Islamic Communication and Ecotheology-Based Environmental Campaigns In North Sulawesi

In this article, we explore how Islamic communication can contribute to environmental campaigns in North Sulawesi by integrating ecotheological values with practical, community-based action. Our starting point is the gap between religious ideals about caring for nature and the exploitative social practices that continue to shape environmental life on the ground. Rather than treating ecotheology simply as a theological doctrine, we approach it as a communicative process through which Islamic ethical values are translated into messages, symbols, and public narratives that can move communities toward ecological responsibility.

Methodologically, we use a qualitative and interpretive approach, combining interviews, observation, and media content analysis, while adopting an abductive analytical strategy. This allows us to move back and forth between empirical realities and communication theory in order to refine our conceptual framework. From this process, we develop the idea of contextualized Islamic ecotheological communication, which highlights that environmental da’wah is most effective when it is not delivered as rigid doctrine, but as an inclusive and negotiated ethical discourse shaped by local culture, interreligious context, and audience reception.

A central argument of our article is that ecotheology-based environmental campaigns become persuasive when Islamic values such as khalifah, amanah, ihsan, and mīzān are embedded in everyday social practices. We show that this happens through Friday sermons, majelis taklim, communal rituals, environmental activities linked to religious gatherings, and culturally adapted messaging that resonates with local communities. We also argue that participatory communication is essential: people are more likely to internalize ecological ethics when they are treated not merely as passive recipients of messages, but as active participants in shaping and sustaining environmental action.

We further emphasize the important role of religious leaders as primary communicative agents. In our analysis, they do more than preach; they interpret ecological responsibility as part of faith, model it through concrete action, and build bridges across institutions and even across religious communities. This is especially important in a plural context such as North Sulawesi, where ecotheological communication must operate not only within Muslim circles but also in interfaith and civic spaces. We also show that digital media expands the reach of this da’wah by enabling interactive, visually engaging, and collaborative forms of environmental communication, especially among younger audiences.

At the same time, our article does not ignore the limitations of this model. We identify several challenges, including low ecological literacy, limited infrastructure, cultural resistance to behavioral change, and weak coordination among stakeholders. For that reason, we conclude that Islamic communication can make a substantive contribution to environmental campaigns only when it is participatory, context-sensitive, collaborative, and oriented toward transformative action rather than moral symbolism alone. In this sense, we present Islamic ecotheology not simply as a body of ideas, but as a practical framework for building ecological ethics within plural public life.