By Naazish YarKhan

Mar/Apr 25

The news continues to leave many of us feeling powerless. Anxiety, loneliness, and depression are rampant among Americans. But there is an antidote, albeit an often overlooked one. According to Psychology Today, no matter our age, finding ways to “exert your positive energy and positive power” keeps us from sinking into the quicksand that is negativity and despair. Helping others and doing good counteracts despondency by triggering dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, our brain’s “feel good” chemicals. 

For some, this comes in the form of picking up a friend’s child from school when they can’t or delivering a meal when a neighbor is ill. For others, it’s driving a friend to the airport, or smiling and waving hello as you cross paths. Every good deed we do for others, no matter how big or small, has the power to alleviate our own feeling of helplessness. 

Community, Belonging, Purpose – Ingredients for Wellbeing

Community nurtures a sense of belonging, creates a support system, and provides purpose, all elements that fuel wellbeing. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states, “We’re social beings, and we are not meant to live in isolation. Community is critical for us to thrive, especially for [those] already experiencing the common symptoms of loneliness and isolation.”  

Naz Hassan of Downers Grove, Ill. finds purpose by investing in her community. “After being a wife and mother for 27 and 24 years respectively, I’d come to a point where household responsibilities felt humdrum, mundane,” she said. “With my volunteer work, I fill a hole by connecting with others. I return home as a much better wife, a much better mother. Plus, I get household responsibilities done with a lot more heart.”

Hassan, a mother to five, recently accepted a volunteer role as co-chair of the Interfaith and Outreach Committee at the Islamic Foundation mosque in Villa Park, Ill. She also decided to renew her involvement in community organizing with DuPage United, an interfaith organization where volunteers create systemic change by engaging with local politicians and townships. Though her avocations take up relatively little time, her interests already feel like life savers, Hasan shared.  

“DuPage United’s advocacy for mental health initiatives reeled me in ten years ago,” she said. After a decade-long hiatus from DuPage United, Hasan resumed volunteering with the organization once her older children had grown and flown. It was DuPage United’s affordable housing initiative that drew her in this time. 

“DuPage United gets to the heart [of] where the need is for people on the fringes, those who are suffering the most,” Hassan said. “Volunteering is important to me because serving humanity is important to me. We are put on this earth to do good. All of humanity are the people of Allah.”

Indeed, finding a sense of community and “using our personal strengths can make us healthier, happier, and more successful”. 

Bloom Where You Are Planted

In the shadow of George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests, principal software engineer Fatima Azfar could have succumbed to the nation’s shared feelings of helplessness and overwhelm. Or she could be a force for good. 

At her first job out of university, at the Chicago-based West Monroe Consulting where she had only been working a year, Azfar, a resident of San Jose, California, had a proposal. In an industry that required employees to wine and dine clients, practices that were contrary to Islamic values and those of some non-Muslim co-workers, Azfar wanted to serve as a catalyst for change. With encouragement from the founders of the Black Employee Network, she became the co-founder of the Interfaith Employee Resource Group (ERG) at West Monroe. The group’s intention was to bring Muslims together in mutual support.

Her employers’ response surprised her. “It was wonderful to see the company welcoming the endeavors of their only hijabi employee striving to create a space for her community,” she said. It took twelve months from introducing the idea of the ERG to its official launch.

“I sought out the support of key figures within the company and built a strong network of leaders through one on one coffee chats,” Azfar said. “I explained the idea, the purpose, and got not only their agreement, but their passionate support. Engaging them personally was key.” 

She made sure to incorporate their feedback and personal passions into the initiatives the ERG planned. “It allowed our first year to be filled with excitement, and engaged ERG leaders,” she said.

She explained that grassroot initiatives often prevail through key supporters. “If someone has created something similar [e.g. the Pan-Asian Network Employee Resource Group (ERG) or Women Leadership Network at West Monroe], harness their leaders for your own initiative. Learn wisdom from their experiences. Follow their example.” 

By 2021, the ERG expanded to become an interfaith organization. The group’s wins include a Ramadan campaign, “Acts of Kindness,” an iftar and a “Fast for a Day” event in several of the company’s offices. Azfar’s ERG hosted an Abrahamic Faiths panel to share religious texts while also co-hosting intersectional events with other ERG chapters. They held bi-annual, virtual, firm-wide employee town halls including a talk by speaker Dalia Mogahed (Director of Research at Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in Washington, D.C.) to address issues facing religious minority groups in the U.S. “Office operations opened up prayer rooms in all our offices, and the Interfaith ERG stocked them with hijabs, prayer rugs, tasbeeh, and religious texts,” Azfar said.

Azfar’s decision to lean into her positive energy and sense of personal power earned her recognition as one of EqualityX’s Top 50 Influential Muslims of 2024 in America, an award for Muslims who’ve embraced their faith in the workplace as a catalyst for positive impact in their communities. 

Practice Corporate Social Responsibility for Good Health

Helping people and changing lives provides us with health benefits, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Research shows that people who are part of strong communities tend to have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and a lower risk of obesity,” the institution said. “They are also more likely to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.”

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in Hicksville, N.J., Acutis Diagnostics launched its Social Responsibility Response Committee. It helped counter some of the collective helplessness felt across the country.

One of its most impactful initiatives was Letters to Elders, during which staff wrote letters of hope and cheer. Also, during the quarantine, employees made 40 wish lists come true through the KiDS NEED MoRE Holiday Cheer Bus event. They also visited 11 local families whose children were battling cancer. Crucially, they learned that in some families more than one child had a life-threatening illness, while others fought financial hardship. 

Encouraging self-agency, the company had employees decide which initiatives to support. “Instead of the typical top-down approach to corporate citizenship, the company put the team in the front seat,” CEO Jibreel Sarij wrote on LinkedIn. “Our colleagues set the agenda and carried it forward from the hallways of our offices to the communities we belong to.”

Through the years, Acutis Diagnostics has sponsored a single mother’s rent for a year, conducted blood drives for the New York Blood Center, and raised school supplies for Wyandanch School District. Staff have donated personal care products and food to ECLI-Vibes on Long Island and to the South Brunswick Food Pantry in New Jersey through their Thanksgiving Initiative. In addition, the company recognizes Earth Day with an Annual Campus Cleanup on grounds at their headquarters. Acutis Diagnostics was also among the first companies to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, according to its LinkedIn Profile. The company’s efforts dovetail with a research paper titled “What Do Muslims Say About Corporate Social Responsibility?” which states, “[Muslims] must utilize their potential by shouldering the responsibility of maintaining and developing the universe.”

The Hidden Power of Sadaqah and Zakat

Muslims in the U.S. donated approximately $1.8 billion in zakat in 2021, according to the Muslim American Zakat Report. In 2019, the Muslim American Philanthropy Report found that American Muslims are 81% more likely to contribute to organizations that address domestic poverty outside of their own faith. This trend was corroborated again by the 2021 Muslim American Giving Report that found Muslims had donated an estimated $4.3 billion to non-religious causes that year. The report also shared that Muslims donated more to civil rights causes that weren’t faith-based initiatives as compared to the general public.

