Living Organ Donation for Transplantation in Bangladesh: Reality and Problems

The stipulation of living organ transplantation policy and practice in Bangladesh is family-oriented, with relatives being the only people legally eligible to donate organs. There have been very few transplantations of bone marrows, liver lobes, and kidneys from related-living donors in Bangladesh. The major question addressed in this study is why Bangladesh is not getting adequate organs for transplantation. In this study, I examin the stipulations of the policy and practice of living organ donation through the lens of 32 key stakeholders including physicians and nurses, a health administrator, organ donors and recipients, and their family members, as they can shed light on the realities and problems of organ donation for transplantation in Bangladesh. My ethnography reveals that the family members are always encouraged to donate organs for transplantation, and saving the lives of relatives through organ donation is seen as a moral obligation. Many view saving the life of a relative by donating one's organs as equivalent to saving one's own life. An assessment of the dynamics of biomedicine, religion, and culture leads to the conclusion that the family-oriented organ donation policy and practice have been widely endorsed and accepted in Bangladesh, and Islamic ethical principles and collective family ethos undergird that policy and practice. However, the unavailability of medical resources, lack of post-operative coverage for organ donors, religious misconceptions and unawareness of the general public, and the absence of posthumously donated vital organs for transplantation are perceived to be the most common barriers to a successful living donor-recipient pair organ transplantation. By overcoming these obstacles, Bangladesh can develop a successful living donor-recipient pair organ transplantation program that will ensure improved healthcare outcomes, promote altruism and solidarity among Bangladeshi families, and protect the poor from having their organs sold to wealthy patients.

The Development and Implementation of a Custom-Tailored Suicide Response Training for Muslim Communities

Research indicates that the suicide attempt rate among American Muslims is at least twice the rate of the national US average and follows a different trend of suicide behavior compared to other groups. Religious leaders, such as Imams, are commonly sought out for support, but many lack training in mental health crisis management. The Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab created the Muslim Community Suicide Response Manual and its accompanying training modules to address this issue. This paper describes the creation, evolution, and future directions of the Suicide Response Training from an Islamic perspective to reduce suicide risk in Muslim communities.

Religious involvement and psychological well-being in the Middle East

OBJECTIVE

There is growing evidence that religious involvement is associated with better mental health in Christian Western countries. Whether the same is true in Middle Eastern countries whose populations are largely Muslim is less clear. The present study examined the association between religiosity and psychological well-being in the Middle East.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved nationally representative samples of adults aged 18 or older in Egypt (n = 3496), Tunisia (n = 3070), and Turkey (n = 3019) (Wave 1 of Middle Eastern Values Panel Study). Data on psychological well-being (life satisfaction, happiness, and optimism) were available on 8835-8886 participants. Bivariate analyses and multivariate analyses were conducted, controlling for age, gender, education, employment status, marital status, financial satisfaction, economic class, country, and Muslim religious affiliation. Interactions with gender were also examined.

RESULTS

Most participants (95%) reported a Muslim affiliation. Bivariate analyses indicated a positive association between overall religiosity (the primary predictor) and life satisfaction (r = .12), happiness (r = .13) and optimism (r = .19) (P < .0001). Multivariate analyses indicated a significant relationship between overall religiosity and life satisfaction (B = .046, SE = .005), happiness (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.02-1.04), and optimism (B = .054, SE = .005). A significant interaction between gender and religiosity was found for life satisfaction (B = -.025, SE = .009, P = .007), such that the association was stronger in males than in females. For happiness and optimism, trends were in the same direction.

CONCLUSIONS

Small but significant associations between overall religiosity (beliefs and practices) and psychological well-being were found in this largely Muslim Middle Eastern sample. Prospective studies are needed to determine the causal direction of these relationships.

The influence of religiosity on food choice among British Muslims: A qualitative study

Background: Religiosity is known to have a socio-cultural influence on food choice. However, to date, research exploring the influence of Islam on food selection has almost exclusively focused on fasting during Ramadan and has not explored the influences of Islam on everyday food choices among Muslim people. Aim: This qualitative study explored the influence of Islamic religiosity on everyday food choices among Muslim people. Methods: Thirty-two adult participants residing in the United Kingdom (n = 16 faith leaders and n = 16 lay Muslim people) were recruited from three Sunni mosques, and data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and a constant comparison method was applied to draw out similarities and differences between faith leaders and lay Muslim people. Results: The results revealed that Islamic religiosity had an influence over food choice with two main overarching themes 1) Demonstrating religious obedience through food choices and, 2) Spheres of influence on food choice; and five sub-themes 1a) Trusting in familiar food providers, 1b) Verification of halal authenticity, 1c) Seeking purity within food, 2a) The Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) as a role model for food choice and, 2b) Islamic jurisprudence. Conclusion: These findings provide important insights into the influence of Islam on food choice and could be used support the design of faith-informed dietary interventions among Muslim people. Further research is required to examine the role of faith-informed dietary intervention in the Muslim community.

An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of the Stanford-Templeton Convenings on Islam and Suicide

For over 70 years, studies have reported lower rates of completed suicide in Muslim-majority countries and individuals who identify as Muslim. To this point, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Islam and lower risk of suicide remain understudied. In an effort to advance our understanding, we convened a bilingual international interdisciplinary panel of experts for a discussion of the current state and future directions of the field. In this paper, we present an exploratory qualitative analysis of the core themes that emerged from the group interviews. We also derive a general theoretical model of the association between Islam and suicide risk.

