It’s heartening to see people rising up to defend their lands and waters. For too long, these commons have been sacrificed in the name of poorly planned growth and corporate profits, but Michiganders are coming together out of care for the people and places we love.
That’s something communities have had to do time and again to ensure we can live, work, learn, and pray in healthy spaces. Right now, Michigan Green Muslims and Wisconsin Green Muslims are working to green schoolyards and mosques, replacing pavement with plants that cool and shade gathering spaces while soaking up runoff. Bringing more nature into our cities reduces flooding and pollution, and reconnects us to the Creator.
People who have lived with toxic taps and super storms know that no amount of AI can keep us safe and healthy if we don’t care for the basic foundations of life. Whatever your faith, I hope you will take some time this month to reflect on your relationship to water and consider how you can step up to care for our shared waters and all the beings that depend on them.
Learn more about caring for water from One Home One Future
About the Author:
Huda Alkaff is the founder and director of Michigan Green Muslims and Wisconsin Green Muslims
Additional Resources:
Register to Watch: American Climate Leadership Awards 2026
Join the Campaign: One Home One Future
Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023