While giving is often motivated by a sense of religious duty and a belief that those with more must help those with less, the psychological and health benefits are still other reasons for  Muslims  to continue being the good neighbors they are.  

Naazish YarKhan is a writer and educator. She teaches online writing workshops for grade 3 to 12 and coaches applicants on college essays as founder of WritersStudio.us. Her writing has been featured in NPR, PRI, Chicago Tribune, and more.

The post The Healing Power of Doing Good appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Sundus Abrar

Jan/Feb 25

The Canadian government pledged to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. Toward this end, Canada has passed multiple legislative acts aimed at supporting Canadians with disabilities including the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) in 2019 and the Canada Disability Benefit Act (CDB Act) in 2023. For its part, the CBD Act establishes a framework for an annual, income-tested benefit for eligible working-age people with disabilities living within the Canadian provinces.

Muslim Canadians are doing their part toward helping those with disabilities, too. An example of these efforts is the Muneeba Centre which, some would say, is tucked away in plain sight. “Everybody misses it the first time,” said Rabia Khedr, CEO of the Disability Empowerment Equality Network (DEEN). DEEN is a fully registered charity that evolved from the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities. 

The Muneeba Centre opened in 2016 after the property underwent a renovation to make the location accessible. Khedr (BA, University of Toronto, MA, York University), is one of four siblings living with a disability, and has long been involved in Canada’s mainstream disability rights. She quickly realized that more needed to be done for this population within the Muslim community.

“There’s this common misconception that if you live in Canada, you are taken care of by the government,” said Khedr.

In fact, benefit funding for Canadians with disabilities is limited, while the services that are offered are often not mindful of the culturally sensitive requirements across Canada’s diverse communities. For instance, same gender support workers are not guaranteed to Muslims with disabilities living in care facilities. During a visit to the Muneeba Centre in Mississauga, Ontario this summer, I saw  a focused service and a determined energy even on a quiet Friday afternoon. I appreciated the artwork created by program attendees that was proudly displayed on the walls which included  handmade cards neatly stacked on a folding table. There was also  a detailed schedule of activities and pictures of past cooking programs pinned on the kitchen bulletin board. While I perused the artwork, the DEEN staff took turns completing training and attending Jummah prayer while ensuring the care of individuals who participated  in programming activities in the facility’s backyard. 

A Subset Minority

Muslims with disabilities experience discrimination that is further amplified given that they constitute a  subset minority. Khedr, who lives with  blindness, recounts taking her brother to urgent care a trying situation which quickly became even more challenging given that  her brother is  limited in expressing his needs. According to Khedr, their attempt to seek medical attention was further aggravated by a nurse’s dismissive approach in ensuring accessibility. Racial bias became clear as she attempted to educate the nurse about her brother and family’s circumstances and was  met with patronizing disdain. Khedr recognized that there was a  gap in the healthcare system for minorities with disabilities that needed to be addressed. Yet despite the severe shortcomings she experienced with her brother, she broached the incident as an opportunity for education and tactfully reported the interaction: “I didn’t want her to lose her job, I just wanted for her and others to be informed about how to accommodate individuals with disabilities,” said Khedr.   

Similarly, when approaching the Muslim community, Khedr’s initial focus was on education. This led her to engaging a khutbah campaign  highlighting the concerns and needs of those with disabilities and their families:  “Disability in the community is an invisible problem – if we don’t see people with disabilities there’s often this assumption that well there must not be any,” said Khedr. Concerns of people with disabilities are often overlooked as lack of access often translates into lack of interaction with the broader community. Khedr also shared her personal experience with this communal invisibility as her own family retracted from attending the  local mosque in Mississauga after a deeply impactful event during her childhood: “My brothers, who have developmental disabilities, made involuntary sounds. The imam announced, “Sisters if you can’t keep your kids quiet, then keep them at home.” My mother took that literally and we didn’t go back for years until my grandfather’s janazah (funeral),” said Khedr. 

Khedr’s focus shifted in the early 2000’s when she realized her shared concerns with other members of the community in similar circumstances. She discovered other community members who either had a disability themselves or  had family members with special needs. Khedr’s family originates from a small village in Pakistan and  she came to Canada as a four-year old. She acknowledges her circumstances would have been different if her family had stayed in Pakistan: “I would have had a very different life living there, probably would have been washing someone else dishes,” she said. However, relatively better circumstances don’t mean that enough is being done to support people with disabilities in Canada. Thus, Khedr and her peers started actively working to address their needs. And while  DEEN has a focus on addressing the specific cultural and religious needs of disabled members of the Muslim community, they welcome people belonging to other faiths as well. 

Initially DEEN planned to rely on area mosques and other community spaces to offer programming, but a lack of consistency in securing these spaces led to establishing the Muneeba Centre. In addition to their Mississauga center, DEEN also operates chapters in Scarborough and  Ottawa and is currently striving towards raising funds for a facility in Scarborough.  

People with disabilities and their caregivers face  a severe dropin support and opportunities to socialize once they age out of the education system at the age of 21. DEEN is dedicated to filling this gap by  supporting adults with disabilities: “It’s not healthy for adults to be around their parents all the time, and its hard on the parents too,” said Khedr. The Muneeba Centre is crucial in conducting DEEN’s ongoing work which consists of several daily, weekly, or biweekly programs. DEEN also hosts special events and webinars to address relevant topics such as filing taxes for disabled adults. DEEN’s programming offer respite to adults with disabilities by creating opportunities for them to socialize, learn essential skills, and interact with other individuals outside their family: “The biggest fear parents have is who is going to look after my child when I am no longer able to,” said Khedr.  These programs aim to overcome the isolation, frustrations, and worries of families whose membership includes adults living with disabilities. 

DEEN has steadily grown  in their ability to meet  the needs of adults with disabilities by employing a wide range of  thoughtful services. But these services are not entirely visible on social media platforms. This is by design. Khedr’s determined patience in educating the Muslim community would not be successful without careful consideration of the hopes and expectations of those that seek support in DEEN: “I am interested in helping people and serving others. I want to be sure that we can meet the needs of people. We don’t want to get their hopes up,” she said. Khedr has been tactful and shared DEEN’s efforts cautiously on social media to avoid any potentially discouraging scenarios so that families and caregivers are protected from potential disappointment. 

Building Capacity

Muslim immigrants have realized tremendous potential and undergone financial growth in Canada, yet there is a lack of sustained focus in addressing the needs of subset minorities within that community.  As a result, DEEN’s focus has been to build and maintain trust by consistently aligning services with the expectations of those that seek support: “Everybody jumps on a headline cause, but we need to build capacity by collaborating on a big picture plan,” explained  Khedr.  

