MIAMI -- Mental health is not easy for anyone to discuss openly. But, in some religious communities, there is an added stigma that may hinder an open dialogue — and that’s particularly true in the Islamic faith.

The South Florida Muslim Federation (SoFlo Muslims), an umbrella organization representing over 40 mosques and Islamic organizations across South Florida, has decided to tackle the sensitive issue by starting some tough, but potentially life-saving, conversations.

The local Muslim group is expanding its campaign “Florida Muslim Mental Health,” which focuses on improving mental health in the Muslim community, to include suicide and self-harm prevention. It’s the first time the group has offered workshops and resources focused specifically on that difficult-to-discuss topic.

“This is really big for us, having people come and slowly start the discussion about these things,” said Dr. Nuha Mirghani, operations manager for SoFlo Muslims. “We’re hoping to reach everyone ... we’re going to provide pages with free services, and all the advice we can provide.”

The project, originally launched in 2022, helps connect people with resources, including a network of Muslim mental health professionals, many of whom are offering discounted or free care services, as well as Islamic counseling. The goal is to be culturally relevant while providing professional care.

“The problem of suicide has affected us, has touched us, unfortunately, in some pretty profound ways,” said Waheeda Saif, a licensed mental health counselor and suicide prevention consultant for SoFlo Muslims. “So we make sure that we’re having these really important conversations in our community and there’s a really easy way to do that in September.”

The four workshops — which coincide with Suicide Prevention Month — will be hosted at various mosques, community centers and restaurants throughout the tri-county area. They aim to educate people on the facts of suicide and self-harm, dispel any myths and help people learn how to recognize the warning signs.

Sessions are geared towards different demographic groups (teens, women, men, seniors), but anyone — regardless of religious background — can attend for free by registering here.

Stigma surrounding suicide

One of the most important aspects of the campaign, according to leaders of the Muslim Federation, is to simply provide a place for Muslims to talk about mental health and suicide — a topic that can be taboo in many Muslim households.

“In a lot of our communities, these things are not talked about,” said Mirghani. “We’re not allowed to talk about suicide and depression and these things in our houses. No matter how educated people are. It’s still a big stigma in our cultures.”

Part of this stigma stems from what Imam Azhar Subedar, development director of SoFlo Muslims, explains as cultural norms and how society dictates the teachings of the Quran.

“We are not supposed to even consider harming ourselves, forget harming others,” he said. “A teaching of our religion is mercy. Lord is merciful so you are supposed to be a mercy to yourselves, to each other and to the creation at large.”

The religion of Islam does condemn suicide, but Subedar said that he believes suicide is not spoken about much because people don’t always understand the magnitude of the problem.

“In many countries and in many cultures, suicide is deemed as — of course it’s wrong, it’s a sin, it’s something you shouldn’t do — however the understanding as to why one shouldn’t discuss it is not based out of religion, it’s based out of ignorance.”

For Muslims who experience loss of a loved one due to suicide, it’s common for people to say the person had “lost their religion, or is far from the religion,” Subedar said.

While this may be true, there are multiple factors that contribute to someone deciding to end their life.

“People often think that suicide is A to B causation. ‘This happened. That’s why a person killed themselves.’ That’s never the reason why,” said mental health counselor, Saif. “It’s really important to understand the suicide is a complicated, multifactorial event. Simplifying suicide to a single causation event is very dangerous.”

‘A problem all over the world’

The importance of mental health and wellness has become more pertinent in the years since the COVID pandemic, which worsened mental health, including stress and anxiety, among adults and young people in the United States. Suicide has been called a “critical public health problem” in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most recent statistics on suicide in America speak volumes.

Nearly 49,500 people died by suicide in 2022, the highest number ever for the United States, according to the CDC. Another 1.6 million made an attempt at their own life and over 13 million seriously thought about suicide.

“That’s a lot of pain,” Saif said.

Health professionals encourage people to discuss their mental health problems with a trusted support system — a friend, family member, mental health professional — during tough times.

For people who attend religious services regularly, faith leaders are often a part of this network: 58% of regular attenders would be comfortable talking about their mental health with a religious leader, according to a Pew Research survey from earlier this year.

With an issue as complex as suicide, Saif acknowledges that there are many avenues to treatment, including talking with religious counselors. But, the point of the workshops is to educate everyone on the signs of suicide so people know how to spot them and urge someone toward finding help.

The campaign provides a safe space for Muslims to discuss the unique societal pressures they face, but the workshops are open to anyone.

“While we are being very pointed and intentional about having this conversation, this is … not just a South Florida Muslim conversation,” she said. “This is decidedly a problem all over the world.”

If the campaign on suicide prevention is successful, the leaders of the Federation are hoping to replicate the workshops for other sensitive problems such as depression or domestic abuse, for example.

Religion and suicide

In the world of religion, suicide is a complex issue. In many faiths, including Islam, harming oneself is believed to be an unforgivable sin, punishable by eternal damnation.

“If a person in their sane right mind goes ahead and takes their life, they will be punished for eternity in the afterlife,” Imam Subedar said.

However, as Subedar points out, many people who attempt or die by suicide are not mentally stable.

“One must not pass judgment on people who commit suicide due to mental health issues, because they are not stable and sane, Subedar said. “Sanity, in Islam is a prerequisite for many things.”

In a post 9/11 world, many people, particularly Americans, still, over twenty years later, hold misconceptions about Muslims and Islam that have contributed to a rise in hate crimes against Muslims and anti-Muslim political rhetoric. Suicide bombings have been carried out by extremist and terrorist groups that have twisted the teachings of the Quran, Subedar said.

“Islam does not promote that. It’s just not permissible,” Subedar said about suicide bombings. “We have to take back the faith from those who have made the faith seem otherwise.”

Subedar said that it is government officials that declare war, not religious leaders. And that any individuals involved in terrorist attacks and Al-Qaeda are “fringe” or “rouge” individuals.

From an mental health perspective, Saif said she’s seeing people in general becoming more comfortable with talking about hard topics than in the past.

“It’s been a slow movement ... but breaking down the shame and the stigma, having these conversations has been hard,” said Saif. “The younger folks have been better. They’re kind of the ones leading the way.”

FOR HELP

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or reach out through chat by visiting 988lifeline.org/chat. Veterans can call 988 and press 1.

•The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988.

•Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.

•For Florida-based facts and resources on suicide prevention, visit the Florida Health website here.

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This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.

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