Muslims and End-of-Life Healthcare in Non-Muslim Majority Nations: A Systematic Literature Review

CONTEXT

As Muslim populations in non-Muslim majority nations grow and age, they will increasingly require culturally appropriate healthcare. Delivering such care requires understanding their experiences with, as well as preferences regarding, end-of-life healthcare.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the experiences, needs, and challenges of Muslim patients and caregivers with end-of-life, hospice, and palliative care.

METHODS

A systematic literature review using five databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) and key terms related to Islam and end-of-life healthcare. Papers were limited to English-language empirical studies of adults in non-Muslim majority nations. After removing duplicates, titles, abstracts, and articles were screened for quality and reviewed by a multidisciplinary team.

RESULTS

From an initial list of 1867 articles, 29 articles met all inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on end-of-life healthcare not related to palliative or hospice services and examined Muslim patient and caregiver experiences rather than their needs or challenges. Content analysis revealed three themes: (1) the role of family in caregiving as a moral duty and as surrogate communicators; (2) gaps in knowledge among providers related to Muslim needs and gaps in patient/family knowledge about advance care planning; and (3) the influence of Islam on Muslim physicians' perspectives and practices.

CONCLUSION

There is scant research on Muslim patients' and caregivers' engagement with end-of-life healthcare in non-Muslim majority nations. Existing research documents knowledge gaps impeding both Muslim patient engagement with end-of-life care and the delivery of culturally appropriate healthcare.

The Development of a Novel Suicide Postvention Healing Model for Muslim Communities in the United States of America

Suicide among American Muslims is understudied, despite recent research  highlighting increased suicide attempts among this population. While suicide is forbidden in Islam, formal guidelines for addressing and responding to suicide within Muslim communities did not exist until recently. The Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab has responded to a number of suicides in Muslim communities across North America and implemented an original model for suicide response and community healing. This approach incorporates Islamic principles and values to create a culturally and religiously congruent response to suicide that can support loss survivors and steer impacted communities toward healing. The Muslim Postvention Community Healing session described in this paper aims to provide a safe space for individuals impacted by suicide to come together and process their emotions, while also using Islamic teachings to guide the healing process. This unique model has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for Muslim communities across North America, and beyond, in addressing and responding to suicide.

A Brief Overview of the Islamic Ethics of Suicide and Suicide-Related Contemporary Issues from a Sunnī Perspective: A Primer for Clinicians and Researchers

Suicide is a growing global health concern with complex socioeconomic implications. Understanding psychosocial resiliency factors may facilitate suicide prevention. Religious moral objections to suicide, including those inspired by the Islamic faith, appear to promote resilience to suicide. However, few English-language resources provide an overview of Islam's moral and ethical position on suicide, potentially hindering treatment of, and research on, suicide risk among Muslims. In the current paper, Islam's unanimous prohibition of suicide is explored and contextualized within the religion's foundational principles regarding the sanctity of life, the role and necessity of hardships, and one's responsibility to care for their body and to maintain their rights to their community. The role of harsh deterrents to suicide are contrasted with the impetus to show compassion to the deceased and the bereaved. Given the increasing focus on suicide-related topics such as euthanasia/ medical assistance in dying (MAID) and suicide contagion, Islam's ethical and legal position on suicide is discussed in the context of these contemporary moral issues.

Developing a Suicide Crisis Response Team in America: An Islamic Perspective

Suicide is a critical public health issue in the United States, recognized as the tenth leading cause of death across all age groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Despite the Islamic prohibition on suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide mortality persist among Muslim populations. Recent data suggest that U.S. Muslim adults are particularly vulnerable, with a higher attempt history compared to respondents from other faith traditions. While the underlying reasons for this vulnerability are unclear, it is evident that culturally and religiously congruent mental health services can be utilized to steer suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention in Muslim communities across the United States. However, the development of Suicide Response toolkits specific to Muslim populations is currently limited. As a result, Muslim communities lack a detailed framework to appropriately respond in the event of a suicide tragedy. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by providing structured guidelines for the formation of a Crisis Response Team (CRT) through an Islamic lens. The CRT comprises of a group of individuals who are strategically positioned to respond to a suicide tragedy. Ideally, the team will include religious leaders, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, social workers, and community leaders. The proposed guidelines are designed to be culturally and religiously congruent and take into account the unique cultural and religious factors that influence Muslim communities' responses to suicide. By equipping key personnel in Muslim communities with the resources to intervene in an emergent situation, provide support to those affected, and mobilize community members to assist in prevention efforts, this model can help save lives and prevent future suicide tragedies in Muslim communities across the United States.

Late Middle Ages-Europe

At the end of the late Middle Ages, there had been changes in indications for surgery, with prophylactic trepanation falling out of favor. The management of wounds and the methods for opening the cranium had become fairly standardized. Narrow non-plunging trepans were the preferred drills, and cranial openings were widened by the use of multiple drill holes connected with chisels of which the lenticular was preferred. Concerns about damaging the dura led Theodoric to delay trepanation until the clinical changes reflected separation of the dura from the cranium, at least in his view. Draining pus remained the main indication for trepanation. In no case was the level of consciousness considered in determining the need to open the cranium.