“We don’t build capacity. We build these schools and mosques that only meet the needs of a very specific ethnic group or a very small part of the community. Disabled people are not a priority. No one is willing to commit substantially and even maintaining visibility requires significant resources.”

All of DEEN’s staff and board members either have a disability themselves or have family members with disabilities: “What makes us unique is this is personal to us,” said Khedr. This attachment to and understanding of the cause has certainly contributed to the consistency with which DEEN has continued to grow and serve.  Armed with her trademark patience, Khedr is undeterred and is optimistically moving forward: “The big dream is respite residential services,  an Islamic model of long-term care for folks with disabilities.” Currently Muslims with disabled family members in respite care, a short-term care that provides temporary relief for caregivers,  are not given the assurance that their loved ones will receive care that aligns with Islamic values. For instance, caregivers tending to personal and hygiene needs may be from the opposite gender. 

The challenge that DEEN faces is sustaining funds and visibility. While it has received some government grant funding, it’s not enough. Khedr urges consistent collaboration from other organizations to invest in DEEN to sustain and grow the services to continue offering care and programming which is mindful of Islamic values. 

Khedr holds an acclaimed position in her field. “I work in a space I created.”  In addition to being a mother of four and CEO of DEEN, she currently also serves as National Director of Disability with Poverty. Previously she was a Commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She has also been awarded Daniel J Hill Human Rights Award for distinguished service. She is not hesitant in persistently advocating for disability rights and support: “I always say I can’t see any dirty looks people may give, so I will keep at it.” 

To learn more about DEEN Support Services and donate, visit: https://deensupportservices.ca

Sundus Abrar is a freelance writer.

The post Striving for Equality and Empowerment for Disabled Canadian Muslims appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Misbahuddin Mirza

Nov/Dec 2024

The light drizzle had cleansed the air enough to allow the rising sun to brighten up the sky into a fairytale blue. A steady stream of vehicles packed with enthusiastic sports contestants, along with their families and friends, streamed into the grounds of St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen, N.J. The borough, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. is a commuter town of New York City. 

Smoke rose from the BBQ grills firing up to grill kababs and burgers. Parents lined up to buy their early morning coffee while volunteers directed participants and teams toward their venues. 

Electronic display screens, timers, equipment, and umpires were ready and waiting to start the games exactly on schedule. Salaudeen Nausrudeen, founder and president of the Islamic Games of North America, constantly walked around calmly between the various hosting locations. The Uzbek teams appeared to be winning all the martial arts medals. Girls from all over the world competed vigorously in events from basketball to track & field and to taekwondo, and boys’ teams competed in games from soccer, basketball, volleyball, and football to martial arts.

Teams from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, and Massachusetts participated. Held on June 8-9, this event featured 32 basketball teams, 71 soccer teams, 12 volleyball teams, 8 cricket teams, and 12 flag football teams, all of which competed fiercely to win trophies and medals. There were individual events for males and females in table tennis, martial arts, track (100, 200, and 400 meters), pickleball, fitness course, arm wrestling, and other categories.

Nausrudeen, a Guyanese native, grew up in New York City and currently lives in Orlando. An avid fitness enthusiast, he rides 75 miles per week and is involved in weekly basketball and fitness training events. During his high school years in New York, he started “Mujahid,” one of the first organized Muslim basketball teams that traveled across North America to participate in tournaments and build connections with communities and athletes. 

Inception of Islamic Games

In 1989, he created the Islamic Games to provide a platform for Muslim athletes to meet, compete, learn, and celebrate each other. In 2006, the Islamic Games was rebranded and relaunched in New Jersey, where male and female athletes of all ages participate annually.

He says that sports are halal, healthy, and encouraged in Islam. The development of sports programs, leagues, academies, and teams in Muslim communities across North America revealed a need to develop a platform that would bring them all together to showcase athletes and teams and to celebrate their accomplishments. 

According to Nausrudeen, “The Islamic Games today has grown to an event that is beyond the athletic skills. It is a grand display of diversity and unity with more than 40 different nationalities, 30 Muslim schools, 5,000+ male and female athletes of all ages, 400+ teams, 200+ events, 1,000+ games, and 200+ partners in four cities across the USA and Canada.” 

The participants in these New Jersey games were natives or descendants of natives from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Guyana, Indonesia, Bosnia, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, Kenya, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Morocco, Algeria and Afro- and Latino-Americans. This year, the Islamic Games were held in Dallas, Chicago, and Brampton (Canada).

A team of directors and event managers, as well as about 80 volunteers, manage the event, which costs each location $75,000+ to host. These expenses are primarily met through sponsorship, registration, and other fees.

Talking about these challenges, Nausrudeen says there was a dearth of sponsorship from Muslim companies and brands; insufficient women’s participation at the community/masjid level; a lack of efficient and professional sports infrastructure in Muslim communities; and a lack of funding for schools and communities to send teams and athletes.

Future plans include adding badminton, pickleball, cycling, 5K, swimming, archery, and other sports; expanding to more North American cities and globally with international partners; and providing support, training, and resources to communities, along with leagues to grow and develop their sports program.

Misbahuddin Mirza, M.S., P.E., is a licensed professional engineer, registered in the States of New York and New Jersey. He served as the regional quality control engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation’s New York City Region. He is the author of the iBook “Illustrated Muslim Travel Guide to Jerusalem.” He has written for major U.S. and Indian publications.

The post The Islamic Games Honor Young Muslim Athletes appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Misbahuddin Mirza

Nov/Dec 2024

As the sun struggles to rise over a slumbering New York City, Bibi Khan, a Guyanese American Muslim, arrives for work and walks deftly toward JFK International Airport’s Terminal 4. It’s Ramadan, and she has just started her fast. Entering the brightly lit terminal, she passes the donut store, takes the elevator to the fourth floor, walks past the seemingly unending rows of airline counters with background walls of brilliant display screens using the latest nanolumens technology and finally makes a sharp left just before the TSA security check-in.

Here, in the small multi-faith chapel, are rows of prayer mats laid out facing the qibla. She offers her fajr prayer and then heads to work at Delta Airlines’ security, where she has been employed for over five years. “This mosque is a blessing for me. If this wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be able to offer my daily mandatory prayers,” said Khan. 

Terminal 1 also has a small prayer space set aside for Muslims.

Imam Essam Mahmoud, a Cairo native who leads prayer services, is part of the four-member JFK Masjid Board. Mahmoud, who has an undergraduate degree in accounting and a master’s degree in hotel management, has worked for 15 years as a load controller in Swissport, Egypt Air, Kuwait Airlines and Caribbean Airlines. During Ramadan, a few Muslim airport employees sponsor a daily iftar which is open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. 

