Muslim Family Safety Project
The Muslim Family Safety Project was a collaborative project of the local Muslim communities and the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse (LCCEWA). This project supported dialogue between the Muslim communities and local anti-violence agencies to build capacity in mainstream services to conduct effective outreach and meet the needs of Muslim women who want or need assistance to seek safety for themselves and their children. Agencies learned about the Islamic perspective on domestic violence. Several high-profile events were held in local mosques with the participaion of the Imams.
The Muslim Family Safety Project sought to ensure the safety of Muslim women and children by addressing barriers of access. A study conducted in 2001 identified multiple barriers preventing Muslim women from fully utilizing woman abuse services in London, Ontario, Canada.
This Project offered an opportunity for local service providers and the Muslim community to share ideas and perspectives and to learn from one another. Through dialogue, trust development, and training, effective family violence prevention and intervention services can be developed and implemented.
Objectives
To establish a dialogue between the Muslim community and anti-violence agencies
To facilitate an environment of mutual understanding and respect between the Muslim community and anti-violence agencies
To generate a positive awareness about Islam and the religious, cultural and social lives of Muslims living in London
To enable and promote the mobilization of Muslim women and men on the issue of family violence
To empower Muslim women to define and articulate their needs and social realities
To enable the collaborative development of prevention and intervention materials and services that meet the needs of Muslim women
Funding
This project was funded by the Government of Canada's National Crime Prevention Strategy. That funding ended in 2006.
Muslim Wheel of Domestic Violence
This adaptation of the Power and Control Wheel was developed by Dr. Sharifa Alkahteeb. Find a copy of it here. A version is also available in French.