Emigration of Greek Knowledge to the Arab World

The period described in this chapter reflects activity prior to the establishment of surgical centers in Europe in the twelfth century. It is a kind of prologue to the reintroduction of high-quality surgical practice. Religious squabbles within Christianity led to European medicine and surgery, the principles of which were written in Greek, being transported eastwards into the region newly dominated by Islam. There the works were translated into Arabic and during three to four hundred years, the works were not only retained but were enriched by contributions from within Arab culture. This evolution naturally enough came to affect what happened next. However, one thing is clear and was even commented on as early as by Albucasis. The surgeon's respect and distinction within society had depreciated during the sojourn of medical science in the Islamic world, with physicians being regarded as distinctly superior beings. With regard to specific details related to opening the head there was broad consistency between the various authors all of whom seem to have been greatly influenced by Paul of Ægina. Thus, there is no mention of the crown trepan. Opening the skull was performed with the non-perforating trepans making small holes which were connected with chisels or lenticulars. The indication to do this was separation of the dura from the bone. Whether or not the sutures should be avoided when trepanning is not a topic mentioned in these writings. There was also no recommendation for prophylactic trepanation.

Europe following Galen

Unlike previous chapters, this is not about the teachings of a specific individual. Rather, it traces the slow changes in milieu and practice in the centuries following the death of Galen. They were to be profound. The Roman Empire fell in the middle of the 5th century. The Christian religion became increasingly dominant in the west, not only in spiritual matters but also in every activity related to culture and learning. The Byzantine Empire became increasingly important in the east. Islam was founded and began to spread in competition with Christianity. Academic advances develop best in stable societies so that it is not surprising that this was not a period of new ideas. Galen had gained overwhelming authority. The most valuable work on surgery to be written during these times was Book VI of Paul of Ægina's encyclopedia.

Discrimination and health: A cross-sectional study comparing Muslims with other-religious

AIMS

The aim of this study is to report perceived discrimination among Muslims living in Norway and to address and compare associations between perceived discrimination and health among Muslims with an immigrant background and other-religious with an immigrant background.

METHOD

A representative sample of individuals with an immigrant background in Norway was used in a cross-sectional study design that included 5484 respondents aged 16 to 74 years. The respondents were sub-grouped after religious affiliation, and as immigrants and Norwegian-born. This sample is from 'The Survey on living conditions among persons with an immigrant background 2016', conducted by Statistics Norway. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived discrimination and self-rated health and between perceived discrimination and mental health problems.

RESULTS

Our findings show that Muslims with an immigrant background are more likely to report perceived discrimination than non-Muslims with an immigrant background. Perceived discrimination was associated with poor self-rated health and mental health problems among immigrant Muslims and Norwegian-born Muslims. Among other-religious with an immigrant background, perceived discrimination had an inverse relationship with mental health problems among immigrants, while an association between perceived discrimination and poor self-rated health was found among Norwegian-born.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that perceived discrimination does play a role in health among minorities with an immigrant background in Norway, regardless of religion. However, the association between perceived discrimination and poor health seems to be stronger among Muslims, especially Norwegian-born Muslims.

Islamic perspectives on preconception, prenatal, and perinatal counseling

With advances in prenatal imaging, genetic testing, and medical treatment of premature neonates, new bioethical challenges have arisen. Many Muslims turn to their faith and religious leaders to help navigate these novel challenges. This article briefly discusses the factors that are involved in religious leaders issuing a fatwa, or religious opinion. Using clinical scenarios, this article reviews the current discourse amongst Islamic scholars and laws in Muslim-majority countries regarding challenging bioethical topics surrounding preconception counseling, antenatal testing and termination of pregnancy, as well as Islamic scholars' attempts to determine a minimum gestational age of viability using primary religious texts, the Quran and hadith. Challenges and shortcomings in the Islamic perspective on these issues are also addressed to highlight areas in which further research should be pursued. A deeper understanding of Islamic religious perspectives on these topics can help clinicians in providing care that is informed by patients' cultural and religious values.

Sex Reassignment Surgery, Marriage, and Reproductive Rights of Intersex and Transgender People in Sunni Islam

The traditional gender binary constitutes an integral aspect of Islamic social ethics, which has a pivotal role in shaping religious obligations, legal proceedings, and interpersonal judgments within Muslim communities. Within the familial sphere, this gender binary underscores fundamental responsibilities encompassing parenthood, filial duties, and inheritance rights. Recent years have witnessed a growing challenge to the traditional concept of the gender binary within Islamic societies. This shift is driven by increasing social libertarianism that emphasizes gender fluidity and individual choice. Hence, this article aims to critically scrutinize evolving discussions and controversies about the rights of intersex and transgender individuals, particularly issues relating to sex reassignment or gender-affirming surgery, marriage, and reproduction, from the perspective of the Sunni tradition of Islam. To support the various interpretations and insights presented here, a comprehensive and rigorous analysis is carried out on various religious texts and scholarly sources to elucidate the theological and jurisprudential positions on gender issues. It is thus concluded that Shariah offers greater flexibility in the treatment of intersex individuals compared to those with gender dysphoria because the intersex condition is viewed as a physical impairment that is not the choice of the afflicted individual. By contrast, in the case of individuals with gender dysphoria, they are willfully attempting to change their recognized biological sex, that God had naturally given to them at birth. Therefore, it is recommended that such transgender individuals deserve respectful psychological and social rehabilitation with help and guidance from religious authorities, their families, and communities.