Four prayer rooms are set aside in Terminal 4 for Catholics (Joseph, Father Cezariusz Jastrzębski), Protestants (Rev. Romeo K. Dabee), Jews (Rabbi Dr. Ari Korenblit) and all other faiths, respectively. The first three chapels are always deserted. Father Cezariusz’s weekly congregation sometimes manages to get up to five attendees. But record Muslim attendance has made the fourth chapel burst at its seams.

A 2015 TIME Magazine article stated, “The JFK International Islamic Center is part of a larger chapels area at JFK’s Terminal 4, which was built in 1955 to house a general Christian place of worship. It was remodeled in 1966 to include Catholic, Protestant and Jewish prayer spaces, and in 2001 a separate multi faith room was built to meet rising demand for a prayer space for the terminal’s Muslim, Hindu and Sikh travelers and workers, nearly a decade after the United American Muslim Association first proposed the idea. Services were intermittent and run by volunteers at first, but when [Ahmet] Yuceturk joined as the prayer space’s first full-time imam in 2008, the room became a full-fledged mosque. Since then, attendance has risen steadily, with Muslim airport workers spreading the word” 

Muslims Outgrow the Space

A lot has changed in the intervening nine years. The weekly jummah prayers see a huge congregation exceeding 150 people. You see Muslim airport workers walking briskly to the Terminal 4 mosque. The mosque operates inside the approximately 25 ft. x 25 ft. multi faith room. The airport’s Muslim workforce has now grown to a point where the worshipers can barely fit in this space. The flexible wooden divider between men and women has to be shortened on Fridays, thus cramming the women into an even smaller space. It’s said that during Ramadan, the congregants overflow into the adjacent corridor.

The diverse array of Muslims congregating for Friday prayers is simply amazing. M. Aminul Islam, a Bangladeshi American, has worked with Smarte Carte – a company that rents luggage carts to travelers – for two and a half years. Mohammad Mridha Jasim, another Bangladeshi American Muslim, assists travelers with disabilities. Muslim airport employees of various ethnic backgrounds stand shoulder to shoulder, united in acknowledging the Creator’s sovereignty and unity.  

The Muslim worshippers have some concerns and comments about some of the hardships they face. For example, they’ve pointed out that they have to compete for scarce space with several other religions’ worshippers whose loud music interferes and disturbs their prayer services, while the three seldom-used neighboring chapels stand empty. They also feel the need for a dedicated bathroom with a foot washing sink for their pre-prayer ablutions, that commuting to the mosques in either Terminal 4 or Terminal 1 is sometimes quite difficult due to the schedule of AirTrain (the shuttle between terminals) and the associated walking time during their limited lunch break. 

Given the acute insufficiency of prayer space, they would like a larger area to meet the growing community’s needs, or at least on par with that allotted to the Christians and Jews. As an interim measure, they suggested granting permission for temporary use of those three chapels during the peak times of Friday afternoon and during Ramadan. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is currently spending a massive $18 billion on building new terminals and upgrading other airport facilities. Hopefully they will have the heart to listen and cater to the needs of its Muslim airport employees by providing a spacious dedicated mosque with a bathroom in each JFK terminal.

Misbahuddin Mirza, M.S., P.E., is a licensed professional engineer, registered in the States of New York and New Jersey. He served as the regional quality control engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation’s New York City Region. He is the author of the iBook “Illustrated Muslim Travel Guide to Jerusalem.” He has written for major U.S. and Indian publications.

The post Muslim Workers at JFK Airport Yearn for Improved Prayer Accommodations appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

Nov/Dec 2024

In recent years, popular social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have emerged as powerful tools for raising awareness and supporting humanitarian causes worldwide. Theve presented information that may not appear in traditional news outlets: supported the organization of demonstrations against foreign policy and illuminated protests against human rights violations. Currently, social media is also helping in raising funds for Palestinians suffering in Gaza.

TikTok Filters Help Raise Money and Awareness for Gaza

In November 2023, one month after the genocide started, a filter named FILTER FOR GOOD started making its way into young people’s TikTok feeds. Created with augmented reality (AR) effects — digitally-added objects, text, or images that enhance the real world seen through a phone, computer, or AR headset — by designer Jourdan Johnson (@xojourdanlouise), it allows users a free and easy way to donate to Palestinians. The more a filter is used, the more money it generates. Johnson has donated all the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders and to buy eSIMs for Palestinians to stay connected. 

While raising thousands of dollars, this filter has also opened a new pathway especially for young donors. Thousands of TikTok creators started making videos, filters, and sounds to donate the proceeds to Gaza. Using the watermelon emoji as a symbol of support for Palestine became popular as well, so that videos weren’t flagged or taken down.

These methods made it easy to help those in Gaza. Filming a video with a filter or sound takes less than 10 seconds; however, it could help a family evacuate. This online activism also educated many TikTokers about the conflict. 

Additionally, many Gazans have now turned to TikTok to raise donations directly. Palestinian families have created their own filters and sounds, and regularly post them on TikTok asking for contributions to their GoFundMe accounts. Many TikTokers use this platform to donate directly to those accounts by interacting with their videos, using their filters, and creating sounds to help them generate money.

Instagram Gathers Support 

Many of these activism techniques are available on Instagram. Palestinian families and those trying to raise funds for organizations in Palestine turn to the reels feature, short videos similar to  TikToks, to gain support. Instagram users interact with these videos to generate money for the creator, and often share these videos on their public stories to raise awareness and increase donations.

Instagram is also a central platform for journalists and press in Gaza. Bisan Owda (@wizard_bisan1), a journalist who has been documenting her life of displacement in Gaza, has accumulated over 4 million followers since October 2023. Her activism has reached many, and her account has allowed supporters to track her life and truly understand the conditions in Gaza. 

Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza (@motaz_azaiza) is another key figure in spreading awareness via Instagram.. Although he evacuated Gaza in January 2024, his work reporting under Israel’s bombardment gathered him over 17 million followers and an extremely large amount of support. His photos of life during the genocide  have been shared in thousands of stories, bringing more support and awareness to the ongoing issue. .

Let’s Talk Palestine (@letstalkpalestine), an organization dedicated to conveying accurate information about the conflict’s background, has almost 1 million followers. With posts such as Israeli Apartheid for Beginners, A Guide to Boycotting for Palestine, and numerous ways to donate to and support Palestinians, the account  is  a key player in educating Instagram users. Their broadcast channel contains daily updates on Palestine.

Additionally, many such activist organizations establish their home base on Instagram. National organizations such as Hearts in Gaza Project, Operation Olive Branch, and Doctors Without Borders use it as a central point of their platform, by reaching a wide audience and directing them to their website via their accounts. One of these organizations, Watermelon Warriors (@watermelonwarriors.io), uses Instagram as one of its main platforms.

How Using Social Media Platforms Benefits Organizations

Watermelon Warriors is a Palestinian-run nonprofit that works to distribute eSIMs in Gaza. Adan (who chose not to reveal her last name to protect her family in Gaza), one of the cofounders, explains how she partnered with a friend working in tech to build the organization. 

