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home / 世界杯决赛2022

program focuses on mental health, addictions issues in muslim community

“we're already behind the ball due to the way the community has always dealt with these issues, and we don't have the tools or the supports"

by michael rodriguez

apr 10 2023
read time 2 minute read
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akram jomaa islamic centre was photographed on friday, jan. 8, 2021. azin ghaffari / postmedia
a national islamic charity is targeting the stigma surrounding mental health and addictions issues in calgary’s muslim community.
penny appeal canada, a muslim relief and development charity, and b.c.-based non-profit foundation for a path forward are launching a program called project falah — an arabic word meaning salvation, happiness and well-being, and an acronym for facilitating advancement in life, addiction and mental health. the program aims to reduce stigma and provide the muslim community with a full range of support and resources.
“we’re already behind the ball due to the way the community has always dealt with these issues, and we don’t have the tools or the supports,” said fawad kalsi, the chief development officer at penny appeal canada. “they’re not catered toward cultural sensitivities or the religious sensitivities, the resources that are out there. so, we’re trying to take a step forward to help in that aspect.”
representatives from penny appeal met with members of the local muslim community at a public event sunday evening at northeast calgary’s akram jomaa islamic centre, as part of an awareness and fundraising campaign leading up to project fawah’s countrywide launch in may — which is also set to take place in calgary.
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“we have had a major issue with the community (in calgary) with a lot of lives — youth lives — lost to this opioid crisis,” said kalsi.
kalsi, an imam — a muslim religious leader — said the cause is close to his heart, having suffered an opioid addiction himself after being prescribed pain medication to deal with a chronic medical condition. he struggled with his addiction for five years, with no support programs available within his religious community.
“there was no cultural sensitivity; there was no faith-based advice. there was just either a scientific approach, or there were more christian-based tools that were available,” said kalsi.
he said drug use and mental-health issues are further stigmatized in the muslim community than in other groups, making people reticent to publicly admit they have an issue or seek help. according to penny appeal, roughly 400,000 muslim canadians — more than 20 per cent of the country’s 1.8-million-person muslim population — are at risk of addiction-related mental-health challenges.
“for muslims — especially with the sensitivities around the religious needs for women — those (programs) really don’t exist and so that is something that we’re trying to help,” he said. “we’re trying to create awareness first.”

while few details are available about what specific services project falah will provide, kalsi said penny appeal will reveal more at an official launch event in early may. more information on the program will soon be available at pennyappeal.ca .

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mrodriguez@postmedia.com

twitter:  @michaelrdrguez

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