The family caregiving; A Rogerian concept analysis of Muslim perspective & Islamic sources

Despite the numerous concepts of caregiving discussed in the literature, there is still no agreed definition and concept of family caregiving from the perspective of Islam. This study aims to comprehensively define family caregiving from Islamic religious and Muslim cultural perspectives. Rodger's evolutionary model was used to generate content by analyzing and redefining concepts. A thorough examination of the relevant literature using Scopus, PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL databases also trusted sources offered a total of 52 articles and 8 books to be reviewed. Our study reveals that family caregiving is viewed as God's gift as important as an essential religious and cultural obligation in Islam, where humans are expected to deliver care for their families although they are unprepared. This can be motivated by aspirations for respect, love, responsibility, and a desire to recompense parents, as well as the belief that by doing so they will be rewarded in the hereafter. The provision of family caregiving leads to positive consequences such as living with hope, gaining rewards and achievement, but at the same time, it also causes devastated life. This research contributes to a new discourse on family caregiving based on Islamic literature which helps in the comprehension of the practices of Muslim communities worldwide.

Islam, assisted reproductive technology and the politics of emergence: When markets and hegemonies collide

The engagement between markets and cultural hegemonies is shaped by the politics that promote or deny the emergence of fresh legitimations in response to the opportunities offered to consumers by new commodities. In the case of Islam and the assisted reproductive technology (ART) market, core cultural values concerning procreation, family and lineage come into direct conflict with the potential consumer demand generated by new ART technologies. Shaped by the character of multiple Islamic modernities and the authority structures of religion and state, it is the Shi'a-Sunni divide which most illuminates the politics of emergence driving the different Islamic responses to those cultural tensions. In Sunni states the hegemonic challenge of the ART commodity market is contained by the senior clerics, the traditional intellectuals of Islamic authority, often acting in concert with the state apparatus. In contrast, in Shi'a states the flexibility of its religious authority structures underpinned by the principles of ijtihad allows the formation of an alliance between traditional and medical organic intellectuals which facilitates the consumer choice of both ART commodities and legitimating values. However, what remains unresolved is the long-term impact of that trasformismo on the stability of the social structures which the Shi'a moral economy serves.

Islamic trauma healing (ITH): A scalable, community-based program for trauma: Cluster randomized control trial design and method

Background

Somalia has long been in a state of humanitarian crisis; trauma-related mental health needs are extremely high. Access to state-of-the-art mental health care is limited. Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH) is a manualized mosque-based, lay-led group intervention aimed at healing the individual and communal mental wounds of war and refugee trauma. The 6-session intervention combines Islamic principles with empirically-supported exposure and cognitive restructuring principles for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ITH reduces training time, uses a train the trainers (TTT) model, and relies on local partnerships embedded within the strong communal mosque infrastructure.

Methods

We will conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized control trial (RCT) in the Somaliland, with implementation in the cities of Hargeisa, Borama, and Burao. In this study, a lay-led, mosque-based intervention, Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH), to promote mental health and reconciliation will be examined in 200 participants, randomizing mosques to either immediate ITH or a delayed (waitlist; WL) ITH conditions. Participants will be assessed by assessors masked to condition at pre, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome will be assessor-rated posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD), with secondary outcomes of depression, somatic symptoms, and well-being. A TTT model will be tested, examining the implementation outcomes. Additional measures include potential mechanisms of change and cost effectiveness.

Conclusion

This trial has the potential to provide effectiveness and implementation data for an empirically-based principle trauma healing program for the larger Islamic community who may not seek mental health care or does not have access to such care.

Clinical trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05890482.

World health organization trial registration data set information

See Supplemental Appendix 1.

Predictors of Perceived Discrimination in Medical Settings Among Muslim Women in the USA

Minority groups based on immigration status, gender, or religion often face discrimination in healthcare settings. Muslim women, especially those who wear hijab, are more likely to experience stereotyping and discrimination in and outside of healthcare, but little is known about the sociodemographic predictors of this discrimination. We examined sociodemographic factors and religiosity as predictors of discrimination in medical settings among Muslim American women. Muslim women (n = 254) were recruited from Muslim organizations in Chicago to self-administer a survey on perceived discrimination, religiosity, and sociodemographic characteristics. Many participants reported that they were treated with less courtesy than non-Muslims (25.4%) and that a doctor or nurse did not listen to them (29.8%) or acted as though they were not smart (24.3%). A multivariable regression model revealed that self-rated religiosity was negatively associated with discrimination. Race/ethnicity trended towards predicting perceived discrimination such that Arabs and South Asians reported less discrimination than African Americans. The current study sheds light on the important role of religiosity in shaping Muslim women's experiences in medical settings and points to the buffering effect of religiosity and the additive consequences of racial/ethnic identity in experiences of religious discrimination.

What Social Workers Need to Know about Muslims: An Analysis of the Contemporary Social Work Scholarship

This article analyzes peer-reviewed English-language social work scholarship on Islam and Muslims published between 2011 and 2021. Of these 127 articles, 70 journal venues are represented, and first authors are primarily American (44 percent), followed by British (15 percent) and Canadian (11 percent). A total of 70 journals published studies analyzing data related to Muslims/Islam and social work, with 46 consisting of only one publication between 2011 and 2021. A total of 13 of these journals had a SCImago Journal Rank indicator of over 0.5, and three with rankings over 1.0. The volume of publications was high in 2015 and 2020, in particular. Major themes include faith-aligned and strengths-based approaches, the importance of mosques in the lives of Muslims, the relevance of the hijab in the lives of Muslim women, and the prevalence and impact of sociopolitical stereotypes. The conclusion calls for still greater culturally respectful approaches to the profession that include Islam and Muslim individuals/communities and ensuring that ethics and practice/research continue to evolve in ways that are culturally relevant to diverse communities.