“We grew up in Wisconsin and we went to the same undergrad. He started Watermelon Warriors (WW) because he has a tech background,” she says. Originally, WW was an organization that helped people advocate for Palestinians by sending letters to representatives. 

WW currently has over 12K followers on Instagram and consistent post engagement. “We find that people share our posts [on] a lot of their stories,” Adan states. “We also found that a lot of people take our posts and then host fundraisers of their own within their communities. And they’re able to raise hundreds of dollars at a time to donate eSIMs, which has been really special. And we’re so grateful for it.”

The organization also prioritizes educating their supporters. “We’re trying to have more informative posts moving forward with historical information so people are able to educate themselves and share that information with others,” Adan says. 

Most members of WW’s  current audience are licensed professionals. “Doctors, teachers, community members, especially a lot of psychologists, have been reaching out to promote us and ask how they can help. We’re finding a lot of 30–50-year-old professionals willing to help,” Adan said. 

Since Adan is based in Texas and her partner in Chicago, the organization relies heavily on volunteer support. “Our volunteers are all over the world – one in Germany, one in Spain, obviously our distributors in Palestine, and then a bunch around America who, if they have a minute, will create a post for us and help us keep up a regular social media schedule,” Adan says. “So, it takes a village, and we’re so grateful for all the volunteers for even donating a little bit of time and effort to help us.”

What You Can Do to Help

Large social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have enabled users to donate to Palestinians, even if they may not be able to afford to donate money directly. Liking, sharing, and commenting on more than nine words on videos from the accounts of Palestinian families can generate money for their account and make their videos reach a wider audience. Using filters and sounds created to donate to Gaza can also help generate thousands of dollars and help evacuate families from the apartheid system. Additionally, sharing these videos and content on your public social media accounts can increase awareness and, potentially, donations.

Sanaa Asif, a senior at Hinsdale (Ill.) Central High School, is an avid reader and loves to learn and write about others and their experiences.

The post Social Media Creators Play A Key Role in Advocating for Palestine appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By MYNA Staff

Nov/Dec 2024

This year’s Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) programs at ISNA’s 61st Annual Convention were an unforgettable event. Thousands of youth from across the country gathered under the theme, “Unity in Faith: Journey to Victory.” The program featured 17 engaging sessions, each drawing over 500 attendees, and covered critical topics of spiritual growth, unity, and overcoming challenges. Esteemed speakers included Imam Zaid Shakir, Mufti Hussain Kamani, Shaykh Abdulnasir Jangda, Shaykha Iesha Prime, Shaykha Haifaa Younis, Imam Mohamed Magid, and Dr. Yasir Qadhi.

The theme resonated deeply with the attendees, emphasizing the power of collective effort, transcending cultural and personal differences, and fostering harmony within the Muslim youth community. “Journey to Victory” symbolized each individual’s personal and spiritual growth, a collective push toward overcoming internal and external trials.

“The MYNA program was truly the highlight of the entire ISNA Convention,” shared Saleh, a program attendee. “Each session was deeply moving and incredibly powerful. It wasn’t just about learning facts—it was about connecting with our faith on an emotional and spiritual level.” 

This sentiment echoed across the event, as attendees walked away feeling inspired and uplifted by the remarkable speakers and topics that resonated with the challenges and triumphs faced by Muslim youth today.

Beyond the inspiring sessions, the MYNA track fostered personal connections, provided space for networking, and encouraged meaningful dialogue. One participant, Amira from Chicago, said, “The lectures and workshops really helped me understand my role in building a stronger community. It’s about bringing our hearts together for something bigger than ourselves.”

The program also featured workshops that focused on a variety of topics, from practical leadership skills to the role of youth in social justice movements. Over the weekend, MYNA youth leaders also organized special activities, giving participants the chance to bond over shared experiences and future aspirations. The event truly embodied the idea of uniting hearts for a common cause and striving toward personal and communal victories.

The MYNA convention wasn’t just confined to the sessions; the MYNA booth in the bazaar was a hub of energy and excitement throughout the weekend. Youth from across the nation gathered to learn more about upcoming camps, leadership programs, and MYNA’s year-round initiatives. The booth was a space for connection and networking, where many attendees signed up for future programs and even reunited with old friends. Volunteers were busy sharing the impact of MYNA’s work, while merchandise and sign-up sheets flew off the tables, reflecting the enthusiasm of the crowd.

“The booth was an amazing opportunity to see how many people wanted to get involved,” said Ayman, an attendee from Texas. “It showed that we’re not just participants, we’re building a real, lasting community.”

As the MYNA program drew to a close, the energy and excitement in the room were palpable. The sense of unity and purpose fostered throughout the sessions left a lasting impression on both the attendees and the speakers, with several key-note lecturers noting how exceptionally well-planning and executed the MYNA track was.

“This wasn’t just a weekend event — it was a transformative experience,” said one participant. 

With hearts full and spirits lifted, everyone left with renewed commitment to their faith and their communities. The powerful combination of spiritual growth, intellectual engagement, and communal bonding will continue to resonate long after the convention.

The post MYNA Helps Connect Youth to Faith appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Wendy Diaz

Sep/Oct 2024

The groundbreaking documentary film “New Muslim Cool,” produced by PBS, debuted in 2009 and offered a glimpse into the lives of Hamza and Suleiman Perez, two Puerto Rican American brothers who embraced Islam during the late 1990s. Fifteen years after the film’s release, the brothers, particularly Hamza, have evolved from youth to influential community leaders. 

Nevertheless, a non-Muslim audience who comes across it through streaming services such as Amazon Prime would never know about Hamza Perez’s growth beyond the film. Even if a curious spectator scans the internet for more information, news articles, video clips and academic papers focus mostly on his life in 2009. “New Muslim Cool” continues to be used as an educational tool in classrooms worldwide. However, his post-documentary growth and impact on his local community deserves more recognition. 

Cradling his newborn grandson in a Facebook post, the grinning Hamza looks vastly different from his depiction as one of the infamous Mujahideen or M-Team duo performing revolutionary hip-hop vocals while wielding machetes portrayed in the documentary. He sports a gray pinstriped thobe, a burgundy velvet fez hat and noticeable traces of henna color the tips of his salt and pepper beard. Although visibly more mature, his demeanor remains vibrant and youthful.  

“‘New Muslim Cool’ was released in about 2009, but we really started filming in 2004, so that is a 20-year stretch. A lot has changed,” Perez said. Indeed, plenty has changed for Latin American Muslims in the U.S., whose visibility has steadily increased since 9/11. A Pew Research Center demographic portrait of Muslim Americans from 2011 reported that 6% of U.S. Muslims identified as either Latino or Hispanic. In 2022, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s (ISPU) American Muslim Poll found that 9% of the approximately 3.5 million Muslims in the U.S. are Latino — approximately 315,000. As more Latinos convert or are born into Islam, Muslims who converted in the late 1990s and early 2000s are aging into new roles. 

