"The Earth is Like My Mother": Ecofeminism and Eco-Islam in the Kartini Kendeng Movement in Central Java

Authors

Zaimatus Sa'diyah
Walisongo State Islamic University
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9487-818X

Synopsis

“The Earth is Like My Mother” offers a powerful and intimate portrait of the Kartini Kendeng Movement, where women farmers in Central Java stand at the forefront of Indonesia’s environmental resistance. Through a rich dialogue between ecofeminism, eco-Islam, and indigenous spirituality, this book reveals how women’s lived experiences, ethical practices, and spiritual worldviews shape a profound defense of their homeland against destructive cement mining. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork, Zaimatus Sa’diyah uncovers the moral imagination, gendered agency, and ecological ethics that emerge when faith, tradition, and activism converge. Both scholarly and compelling, this work redefines our understanding of Islam, ecology, and women’s leadership, while offering a visionary contribution to the growing field of Indonesian eco-Islam. An essential read for anyone seeking insight into environmental justice movements, religious ethics, and the transformative power of women defending the Earth.

Author Biography

Zaimatus Sa'diyah, Walisongo State Islamic University

Zaimatus Sa’diyah was born in Lumajang on July 12, 1978. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Islamic jurisprudence from Al-Azhar University in Cairo in 2001. She then pursued graduate studies at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, where she completed a master’s degree with a thesis titled “Interferensi Gramatikal Bahasa Indonesia ke dalam Bahasa Arab Tulis Mahasiswa Tingkat IV Ma’had ‘Ali Bin Abi Thalib UMY.”

Since 2011, she has been a lecturer at the State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Kudus in Central Java, Indonesia, where she teaches and conducts research in Islamic studies and language. In 2019, she began her doctoral research as an external PhD student at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs funds her PhD project through the Lima Ribu Doktor Scholarship Program.

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Published

July 9, 2026

Details about the available publication format: PDF

PDF

ISBN-13 (15)

9789465152646

Details about the available publication format: Buy paparback

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ISBN-13 (15)

9789465152646