How to Work with Muslim Clients in a Successful, Culturally Relevant Manner: A National Sample of American Muslims Share Their Perspectives

Despite the growing size of the American Muslim community, little research exists on the provision of culturally relevant services to members of this population. The purpose of this study was to identify American Muslims' perceptions regarding what practitioners should know about Muslims and Islamic culture to provide successful mental health services to members of this community. To conduct this study, a purposive snowball sampling method was employed to obtain a national sample of community-dwelling American Muslims (N = 213). Qualitative analysis identified eight interlaced themes, which can be summarized as follows: (1) know basic Islamic beliefs, (2) recognize intragroup ethnic/cultural differences, (3) develop self-awareness of personal biases, (4) respect Islamic gender roles, (5) avoid making assumptions, (6) use Islamic beliefs/practices as strengths, (7) understand bias in the larger secular culture, and (8) consult with Muslim therapists/Imams. The findings equip practitioners with the information they need to provide effective, culturally relevant services to members of the unique American Muslim community from a posture of respect and cultural humility.

Islamic Perspectives on Polygenic Testing and Selection of IVF Embryos (PGT-P) for Optimal Intelligence and Other Non-Disease-Related Socially Desirable Traits

In recent years, the genetic testing and selection of IVF embryos, known as preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), has gained much traction in clinical assisted reproduction for preventing transmission of genetic defects. However, a more recent ethically and morally controversial development in PGT is its possible use in selecting IVF embryos for optimal intelligence quotient (IQ) and other non-disease-related socially desirable traits, such as tallness, fair complexion, athletic ability, and eye and hair colour, based on polygenic risk scores (PRS), in what is referred to as PGT-P. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-based analysis of big data sets collated from genome sequencing of specific human ethnic populations can be used to estimate an individual embryo's likelihood of developing such multifactorial traits by analysing the combination of specific genetic variants within its genome. Superficially, this technique appears compliant with Islamic principles and ethics. Because there is no modification of the human genome, there is no tampering with Allah's creation (taghyīr khalq Allah). Nevertheless, a more critical analysis based on the five maxims of Islamic jurisprudence (qawa'id fiqhiyyah) that are often utilized in discourses on Islamic bioethics, namely qaṣd (intention), yaqın̄ (certainty), ḍarar (injury), ḍarūra (necessity), and `urf (custom), would instead reveal some major ethical and moral flaws of this new medical technology in the selection of non-disease-related socially desirable traits, and its non-compliance with the spirit and essence of Islamic law (shariah). Muslim scholars, jurists, doctors, and biomedical scientists should debate this further and issue a fatwa on this new medical technology platform.

Towards a better understanding between non-Muslim primary care clinicians and Muslim patients: A literature review intended to reduce health care inequities in Muslim patients

Although Muslims are a growing population within many non-Muslim countries, there are insufficient Muslim clinicians to care for them. Studies have shown that non-Muslim clinicians have limited knowledge and understanding of Islamic practices affecting health, which may lead to disparities in the quality of healthcare delivery and outcomes when caring for Muslim patients. Muslims come from many different cultures and ethnicities and have variations in their beliefs and practices. This literature review provides some insights which may strengthen therapeutic bonds between non-Muslim clinicians and their Muslim patients resulting in improved holistic, patient-centered care in the areas of cancer screening, mental health, nutrition, and pharmacotherapy. Additionally, this review informs clinicians about the Islamic perspective on childbirth, end of life issues, travel for Islamic pilgrimage, and fasting during the month of Ramadan. Literature was sourced by a comprehensive search in PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL along with hand screening of citations. Title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening excluded studies including less than 30% Muslim participants, protocols, or reporting results deemed irrelevant to primary care. 115 papers were selected for inclusion in the literature review. These were grouped into the themes of general spirituality, which were discussed in the Introduction, and Islam and health, Social etiquette, Cancer screening, Diet, Medications and their alternatives, Ramadan, Hajj, Mental health, Organ donation and transplants, and End of life. Summarizing the findings of the review, we conclude that health inequities affecting Muslim patients can be addressed at least in part by improved cultural competency in non-Muslim clinicians, as well as further research into this area.

Muslim women's views and experiences of family planning in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Islamic beliefs are associated with decreased contraceptive use compared to other religions, and Muslim women's contraceptive needs are often unmet. Research is needed to provide an in-depth understanding of the complex set of barriers to Muslim women's contraceptive use. Therefore, we aimed to explore Muslim women's awareness and experiences with family planning in Saudi Arabia and investigate barriers to contraceptive use and access to family planning.

METHODS

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with women in a public hospital, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and June 2019. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight women participated in the study. Women's contraceptive awareness was limited to two methods. Women expressed positive attitudes towards family planning and did not believe it is forbidden in Islam. Barriers to contraception use included lack of knowledge, misconceptions, fear of side effects, family and community and social norms. Many women expressed that they have the right to use contraception, even if their husbands disapprove. Our findings show that healthcare providers rarely offered contraceptive advice, even when requested. Healthcare providers often prescribe oral contraceptives without offering information on other methods available.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that education plays a fundamental role in reproductive autonomy. Men's role in family planning should be encouraged through sharing reproductive responsibility and supporting women's contraceptive choices. Efforts should be directed towards improving women's awareness of different methods of contraception.