“New Muslim Cool” followed the Perez family as they settled in Pittsburgh and navigated the intersections of Puerto Rican urban culture and new Muslim identities. During filming, Perez got married, had his third child with then-wife Rafiah and the FBI raided the Light of Age/North Side Mosque, which he helped co-found. 

Perez has since divorced and remarried in 2011, and is now the father to a total of eleven children. He recently became a grandfather after his eldest son Ismail, who appears in the documentary, started a family of his own. 

Giving Up Music

Shortly after the film’s international success, he stopped performing and left the music industry to focus more on religious studies. His mother, who seemed to show concern and even disapproval for Perez’s decision to abandon his Christian upbringing, converted, along with his father, grandparents and other extended family members. Perez traveled to West Africa to study Islam, received certifications in religious sciences and became an imam. He attributes his personal growth to the study of Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Although the audience sees a dedicated Perez beginning to study and even teach Islam to the inmates at his local prison in “New Muslim Cool,” he was still in the initial stages of his conversion. He moves from Massachusetts to Pittsburgh to start a new life with his family. The post-9/11 atmosphere of suspicion presents a series of hurdles to his professional and spiritual growth. His career as an outspoken rapper and songwriter calling for revolution and rebellion haunts him as he begins working in the prison system as a chaplain. 

Perez begins studying Islam in depth at the local mosque and attempts to distance himself from some of his songs’ contentious lyrics. These initial stages of his evolution are portrayed in the documentary film, but the audience is left with a half-hearted portrayal of the Latino convert experience. 

He believes that the Muslim experience for Americans in general, and for Latino Muslims in particular, differs from that of foreign-born Muslims. He now feels like he’s more connected to his Islamic identity than his culture after having been Muslim for over a quarter of a century.  

More Than Conversion 

Media coverage and academia often focus on the “phenomenon” of new conversions and ignore the presence of decades-old converts as well as second- and third-generation Latino Muslim families. Harold Morales, author of “Latino and Muslim in America: Race, Religion, and the Making of a New Minority” (Oxford University Press, 2018) said, “There is so much more to Latino Muslims than conversion, yet this is the most dominant emphasis in news stories on Latino Muslims. The myopic focus on conversion is evident through a quick reading of headlines.” 

Converts like Perez and his family, who accepted Islam a few years prior to or after 9/11, have now been Muslim for over two decades. And yet they rarely receive any attention from the news or academia on how their roles have changed.  

“I’m very respectful of my family’s culture, and I teach certain aspects of it that are good, but I don’t compromise on the aspects of it that are haram and toxic,” Perez said. “Islam is everything to me, and it is way more important to me than being Puerto Rican.” He cautions against prioritizing cultural heritage over Islamic principles. Emphasizing Islam’s core importance in his life, Perez urges fellow Latino Muslims to uphold its teachings above all else and not to compromise religious beliefs for cultural acceptance. 

Perhaps motivated by Latino Muslim resonance with Islamic Spain, he encourages them to study works like “Ash Shifa” (Diwan Press; 7th ed., 2010; trans. Aisha Bewley), written by Andalusian scholar Qadi Iyad ibn Musa al-Yahsubi (d.1149-50), to deepen their understanding of Islamic principles and prophetic manners. Perez envisions a transformative potential if Latino Muslim leaders prioritize spiritual purification and sincere intention above all. 

Shortly after the release of “New Muslim Cool,” Perez was permanently barred from the jail in which he interacted with inmates as a Muslim chaplain. However, his outreach work did not end there. For over two decades, he has been instrumental in pioneering initiatives to uplift children, particularly those from Pittsburgh’s low-income neighborhoods. His work as the coordinator of BOOTUP (Building Our Own Technology, Uplifting People) and establishing the Ya-Ne Youth Alliance for Networking and Empowerment at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh highlight his dedication to empowering youth through education and mentorship. 

When a young Perez detached himself from music completely after “New Muslim Cool,” he cited concerns for his spirituality. Surprisingly, M-Team’s controversial Clash of Civilizations album is still available on platforms like Spotify. However, this former M-Team member is far removed from the militant lyrics from 2005. Twenty years later, his primary focus is community building, social welfare and peaceful dialogue. 

In an April 14 Facebook post, Perez wrote, “Our community consists of 98 percent converts who have dedicated their lives to helping spread and teach Islam.” Attached to his post was a crowdfunding drive for Masjid Anisa, the “First ever ‘Built from The Ground Up’” mosque in Pittsburgh, home to many reverts or converts. 

A closer, unbiased exploration of Latino Muslims’ lives reveals that they are indeed more than their conversion stories. A decade and a half after the documentary graced the screens, Perez has transitioned from a seemingly overzealous and admittedly “ignorant” youth to an indispensable leader and mentor to hundreds of fellow Muslims and non-Muslims, both Latino and non-Latino. 

The story of Hamza Perez reflects a broader trend within both the Gen X and Millennial Latino Muslim communities. Across these generations, numerous converts have emerged as influential figures, assuming roles as imams, educators, advocates and social servants. 

Echoing the words of Morales, “The new generation will read about the historical and cultural links between Latino ethnicity and Islamic religion from websites and social media and from journalists and scholars. They will be a new kind of Latino Muslim, one whose central narrative will lie beyond the scope of conversion.” 

By leveraging their unique backgrounds and experiences, Gen X and Millennial Latin American leaders are shaping the present landscape and laying the groundwork for a vibrant and more inclusive Muslim American community.

Wendy Díaz is a Puerto Rican Muslim writer, poet, translator, and children’s book author. She is the Spanish content coordinator for ICNA-WhyIslam. She is also the co-founder of Hablamos Islam, a nonprofit organization that produces educational resources about Islam in the Spanish language.

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By Sheima Salam Sumer

Sep/Oct 2024

Emergency Rooms and hospitals are filled with people. Doctors’ offices have long wait times. Pharmacies are brimming with medication in every color, size, and shape. Yet some people are still chronically ill. All the medical and pharmaceutical advancements are still not providing complete comfort and cure. That is making some turn to natural medicine that focuses more on a mix of a nutritious diet, exercise, herbs, massage, and acupuncture. Islamic Horizons asked some Muslim doctors and patients about their experiences with natural medicine. 

Mohammad Ayubi, a board-certified psychiatrist in Jacksonville, Fla., believes that Muslims should consider using natural medicine, if it’s based on sound knowledge.

“I believe we’re now in a time when conventional medicines are the standard and override alternative medicine. The Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that for every illness there is a cure (“Sahih Muslim” 2204). At that time there were no pharmaceutical companies. That means there was a cure in the natural world. Honey — even water if you blow on it and say Surah al-Fatiha — could be a cure.” 

Salman Khan, an internal medicine doctor based in Richmond, Va., believes that alternative medicine should be considered only if its evidence based. “It needs scientific rigor,” he stated. 

