The Mindful Muslim is an Inspirited Minds podcast that hosts raw, open, and honest conversations on various topics within the sphere of mental health, psychology, Islam and spirituality.
This month, Sivan spoke to Sakinah Abdul-Aziz about Suicide within Muslim Communities.
This is Part 2 of a 2-part episode. The 1st part is available on Papyrus’s own podcast called HOPECAST (Available on Spotify) and features our very own, Meanha Begum! Meanha is the Head of Operations at Inspirited Minds and has been supporting the charity from 2014. She has many years experience of working in Crisis and Suicide Prevention services within the NHS and third sector organisations. She has worked closely with the UK’s leading mental health professionals, Imam’s and community leaders and is an avid fundraiser.
Sakinah Abdul Aziz worked as a Community Development Officer for Papyrus UK, a national charity aimed at the prevention of young suicides up to the age of 35. Sakinah’s role involved engaging communities across London, raising awareness about suicide and equiping communities with skills in suicide prevention. Sakinah is passionate about engaging and building relationships with diverse minoritised communities, unpacking conversations around suicide and smashing the stigma associated with it.
In this episode, they spoke about:
- The stigmas surrounding suicide in Muslim communities
- Deconstructing negative language around suicide and creating neutral language around the topic
- Educating and equipping those around you with knowledge about self-harm, mental health and suicidal thoughts
- Understanding those around you who are affected by suicidal thoughts
- The importance of creating safe communities so that the topic of suicide is normalised
You can find out more about Papyrus UK on their website: https://www.papyrus-uk.org and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter and Youtube.
You can get in touch with Meanha via email at meanha.begum@inspiritedminds.org.uk.
If you would like to ask us a question, suggest a topic you would like us to discuss on the podcast or if you would like to feature on the podcast as a guest, then please get in touch with the Mindful Muslim Podcast Team at podcast@inspiritedminds.org.uk.
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