American Muslims' Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: Exploring the Effects of Gender, Religiosity, and Income Inequality

Literature on Muslims and Islam has not empirically assessed the impact of American Muslims' gender, religiosity, income inequality, and the interaction between the latter two factors, on their attitudes toward homosexuality. Using logistic regression models fitted to data from the 2017 Pew Survey of US Muslims (n = 712), this article assesses these factors' effects on their view that society should either accept or discourage homosexuality. Findings reveal that men, compared with women, and more religious individuals tend to express homonegativity; while those from higher-income households are likely to agree that society should accept same-sex relationships. Also, the religiosity-prejudice association is moderated by income inequality. These findings have important religious and social implications. Firstly, the prevailing approach of essentializing Islamic perspectives on homosexuality as being favorable or prejudicial overlooks that they are socially contingent. Secondly, policies contributing to Muslim minorities' economic well-being can encourage them to embrace liberal religious and social values.

Suicide literacy mediates the path from religiosity to suicide stigma among Muslim community adults: Cross-sectional data from four Arab countries

BACKGROUND

The majority of research attention has been devoted to the link between religiosity and suicide risk, and a considerable amount of studies has been carried out on how stigma impacts individuals with mental health problems of different kinds. However, the interplay between religiosity, suicide literacy and suicide stigma has seldom been empirically researched, especially quantitatively. We sought through this study to redress the imbalance of research attention by examining the relationship between religiosity and suicide stigma; and the indirect and moderating effects of suicide literacy on this relationship.

METHOD

A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among Arab-Muslim adults originating from four Arab countries (Egypt: N = 1029, Kuwait: N = 2182, Lebanon N = 781, Tunisia N = 2343; Total sample: N = 6335). The outcome measures included the Arabic Religiosity Scale which taps into variation in the degree of religiosity, the Stigma of Suicide Scale-short form to the solicit degree of stigma related to suicide, and the Literacy of Suicide Scale explores knowledge and understanding of suicide.

RESULTS

Our Mediation analyses findings showed that literacy of suicide partially mediated the association between religiosity and stigmatizing attitude toward suicide. Higher religiosity was significantly associated with less literacy of suicide; higher literacy of suicide was significantly associated with less stigma of suicide. Finally, higher religiosity was directly and significantly associated with more stigmatization attitude toward suicide.

CONCLUSION

We contribute the literature by showing, for the first time, that suicide literacy plays a mediating role in the association between religiosity and suicide stigma in a sample of Arab-Muslim community adults. This preliminarily suggests that the effects of religiosity on suicide stigma can be modifiable through improving suicide literacy. This implies that interventions targeting highly religious individuals should pay dual attention to increasing suicide literacy and lowering suicide stigma.

Islam's weight in global history: A response to Sidaway

In this commentary, we discuss three major themes that Sidaway raises in his article, 'Beyond the Decolonial: Critical Muslim Geographies': the problem of Muslims as 'others'; the fraught role of religion as a universal category; and Muslim geographies as perceived in area studies and global history. Along these lines, we argue that Sidaway makes a number of important interventions aimed at changing the social science focus on Muslims in the West, highlighting the importance of Islamic concepts, and dislocating spaces of Islam from predefined geographical areas. After a critical discussion of the specific approaches presented in the article, we follow up on Sidaway's encouragement to think beyond the decolonial. We see this as an invitation to formulate our own vision of a new global history of Islam that takes into account traces of the influence of Muslims and of Islam more broadly speaking from Indigenous Australia to China to the Americas, and from everyday culture in Europe to extinct empires in Iberia, Sicily, and the Balkans. From this perspective, we argue, a more serious engagement with the multitude of global Islamic influences beyond Muslim communities might turn into a powerful force of decolonization.

Family-based consent and motivation for familial organ donation in Bangladesh: An empirical exploration

The government of Bangladesh approved the human organ transplantation law in 1999 and updated it in 2018. This legislation approved both living-related donor and posthumous organ transplantation. The law only allows family members to legally donate organs to their relatives. The main focus of this study was to explore how Bangladeshis make donation decisions on familial organs for transplantation. My ethnographic fieldwork with forty participants (physicians and nurses, a healthcare administrator, organ donors, recipients, and their relatives) disclosed that the organ donation decision was family-based. An assessment of the relationship between religion, culture, and biomedicine leads to the conclusion that deciding on donating organs to relatives is primarily family-based and is perceived to be steeped in Islamic ethical principles and religious cultural tradition. The family-based consent and motivation for donor-recipient pair organ transplantation strengthen an altruistic environment for the family and act as the moral and legal authority that ensures ethical healthcare outcomes for Bangladeshis.

[Islam and assisted reproduction treatments: an empirical study on the relationship between science and religion in Tangier and Barcelona.]

In recent decades there have been significant developments in assisted reproduction techniques, which have aided couples with difficulties in having children. These techniques have been well received in different parts of the world, and Muslim countries have been no exception. Adopting sociologist Michèle Lamont's theoretical perspective on "boundaries", semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 health professionals and Islamic community leaders in the cities of Tangier and Barcelona during 2022. The aim of this article is twofold: first, to analyze how key actors in the Muslim community conceive of the relationship between Islam and science; second, to explain how this understanding is negotiated in relation to assisted reproduction treatments. The article concludes with a consideration of the complexities related to drawing the line between the positions of science and religion, and emphasized the importance of examining empirical cases in order to better capture the complex relationship between these two spheres and gain a deeper understanding of existing bioethical debates.