“Muslims should consider alternative medicine because it is the way of the Prophet,” said Jawad Bhatti, a medical doctor and an alternative medicine practitioner from Midlothian, Va., who has studied natural medicine. “Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s “al-Tibb al-Nabawi” [Prophetic Medicine] recommends natural medicines from different plants and foods.”

Some Success Stories

One of Dr. Ayubi’s patients is a 40-year-old army veteran. He had major pain issues — chronic pain which started in the military after extensive abdominal surgery. He had complications, so the doctors gave him a lot of opioids and conventional medication. He got dependent on them and then was discharged from the military while addicted to these pain killers. He also had bipolar disorder from childhood.

 “When he came to me, he was always depressed, even suicidal,” Dr. Ayubi said. “He’d overdose accidentally or intentionally on his opioid medications and then would end up in the hospital. I looked at his chart and realized that he had never been given a good trial of lithium. Lithium is a metal and it’s natural. It’s the lightest metal in the periodic table. It comes as a salt — usually lithium carbonate, lithium chloride — and so in my book it’s an alternative medicine because it’s totally natural. Lithium is one of the most abundant substances on earth. So, we gave him a trial of lithium and he had unbelievable results.” After 10 years of being suicidal and depressed and going in and out of hospitals, within a month he was in a stable mood — no more suicidal thoughts. He was able to avoid opioid medication and move on with his wife and his children.

Yasmine Ilham* from Columbia, S.C., found relief in natural remedies for her painful hemorrhoids caused by childbirth. “The doctors prescribed me multiple expensive medications for my issue, but they did not solve the problem. When I saw an infomercial about natural cures on TV, I decided to do more research. I found an all-natural ointment that worked much better than the expensive prescription ones.” 

Dr. Bhatti also shares a success story. “Depression is a main cause of many diseases. Depression is caused by a malfunction of the gut microbiome/bacteria. Bacteria are important synthesizers of hormones for the brain and body. Hormones are the power plants for the body. They fight against diseases. So, if the bacteria are not making hormones for the brain, you get depression and anxiety. The conventional solution is to increase selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), but I believe that more hormones need to be made in the first place. We need to give proper nutrition to those bacteria.”

He relates a story about a Muslim woman who was depressed for years. She couldn’t work because of depression and was always quarreling with her husband. They were on the verge of divorce. 

“Doc, I tried everything in conventional medicine,” she said. She was desperate, unemployed, and about to divorce. I suggested that she take one tablespoon of Metamucil 2-3 times daily. After one week she was able to get back to work. After two weeks, she was no longer getting a divorce. After 3 to 4 weeks, she was on vacation with her husband. And after 6-7 weeks she was pregnant, even though she’d had endometriosis. She now has four kids.”

The psyllium in the Metamucil fed the good bacteria in her microbiome. Dr. Bhatti is not against conventional medicine either. “I’m saying take the full treatment. Take the medication you need, but you must also feed your microbiome. You must work on the source of disease.” 

Some Disappointments

Not everyone however, achieves such great results. Hamza Ahmed*, in Virginia is currently struggling with a disease about whose origin’s doctors are unsure. After trying various options, he shares, “Regrettably, alternative medicine has not helped. Acupuncture has a very narrow Medicare or insurance coverage. Also, diet-based medicine has not done anything for me.”

However, he’s not pleased with conventional medicine either. After a new set of chemotherapy sessions, he lost the ability to talk clearly and even to walk with stability. The doctor keeps insisting that they are not side effects. His toddler grandchild thinks that he is not talking because he is sleeping, and goes around telling everyone, “Don’t talk to Grandpa, he is asleep.”

Dr. Bhatti believes that major diseases stem from the stomach, so fixing the microbiome in the gut can solve many health problems, such as cancer. For cancer specifically, he recommends pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), drinking hydrogen water and stopping all sweets — including fruits — for 12-14 weeks. 

He remarked that a lot of stomach issues are related to acid. “Heartburn meds are not helping. They stop the production of acid, but people with heartburn already have low acid, so if you stop the production of acid, it impedes digestion. You have to look at the mechanism of the whole thing. Supplement your food with raw apple cider vinegar. It helps digest food, improves overall health, and helps brain health. In my opinion, you need to change your dietary habits a lot. Medicines are chemicals. They have side effects on the liver and kidneys. The body is not designed to take all those chemicals. You can’t patent natural remedies, but you can patent chemicals and medicines, so there’s a financial agenda here.”

Cure is From the Almighty

Dr. Ayubi encourages patience because most natural medicines take time to work. “The bottom line with natural medicines is that they take time. You have to be patient — they do work. They’re slow, but with fewer side effects.” 

He reminds us that it all starts with God. “Only Allah can cure. He’s your Creator and He can take care of it. Also, you should give charity regularly– it’s very important. The charity confirms your belief in the Creator and that only He can cure. The Prophet said charity will protect you from afflictions and illnesses. Also, we believe that you shouldn’t be drinking alcohol or smoking. Both are very dangerous. These are the four important principles that I encourage Muslims to know when they take alternative medicine: belief in Allah the One Creator, giving charity specifically for that medicine and for that illness, and no alcohol or smoking.”

He shared a story about Prophet Musa (alayhi salam) where he had a headache. His ummah brought him medicine and he wouldn’t take it. Then Allah sent Jibreel (alayhi salam) to him who said, ‘You have to take something — if you don’t, you’re not going to get cured of this headache.’ So then he was inspired to take the medicine. They brought him a plant and he took it and was cured. “Allah wants you to take something from what He has created in the natural world, but the bottom line is that only Allah can cure, and so you should never fall into the belief that medicines cure. It can be considered a sin.”

“One of the most important things I’ve learned as a Muslim doctor is that it’s a sin to believe that medicines cure, or even alternative medicines cure,” Dr. Ayubi said. “We believe only Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) can cure, but through the medicines that He created on Earth.” This echoes a hadith, “If a cure is applied to the disease, it is relieved by the permission of God Almighty” (“Sahih Muslim,” 2204).

Sheima Salam Sumer is the author of “How to be a Happy Muslim Insha’Allah” and “The Basic Values of Islam,” as well as a tutor and life coach.

*Some names have been changed for privacy

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The post “For Every Illness There is a Cure” appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Muhammad Muiz Azeem

Sep/Oct 2024

For a long time the Muslims of Regina, Saskatchewan’s capital, have faced a serious issue. Despite comprising 8% of its population — roughly 20,000 Muslims out of the city’s 2.5 million population — there was a noticeable gap in the community’s existing institutions: plenty of mosques, but a severe lack of services to address the significant hurdles confronting them. Clearly, many needs weren’t being met or noticed.

The founders of Darul Falah Islamic Centre (DFIC) faced such challenges too. So in 2017, they opened doors to a space that quickly became a hub of Islamic activities, particularly in the downtown area. From its humble origins, DFIC is now a beacon of Islam within the city and the province as a whole. Recently, after a massive nationwide fundraiser, DFIC was able to purchase a property in central Regina to create a masjid and community center that serves as a focal point for its activities.

