Chaya Blog

Peaceful Families Conference 2007- A Success!

Assalaam Alaykum and Greetings,

As Chaya rejoices with members of the community and volunteers on the success of the Peaceful Families Conference held October 27, 2007 at the IMAN Center, we think back and reflect on all that happened:

- We were very lucky to see a diverse set of Muslims attending the conference. We had representation from East African, South Asian, American, Irani, and Arab Muslims at this conference. This beautiful diversity proved to bring a dynamic discussion to our day. We were also blessed to have Muslims representing various sects of the Ummah attending to address the very significant issue of domestic violence in our community. Throughout the day, we were able to serve 70 community members at this conference. This exceeded our goal by 20 people.

- Our service provider panelists were amazing! We had a mix of both Muslim and non-Muslim service providers who spoke about the services they provided and their accessibility for community members. There was a lively discussion that followed the service panel, and as a result the conference time was extended. Because the service panel was the last presentation of the day, the audience reduced to around 25 community members leaving an intimate group of people participating in the discussion and networking with the 8 service providers. In addition, service providers in the audience shared additional resources and information.

- The Islamic Law vs. Washington State Family Law debate created a lot of discussion and opportunities for community members to reflect on the similarities in both sets of decree. The Q&A for both Imam Joban representing his perspective on Islamic Law and Shahzad Qadri Esq. representing his experiences in the legal field proved to be extremely rousing and stimulating.

- Sister Salma Abugideiri presented refreshing perspectives on domestic violence and the Islamic context by speaking on the wisdom of the Holy Quran and through looking at Prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) experiences in life. A highlight and treat for the audience in her presentations was having the opportunity to view exclusive footage of the soon to be released film that Sister Salma worked on in conjunction with The Faith Trust Institute. (Read more on the The Peaceful Families Project.)

- Lastly, it was a true testament to the togetherness of the community to see so many volunteers serving in child-care, food service and set-up, accommodations, etc. We would like to especially thank Sister Salma who came from Virginia to share her expertise and bring our community together.

We hope that this conference generated as much energy for you as it did for Chaya staff and the Peaceful Families Taskforce. Please look out for updates of future Peaceful Families events and meetings. Come be a part of a community movement!

Special Thanks To:

Abbas Walji- for coordinating site and being so flexible

Abbas Rizvi- for being the liaison between Chaya and IMAN and for facilitating

Jawad Khaki- for your graciousness and Dua’s

Sahar, Sharleen, and Farida for leading and facilitating our conference

To all Chaya Staff

and

To present board members for all of their support!

--Natasha

Interesting information from SAALT

 

SAALT Reports:
New Information and Incidents Around Immigration & Xenophobia

Did you know that recent statistics indicate that undocumented individuals from India represent the sixth largest undocumented population in the US?

Read more

LET'S SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

It’s October 26, 2007, and we are nearing the end of Domestic Violence Awareness month. DV has been in the headlines all through this month - Richard McIver, Seattle City Councilmember, was arrested on domestic violence charges; former American Idol contestant Corey Clark pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated harassment involving domestic violence; a Burien man was killed by his former girlfriend, the University of Washington was fined $2,100 for endangering the late Rebecca Griego and other employees by not communicating workplace safety policies; and more.

As DV Awareness month rolls around every year, these questions always re-emerge. Is our work having an impact? Are things changing? Is it all bad news all the way?

The good news - well, last night at the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence Take Action Awards reception I heard from everyday people who dedicate huge chunks of their lives to making change. Our own Ginny NiCarthy, former Chaya board member, writer, activist, changemaker, received an award honoring her decades of work on domestic violence. 13 year old Jazmyne Leighton received an award for spearheading the creation of a support group for teens because she knew what she and her siblings needed, Victoria Throm for starting the DV Taskforce in Covington that has become an organizing force in that community (some of you may have heard of the purple light bulb campaign), two API fraternities for taking on peer education in their communities - and there were many other awardees. The scope and breadth of work in King County is inspiring.

