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Dignity and Respect for Muslim Youth: The HOPE Project
10-22-2014
Allah created every human being with dignity (Quran 17:70). To feel respected and dignified is a basic human need that Allah has given to every human being. Are Muslim youths—struggling with addictions—alcohol, drugs, substance abuse, and mental health getting enough support with keeping their dignity and respect intact?
It is evident that Muslim youths are struggling with identity crisis, substance abuse, alcoholism, mental health, gangs, gambling and financial problems. However in order to resolve these problems, a lot has to be done.
The first step would be to build a relationship of trust with them. This step will take time because sometimes as a community we forget to be merciful and don’t engage with the youth. How often do we tell children and youth that we love them and hold them with compassion and empathy?
Do we regularly tell our youth and children that we believe in them and their potential? Many empirical studies show that inspiration, affirmation and positive reinforcement play instrumental roles in youth and children’s learning (Morrison, 2007; Pane & Rocco, 2014). We have strong traditions in Islam where the Prophet (PBUH), treated youth and children with mercy, affection, respect and empathy.
The following hadith narrated by Usamah ibn Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) shows this humane aspect of the Prophet’s personality: Allah’s Messenger used to put me on (one of) his thighs and put Al-Hasan ibn `Ali on his other thigh, and then embrace us and say, “O Allah! Please be merciful to them, as I am merciful to them” (Bukhari). Sub?ana’llah. We as a community have ignored this Sunnah and pushed our youth towards addictions and prison.
Isolation, stigmatization, negative shaming, depression and feeling disrespected at home and school are the main reasons why many of our youth have unfortunately ended up with addictions. It is not as though we intentionally ignored and pushed them away.
We may have never been taught how to be compassionate and empathic, how to talk to them in a dignified manner, how to connect with them and understand their struggles, how to meet their needs and show them that we truly love them for the sake of Allah. Al-?amdulillah the Muslim Food Bank has introduced the HOPE Project to support and empower our youth which will work towards creating a safe space for Muslim youth struggling with drugs, alcohol, gambling and substance use by counseling, educating and connecting them to appropriate services in the Greater Vancouver Area. Respect, confidentiality and dignity are the core guiding principles of the HOPE Project.
We are currently accepting cases and recruiting youth case workers for this project.
If you are interested, send your resume at hope@muslimfoodbank.com or call at 1.866.824.2525 ext 201. Please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Healingforaddicts.
References:
Morrison, B. (2007). Bullying, violence and alienation. In B. Morrison, Restoring safe school communities: A whole school response to bullying, violence and alienation (pp. 8-24). NSW: The Federation Press.
Pane, D. M., & Rocco, T. S. (2014). Transforming the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Lessons from the Classroom. Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
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