Bassema was devastated by the sudden loss of her cousin to suicide.
Then came more heartache: Muslim funeral homes refused to bury the young man because he had killed himself.
buzzfeednews.com/article/hannah…
Then came more heartache: Muslim funeral homes refused to bury the young man because he had killed himself.
buzzfeednews.com/article/hannah…
When she finally found somewhere willing to bury her cousin, it was on the condition that his body did not enter the mosque.
Bassema’s struggle to give her cousin a dignified burial shows just how fraught the issue of suicide and mental health can be for Muslims in the US.
Bassema’s struggle to give her cousin a dignified burial shows just how fraught the issue of suicide and mental health can be for Muslims in the US.
Some Muslims do not believe a person who has committed a killing – including of oneself – can receive a traditional burial.
While some religious authorities conclude that suicide is an unforgivable sin in Islam, others say the only unforgivable sin is disbelief in God.
While some religious authorities conclude that suicide is an unforgivable sin in Islam, others say the only unforgivable sin is disbelief in God.
Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34, prompting calls to recognize it as a public health crisis.
In the wake of recent high-profile suicides, demand for better mental health resources in some communities have collided with Muslim taboos.
In the wake of recent high-profile suicides, demand for better mental health resources in some communities have collided with Muslim taboos.
Pinning down even an estimated suicide rate for Muslims in the US is impossible because most families choose to keep the deaths quiet.
Many American mosques still refuse to perform funeral rites for Muslims who die by suicide. buzzfeednews.com/article/hannah…
Many American mosques still refuse to perform funeral rites for Muslims who die by suicide. buzzfeednews.com/article/hannah…
Muslim activists, mental health professionals, and clerics are working to change the conversation about suicide.
They’ve set up counseling centers and hotlines, and written guidance addressing beliefs that Muslims who kill themselves have no chance of entering paradise.
They’ve set up counseling centers and hotlines, and written guidance addressing beliefs that Muslims who kill themselves have no chance of entering paradise.
Last year, after spiraling to the point of suicide, Mehran Nazir decided to publish his musings on mental health and suicide. On a public blog. Using his own name and photo.
Speaking out publicly, he hoped, could help remove some of the stigma around mental health.
Speaking out publicly, he hoped, could help remove some of the stigma around mental health.
Kecia Ali, a professor whose daughter killed herself when she was 16, also made the decision to speak publicly about her loss, in the hopes it would create some change. buzzfeednews.com/article/hannah…