And, during a recent session of “walk ‘n talk” with Ginny one sunny day, I learned about an article on the substantial decline (40%) in child abuse numbers between 1992 and 2000 . My first response - Why haven’t I heard about this? Is the same true for domestic violence?

Honestly, I always get depressed when I quote statistics on DV. Its like bad news over and over again- but this is the reality, right? I feel overwhelmed at the breadth of the problem when I think about these numbers.

· Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.

· That on average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. In 2000, 1,247 women were killed by an intimate partner.

· That approximately one in five female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.

· That three in four women who reported they had been raped and/or physically assaulted since age 18 said that a current or former husband, cohabiting partner, or date committed the assault. (Check out these and more stats)

I needed, wanted, hoped to find statistics that showed positive changes, numbers that would give me hope that the work we do is having some impact – and this is what I found on the DOJ site.

· “The number of women killed by intimates was stable for nearly two decades. After 1993, the number declined reaching the lowest level recorded in 2004. “ Intimates are defined to include spouses, ex-spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends.

· The number of intimate victims in each race and gender group declined during that period and “the number of black males killed by intimates dropped by 83%, white males by 61%, black females by 52%, and white females by 6%.” (Check out these and more stats.)

Its good to hear about positive trends, right? We are clearly doing something right. And optimist that I am, I believe that we are making a difference.

So, to all of you who are part of this movement in any way, shape of form – keep doing the good work, change is happening.

Aaliyah

 

Peaceful Families Conference

Assalamu Alaikum.

Establishing Healthy Muslim Families

Chaya is pleased to invite the entire Ummah to a long awaited day-long conference addressing healthy Muslim families and ending domestic violence in our community.

When: October 27th, 10am-4pm

Where: At the IMAN Center in Kirkland
            515 State Street, Kirkland WA 98033

Program:
-    Quranic Family Models
-    What is Domestic Violence?
-    What does Islam say about Domestic Violence?
-    Panel Discussion with Local Service Providers
-    Comparison of Washington State Family Law and Islamic Law

• A light breakfast and lunch will be served.
• Modest Attire Required: Long pants for Men; Scarves/Hijab for Women
• Childcare Available upon Request

RSVP:
Email natasha@chayaseattle.org
Or call 206 568 7576

This conference will be presented by Salma Abugideiri, co-director of the Peaceful Families Project. Salma is a licensed professional counselor who is certified in marriage and family therapy. She has a private practice in Reston, VA, and works with individuals and families who are dealing with a wide range of problems, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, abuse, and cultural adjustment issues. Ms. Abugideiri has worked extensively with refugees, immigrants, and Muslim & Middle Eastern families. She has sought to improve the Muslim community's access to mental health services. In addition to providing therapy, she enjoys consulting and providing cultural sensitivity trainings. She has co-authored a brief guide for helping professionals entitled "What Islam Says About Domestic Violence", and has written a chapter in "Walking Together: Working with Women from Diverse Religious & Spiritual Traditions."

The conference will also be facilitated by Imam Joban, and various local service providers (including lawyers, shelter advocates, and police staff)

Filmi Chakkar - TASVEER

Tasveer holds its 4th Annual Independent South Asian Film Festival!  This year's festival is FREE and runs from October 3-7 at Broadway Performance Hall. 

Opening the festival will be Salman Ahmed of Junoon fame, Pakistani rock-star, filmmaker and peace activist who's dared to take on politicians and mullahs, and address taboos and hypocrisies.  The films come from various South Asian countries and the issues they address span from sexuality and identity, to faith and war, to comedy and human relationships.  The festival includes post-film discussions with filmmakers,  receptions, and a documentary workshop.  The festival has really grown in the last few years and Chaya extends its heartiest congratulations to Tasveer.  Don't miss it people, it will be great!  Check out the schedule.

Chaya is the proud sponsor of View From a Grain of Sand, showcasing the voices of three Afghan women, each dramatically affected by the different regimes of the last twenty-five years, and The Widow Colony, a film that looks into the lives of the widows of the Sikh men who were killed in the anti-Sikh massacre of November, 1984.

Check back in after the festival for reviews and discussions.  See you there!