Program to focus on mental health, addictions in Muslim community

Report articles

A nationwide Islamic charity is focusing on the stigma surrounding mental health and addictions issues in Calgary’s Muslim community.

Write-up written content

Penny Charm Canada, a Muslim aid and enhancement charity, and B.C.-primarily based non-earnings Basis For a Path Ahead are launching a method named Undertaking Falah — an Arabic phrase indicating salvation, pleasure and perfectly-currently being, and an acronym for Facilitating Development in Existence, Addiction and Mental Health and fitness. The plan aims to reduce stigma and supply the Muslim group with a complete selection of assist and resources.

Report content material

“We’re previously at the rear of the ball due to the way the community has usually dealt with these issues, and we really do not have the instruments or the supports,” explained Fawad Kalsi, the main advancement officer at Penny Attraction Canada. “They’re not catered towards cultural sensitivities or the spiritual sensitivities, the resources that are out there. So, we’re trying to consider a phase ahead to assist in that element.”

Representatives from Penny Appeal achieved with customers of the nearby Muslim community at a community celebration Sunday night at northeast Calgary’s Akram Jomaa Islamic Centre, as component of an consciousness and fundraising marketing campaign foremost up to Undertaking Fawah’s countrywide start in May — which is also established to choose place in Calgary.

“We have had a key concern with the group (in Calgary) with a good deal of life — youth lives — dropped to this opioid crisis,” claimed Kalsi.

Kalsi, an imam — a Muslim spiritual leader — mentioned the induce is near to his coronary heart, owning experienced an opioid habit himself after being recommended suffering medicine to offer with a long-term clinical ailment. He struggled with his dependancy for five many years, with no help applications readily available inside his spiritual local community.

Post written content

“There was no cultural sensitivity there was no faith-based mostly tips. There was just possibly a scientific solution, or there were being additional Christian-primarily based resources that ended up offered,” reported Kalsi.

He claimed drug use and psychological-well being issues are more stigmatized in the Muslim group than in other groups, earning people today reticent to publicly acknowledge they have an concern or find help. In accordance to Penny Enchantment, roughly 400,000 Muslim Canadians — much more than 20 for each cent of the country’s 1.8-million-individual Muslim population — are at chance of habit-similar mental-wellness issues.

“For Muslims — primarily with the sensitivities close to the religious wants for women — all those (applications) genuinely don’t exist and so that is something that we’re striving to assist,” he mentioned. “We’re attempting to make consciousness to start with.”

Although couple of information are accessible about what particular solutions Undertaking Falah will provide, Kalsi stated Penny Appeal will expose far more at an official launch occasion in early May well. Extra data on the application will quickly be offered at pennyappeal.ca.

[email protected]

Twitter: @michaelrdrguez