Breastfeeding Practices and Associated Factors among Immigrant Muslim Arab Women Living in a Metropolitan Area of the Southwest of United States

Background

Muslim Arab immigrants are a fast-growing, under-studied, and underserved minority population in the United States. Little is known about breastfeeding practices in this population.

objectives

The objective of this study was to describe infant feeding practices and factors associated with these practices among immigrant Muslim Arab women.

design

A nonexperimental-one group, cross-sectional, descriptive, prospective design was used to identify infant feeding practices among immigrant Muslim Arab women.

methods

A convenience sample of one hundred sixteen immigrant Muslim Arab women with at least one child five years or younger was recruited from a large metropolitan area in the Southwestern region. Participants completed the social ecological model of health promotion self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed to identify infant feeding practices and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with these practices.

results

Immigrant Muslim Arab mothers demonstrate high breastfeeding initiation rates (99.2%) and lengthy breastfeeding duration (M = 11.86, SD = 8.04), but low rates of exclusive breastfeeding at six months (21.6%). The most frequent reasons for early termination of breastfeeding were perceived insufficient milk (44.4%), child was still hungry after breastfeeding (37.5%), and the belief that the child was old enough to stop breastfeeding (32.9%).

conclusion

Development of educational interventions are needed to improve breastfeeding exclusivity and raise women's awareness of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding. Healthcare providers should help women gain confidence in their ability to produce enough milk to successfully continue breastfeeding.

Mental illness stigma as a moderator in the relationship between religiosity and help-seeking attitudes among Muslims from 16 Arab countries

BACKGROUND

Determining the potential barriers responsible for delaying access to care, and elucidating pathways to early intervention should be a priority, especially in Arab countries where mental health resources are limited. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the relationship between religiosity, stigma and help-seeking in an Arab Muslim cultural background. Hence, we propose in the present study to test the moderating role of stigma toward mental illness in the relationship between religiosity and help-seeking attitudes among Muslim community people living in different Arab countries.

METHOD

The current survey is part of a large-scale multinational collaborative project (StIgma of Mental Problems in Arab CounTries [The IMPACT Project]). We carried-out a web-based cross-sectional, and multi-country study between June and November 2021. The final sample comprised 9782 Arab Muslim participants (mean age 29.67 ± 10.80 years, 77.1% females).

RESULTS

Bivariate analyses showed that less stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness and higher religiosity levels were significantly associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes. Moderation analyses revealed that the interaction religiosity by mental illness stigma was significantly associated with help-seeking attitudes (Beta = .005; p < .001); at low and moderate levels of stigma, higher religiosity was significantly associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes.

CONCLUSION

Our findings preliminarily suggest that mental illness stigma is a modifiable individual factor that seems to strengthen the direct positive effect of religiosity on help-seeking attitudes. This provides potential insights on possible anti-stigma interventions that might help overcome reluctance to counseling in highly religious Arab Muslim communities.

The Impact of Lifestyle on the Immune System: Focus on Islamic Lifestyle: A Narrative Review

"Lifestyle" is the way or style of people living in a special time and place and includes behaviors and functions of individuals which are formed in a specific geographical, economic, political, cultural, and religious context and influenced by them. Lifestyle as an essential and efficient agent, impacts different aspects of human health, including immune functions. In the Islamic lifestyle, many recommendations have beneficial effects on human health. Islamic lifestyle influences human immunity with comprehensive recommendations and rules for different stages of life from the beginning until death. Breastfeeding is strongly emphasized in the Islamic lifestyle with an essential role in passive immunity. The quality of breastfeeding has been noticed; therefore, some spiritual words during breastfeeding have been recommended, such as the name of God, which affect the mother's and baby's immune systems via the neuro-immuno-endocrine network. Islamic lifestyle, especially in nutrition and attention to permission and forbidden foods, can prevent obesity and nutritional disorders and therefore may influence infection spread and prevention of diseases. In addition, there is a good synchronization between the hours of prayer "Salat", circadian rhythm, and immune response. In fasting according to Islamic rules (Sawm), moderate hunger and thirst may result in the enhancement of T cell function, cytokine production, and NK cell activity and diminish the negative effects of cholesterol on the immune system. Emphasis on the necessity of paying attention to maintain spiritual health and piety (Taghva) and encouraging marriage are other examples of Islamic lifestyle-related recommendations with beneficial effects on human immune functions. Hence, it is believed that Islamic teaching presents patterns for a healthy life style that could be beneficial for the immune system.

Assessment of health-care workers' attitudes, knowledge, and skills in the care of critically ill Muslim children in New York

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric health-care workers often care for families of minority religious backgrounds, but little is known about their perspective in providing culturally and spiritually appropriate care for Muslim patients. We aimed to (1) characterize the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of health-care workers in the care of critically ill Muslim children and (2) evaluate preferences for different educational interventions to improve care of critically ill Muslim children.

METHODS

We administered a single-center, cross-sectional, 33-question, electronic survey of interdisciplinary health-care workers in a large pediatric intensive care unit in New York City to characterize their attitudes, knowledge, and skills in caring for critically ill Muslim children.

