The following are excerpts from an interview with Syrian MP Dr. Muhammad Habash, which aired on Syrian TV on July 29, 2005.

Habash: Few people know that when the Prophet Muhammad reached Al-Madina, he initiated an ambitious project to preserve its environment. Bilal said that when the Prophet's companions reached Al-Madina, they all contracted fever because of the filthy environment. The Jews used to throw away dung, body parts, and stuff. The Jews used to throw them away outside the eastern gates of Al-Madina, and when the eastern wind would blow, it would make them sick. The Jews used to do this in Al-Madina. The settlements of Bani Qureiza, Bani Qaynuqa' and Bani Nadhir - they were located where the eastern wind would come from. Instead of being refreshing, this wind made people sick.

Host: The eastern wind in springtime served as the muse for many a poet...

Habash: Yes, but it turned into a poisonous wind from the amount of filth thrown by the Jews at the gates of Al-Madina. The Prophet Muhammad considered it a duty for the nation to protect and preserve the environment. He initiated this ambitious project, and when He entered a mosque, He said: "The mosque's garbage is the dowry of the black-eyed virgins."