Providing Muslim Women with Support and Advice: Canada’s First Help Line for Muslim Women

Last updated on: November 19, 2012 at 2:00 am by eren

Providing Muslim Women with Support and Advice: Canada’s First Help Line for Muslim Women 2012-11-19T00:13:15-04:00 eren

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Last week, the Toronto Star reported on the first helpline in Canada specifically for Muslim women. The project stems from the Women’s Resource Centre, which is part of the Mercy Mission organisation. At the moment, this program is only available in Ontario, specifically in the Toronto area.

Noor Javed, the author of the article, interviewed Sabah Kazmi, the centre’s program director, who describes that she realized that Muslim women were in need for someone to talk to. Despite the fact that one can find numerous help lines throughout Canada, Kazmi explains that Muslim women were looking for a space that respected and understood their faith and culture.

The helpline was launched last October and it is meant to be a peer-counselling service but not a crisis line. The volunteers are women from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, who have received professional training in counselling. The program has been quite successful and receives numerous calls.

As Javed’s article explains, the idea of the program has received support from Alia Hogben, the Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, who “says such a service, if done professionally, fills a vital need in a community where women often struggle to find support at their local mosques.”

Yet Hogben is also skeptical of the program, as she explains the centre should be very specific on its purpose, mission and values as they will have an impact on the kind of advice given and received. She points out,

“I think it’s important for people to know: What is their philosophy? Is it non-judgmental? People who are calling are already very hard on themselves.”

Nonetheless, Kazmi asserts that the program’s aim is to be there for Muslim women who need to talk, not to preach. She explains that the line is there to support women and advice is not always part of the call; if callers specifically ask for “an Islamic point of view on a topic,” Kazmi explains that such a view will be provided, but always followed up with questions like “What do you think about that? How does it make you feel?”

An ad for the Muslim Women’s Helpline. Via Muslim Fest 2012 Facebook page.

Despite the challenges, I think the idea of a help line that is meant to address Muslim women’s concerns will be an asset to Muslim communities in Canada, and I am hoping for it to soon expand to other areas. A program like this may also support a broader fight to address issues of domestic violence in Muslim communities in Canada, which I discussed last December in another post.

Nonetheless, I also recognize the risks that Hogben has pointed out. Since there is not a lot of information regarding the kind of “Islamic” points of view that the organization endorses (Islamic precepts are often not monolithic and different opinions exist), I would be interested in hearing the kind of advice that volunteers offer to issues of domestic violence, same-sex-relationships, interfaith relationships, pre-marital sex, etc. I would also be curious about the kind of support that is available through the helpline for lesbian Muslims, abused women or Muslim women in interfaith relationships.

While I think that asking “how does that make you feel?” is an important question in the process of reconciling faith and daily life, I wonder to what extent this question brings along understanding and acceptance, instead of an attempt to hold women to normative ideas of “Muslimness” and gender.

Yet, I have hope. Although this is not completely similar, Canada has already seen organizations like Catholic Social Services delivering programs, support and advice not only to Catholics, but to a broad range of people of all faiths and ethnicities. However, organizations like this tend to emphasize their non-judgemental and pro-human rights approaches.

I believe that with a clearer mandate, a non-judgemental approach and a willingness to recognize a variety of opinions in regards to Islamic issues, this centre can fill a gap in our communities by enabling Muslim women to access advice and support networks in times of distress and uncertainty.

Muslim Women's HelpLine

Toronto

Previous Post

November 16, 2012

Friday Links | November 16, 2012

Next Post

November 20, 2012 Writing from Pakistan: Zubeida Mustafa

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advertisements Art/Theater Books/Magazines Cinema Comics/Cartoons Culture/Society Events Fashion Film Friday Links Merchandise/Commodities MMW Announcements MMW Highlights Music/Radio News Photography Politics Profile Ramadan 2012 Ramadan 2013 Ramadan 2014 Ramadan 2015 Roundtable Satire Social Media Sports Technology/Science Television Uncategorized Video Web

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Jordan" (as in Jordan River) mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

To open To heal To anoint To descend