SYDNEY // Australia's imams have been urged to delegate responsibility for mental health issues to professional therapists and doctors to respond to the complex psychological needs of the country's growing Muslim population.
The call has been made at a seminar in Sydney that has showcased a new course for Islamic religious leaders and community volunteers on basic counselling skills, an initiative that has been ignored by a major constituency.
"Interestingly, for the programme that I am conducting around Australia, not one imam has registered," explained Hanan Dover, a forensic psychologist who runs four clinics in Sydney. "I know the imams are quite burnt out. We have a saying 'jack of all trades' but I call the imams 'Mohammed of all trades', because people go to them for every minute issue.
"They have to lead prayers five times a day, they have to do funeral prayers, marriages, look after divorces and family issues. The burden of responsibility on them is quite high but I think they need to be able to refer on to people who have the skills."
Ms Dover has advocated a more holistic attitude to ease the hefty workload of clerics to allow them to concentrate on dispensing religious and spiritual advice.
"The best way is to have an integrated approach where the imams, doctors, psychologists and counsellors are working in collaboration. So, there is a network rather than imams assuming responsibility for everything. They [parishioners] can still get the theological information from the sheikh but let them go and get the mediation from those who know how to mediate because the community has a lot of respect for imams and sheikhs but often they come out disillusioned," she added.
Ms Dover's ideas for mosques to harness professional mental health expertise have been supported by the Islamic Council of Victoria.
"Our imams are very relevant but we would like to make them more relevant," said Sherene Hassan, the council's vice president. "There is always room for improvement and imams themselves have acknowledged that. They have requested additional professional development.
"From what I understand there are imams already utilising Muslim health professionals. I know the imams are keen to get training on this particular issue."
More than 40 per cent of Australian Muslims were born here and while their numbers and influence have flourished, there has also been an increase in demand for psychological therapy.
Ms Hassan believes that as the Muslim population matures and becomes more established in Australia, efforts must be made to ensure that its emotional well-being is looked after.
"Initially the focus for first generation Muslim migrants was to establish mosques and schools. For second generation Muslims we are working beyond that and trying to service the Muslim community in other ways and be part of mainstream society," Ms Hassan explained from her home in Melbourne.
The Australian National Imams Council has acknowledged that only a few of its members have received formal mental health training. The organisation's spokesman, Sheikh Mohamad Nawas Saleem, said Islamic religious leaders often did not attend training courses because they were "overwhelmed" with work or felt that their lack of proficiency in English would hinder their understanding of expert instruction.
Mr Saleem said those in religious authority should be willing to utilise the help of specialists. "Definitely the imams should be conscious of their own capacity to deal with mental health issues. It is very unprofessional if you are indulging in something you are not trained to deal with.
"It is very important for imams if they have found someone who is mentally ill and needs attention from a psychologist or a counsellor to refer them to the professionals."
Recent arrivals to Australia, including refugees from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan who have been held in Australian immigration detention centres, can often suffer from serious psychological problems, where they are overcome by waves of depression and loneliness as well as poor self-esteem and a lack of confidence.
"Sometimes because I have gone through the journey like they have, we don't have to spend many sessions for them to describe what they have gone through. I have been through war and know about post-traumatic stress disorder," said Afsaneh Jolan, a child and adolescent psychologist at Ms Dover's treatment centres in western Sydney, who moved from Iran to Turkey with her Kurdish family as refugees and arrived in Australia in 1995.
Most of the clinics' patients are Muslims and Ms Jolan, who is fluent in English, Kurdish, Farsi and Turkish, said that proper care could help those badly affected by their past rebuild their lives.
"Yes, they are in a dark place but it is changing. People are seeking more professional help and it makes it easier when a person is from their background, they speak the same language or have a similar faith," she added.
"Some of them feel that they are not accepted and feel isolated. They don't want to engage and integrate, so we try and help them do that."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Malcolm & Marie
Directed by: Sam Levinson
Starring: John David Washington and Zendaya
Three stars
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Business Insights
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