Along with many of its peers, DFIC provides nikah (marriage) support, hifz (memorization) programs, youth clubs, janazah (funeral rites), counseling, and mental health support. These activities are incredibly beneficial to Regina’s Muslims. For instance, although mental health remains a generally undiscussed or even taboo subject within many Muslim families, DFIC has made great efforts to make such support accessible to anyone by employing licensed Muslim therapists who recognize and understand their patients’ unique issues. Care is provided to nearly everyone, and free therapy sessions are available and accessible to those who are zakat-eligible and financially vulnerable. 

Another notable initiative is the nikah support. Many young Muslims can attest to the difficulty of finding a potential spouse. DFIC simplifies and streamlines this process by serving as both matchmaker and wedding planner so that Muslims with similar values and interests can connect and form a lifelong bond. 

The licensed fine option agency, part of the Ministry of Justice’s Fine Option Program, is not an alternative to sentencing. Rather, it gives people the chance to settle fines by doing unpaid supervised community service work at a rate of Can$11.60 per hour. The ministry administers the program with organizations like local nonprofits or an individual, who then assign suitable community service work to people who register to settle fines and advise the court of the assignment’s outcome. Promoting responsibility and repairing relationships with the community are values that align with DFIC’s restorative doctrine. These initiatives distinguish the center from other masjids.

Another unique factor is their settlement services for international students. Due to an increasing number of students, DFIC has started to support them. Many of these students feel as though they receive little support, for they have access only to simple services like the food bank. This isn’t enough for those who are under immense pressure, be it financial, social or academic. 

To address this, DFIC provides numerous services such as  airport pick up on arrival; the “2-day essential help” in obtaining crucial documentation (e.g., a social insurance number, a bank account, a Saskatchewan health card, a bus pass and some groceries); and an orientation to the city, including the hospital, the university, the grocers, mosques and other places. DFIC volunteers put in immense effort in this regard which is a testament to their faith.

DFIC has not forgotten our seniors either. To combat loneliness, the center organizes “compassionate calls” that check in on them so they can talk with someone. It also convenes “Mubobbi Adda,” a gathering where seniors can pass on wisdom to the youth. Among food and refreshments, different generations learn from one another in a welcoming environment. As many elderly have mobility issues and cannot come to the mosque, DFIC has started a pick-and-drop service for jummah prayer. This initiative is a great step in ensuring that our elders are taken care of. 

DFIC’s new green initiative seeks to foster cooperation and camaraderie within the community. The first effort is the recycling program, which collects and sells recyclable material. Another initiative is the community garden, where members plant, care for, and share produce with others. 

Clearly, DFIC has made its mark on the community and on all of Regina for that matter. Its leaders, although traditional in their beliefs yet forward-looking in their outlook, have done what the community needs. The provided services and initiatives have provided immense benefit to Regina’s Muslims and serves as a source of inspiration to other mosques in Canada.

Muhammad Muiz Azeem is a student at the University of Regina.

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By Ameena Fatima 

Sep/Oct 2024

When she needed to help a family friend escape an abusive situation, Zena Chaudhry learned quickly about the realities of navigating the shelter system for Muslim women. Seeing the microaggressions, lack of sensitivity and absence of accommodations for religious and cultural practices, she knew something had to change. And that’s when Sakeenah Homes (now Sakeenah Canada) was founded. 

Sakeenah Canada strives to provide the essential support and services that empower women to become healthy, independent and thriving members of society. This charitable organization has come a long way since its inception in 2018. Starting with just remote casework services, it now operates nine transitional homes nationwide and shelters in Toronto, Brampton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina and St. John’s, as well as the first long-term housing project for Muslim women and children located in Windsor, Ontario.

Sakeenah Canada’s transitional shelter program consists of a plethora of services designed to help women with every facet of their journey toward independence. The process starts when a client calls in and is assigned a caseworker. If needed, she and her children receive immediate shelter in a transitional home. Along with receiving food, shelter, essentials and therapy in the home, women work with their caseworkers to build up their life skills and education, get access to the legal resources they need and are even offered reconciliation services, when appropriate.

Caseworkers also connect women with employment, long-term housing opportunities and to the diverse network of mental health therapists and counselors. The existing child and youth programs offer holistic support with age-appropriate programs in the areas of socio-emotional learning, social and life skills, mentorship and more. 

Chaudhry and her growing team are seeking to change the nature of social work services and fill the gaps to uplift people in all circumstances. Sakeenah Canada also offers remote casework and mental health services, as well as an innovative food program to tackle food insecurity: The People’s Market — full of  cultural foods, halal meat, dairy products, fresh produce and non-perishable items available in a traditional food bank setting — is set up like a grocery store so they can shop in a dignified manner. Since its inception, the market has served over 2,800 families and distributed over 160,000 food items. It hopes to expand its service to a second location later this year. 

Filling the Foster Care Gap

The next critical gap the organization is working to fill is foster care. As North America’s first licensed foster care agency for Muslim children, a status it achieved in 2022, its goal is to ensure that Muslim children in the foster care system receive culturally and religiously sensitive care in a safe and loving environment. From receiving halal food and accommodating observances like Ramadan, to respecting beliefs and attire, every child deserves to feel safe and secure in his/her foster homes. 

The journey hasn’t been easy, for it also involves trying to dismantle the Muslim community’s apparent distrust of children’s aid agencies. The Children’s Aid Society’s recent accreditation of Sakeenah Foster Care has gone a long way to mitigate some of this distrust. 

The process of becoming a Sakeenah Foster Care foster family, which involves comprehensive training and sensitivity to the needs of all children, lasts for three to six months. While the agency welcomes children of all faiths and cultures, it prioritizes equipping foster families with the necessary tools and support to provide the best possible care on all levels. Sakeenah regularly hosts community outreach programs to recruit more foster families, partnering with masjids and local organizations. To date, over 300 Muslim families have shown interest and many have begun taking the steps toward becoming foster families. 

Beyond the basic requirements, Sakeenah Foster Care, recognizing the trauma of placement changes, provides mental health services and financial assistance for extracurricular activities, thereby ensuring that these children feel included and supported within their communities. 

Looking ahead, Chaudhry envisions slow and steady growth and establishing a strong presence in Ontario before expanding to other provinces. However, her goal extends beyond borders; she hopes to bridge the gap in the U.S. as well, ensuring that every child who needs a foster home can find one that respects and understands his/her cultural and religious identity.

In essence, Chaudhry’s pioneering efforts are not just about changing the foster care system, but about creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all children. With Sakeenah Foster Care leading the way, the future looks brighter for Muslim children in Canada and beyond.

Find out more at www.sakeenahcanada.com

Ameena Fatima is a freelance writer.

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