RESULTS

Of 413 health-care workers surveyed, there were 109 (26%) respondents. Participants responded correctly to 51.7 ± 22.2% (mean ± SD) and 69.2 ± 20.6% of background knowledge and clinical skills questions, respectively. Only 29.8% of participants perceived adequate institutional resources to provide culturally competent care to Muslim patients and their families. Participants identified end-of-life care (47.5%) and bioethical concerns (45%) as needed areas for additional institutional resources. When asked about support to aid in caring for Muslim patients, 43.4% of participants requested a team of Muslim health-care workers to provide guidance. Participants most often requested video-based training modules (32.5%) and written materials (30%) as potential educational interventions.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

We identify gaps in health-care worker knowledge and skills in the care of the critically ill Muslim child. We also describe possible areas for intervention to facilitate culturally and spiritually appropriate care delivery to Muslim children and families.

Interventions using the Qur'an to promote mental health: a systematic scoping review

BACKGROUND

Accommodating and addressing the beliefs and attitudes of Muslim patients, means designing culturally competent mental health services. Practicing Muslims around the world often use the Qur'an when seeking guidance for health.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to identify interventions using the Qur'an as a promoting factor for mental health.

METHODS

The paucity of academic literature in the area meant a systematic scoping review of the evidence was appropriate. Conducting the search for peer-reviewed evidence used six databases, searching for grey literature used Google Scholar, for evidence published up to 29^th December 2022. Analysis used the Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for practice and Research recommendations (PAGER) framework for scoping reviews to report the findings clearly and accessibly.

RESULTS

Out of 1590 articles from databases and 35 from other sources (n = 1625), 79 full-text articles meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved. Further assessment for eligibility, excluded 35 articles; leaving 44 studies in the final analysis. Interventions identified Salah and supplicant praying, recitation, reading, memorizing and listening to the Qur'an to reduce anxiety, depression and stress and increase quality of life and coping. There was a paucity of evidence from Western countries utilising the Qur'an to support mental health and wellbeing, suggesting a lack of cultural accommodation. Interventions tended to be mostly biomedical and excluded exploration of psychosocial factors such as the effect of social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research could utilise the Qur'an for Muslim patients, integrating it into routine health care interventions and delivery platforms and more closely relating to Islamic lifestyles. This aims to promote mental health and wellbeing, working towards the WHO 2013-2030 MHAP building mental health and psychosocial support capacity and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, good health and wellbeing, by 2030.

Islamic Perspectives on Elective Ovarian Tissue Freezing by Single Women for Non-medical or Social Reasons

Non-medical or Social egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) is currently a controversial topic in Islam, with contradictory fatwas being issued in different Muslim countries. While Islamic authorities in Egypt permit the procedure, fatwas issued in Malaysia have banned single Muslim women from freezing their unfertilized eggs (vitrified oocytes) to be used later in marriage. The underlying principles of the Malaysian fatwas are that (i) sperm and egg cells produced before marriage, should not be used during marriage to conceive a child; (ii) extraction of mature egg cells from single women being unacceptable; and (iii) fertility preservation in anticipation of late marriage is a conjecture that has not yet occurred. Ovarian tissue freezing can potentially be a more Shariah-compliant alternative to social egg freezing, because once the frozen ovarian cortical tissue sections have been re-transplanted back into the woman, mature egg cells can readily be produced, collected, and fertilized by the husband's sperm only during the period of marriage contract ('akd al-nikāḥ). Unlike accidental mix-ups with frozen eggs, muddling of lineage (nasab) would be automatically avoided in ovarian tissue freezing due to immunological rejection. However, upon critical analysis based on Qawā'id Fiqhiyyah (Islamic Legal Maxims), Maqāṣid-al-Shariah (Higher Objectives of Islamic Law), and Maslaḥah-Mafsadah (benefits versus harmful effects on society), elective ovarian tissue freezing by healthy single women for social reasons would likely be a highly contentious and controversial issue within Muslim communities that may conflict with conservative social-religious norms. This thus needs further debate among Islamic jurists in dialogue with medical doctors and biomedical scientists.

Do parenting behaviors intended as discipline vary by household religious affiliation in Cameroon?

BACKGROUND

Religious affiliation may account for some variance in parenting behaviors used for disciplinary intent. However, most reported studies of this relationship are limited to high-income countries focused on Christianity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine whether parenting behaviors vary by religion in a low- and middle-income country between Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim groups. It was hypothesized that Protestant households would have higher odds of select parenting behaviors.

PARTICIPANTS & SETTINGS

Data from the 2014 Cameroonian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, containing a nationally representative household sample, were used.

METHODS

Adult caregivers in selected households with a child aged 1-14 years of age participated in interviews containing a standardized disciplinary measure asking about the exposure of one randomly selected child to a series of parent behaviors in the preceding month.

RESULTS

Of the 4978 households, 41.6 % were Catholic, 30.9 % Protestant and 27.6 % Muslim. Spanking was the most common of the six types of physical punishments across groups with no association with household religion. In contrast, children in Protestant households had higher odds of being hit with an object compared to the other two groups, but only for younger children. Children in Protestant households also had higher odds of exposure to a combined approach, i.e., use of physical, psychological, and non-violent parent behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

This study advances the examination of the potential influence of household religion on parenting behavior, however further inquiry is needed to examine these patterns in other settings with additional indices of religiosity and disciplinary beliefs.

Experiences of Thai-Muslim patients regarding inconsistent antiretroviral therapy adherence: An exploratory descriptive qualitative study

Background

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has played a crucial role in saving countless lives of patients with HIV/AIDS across the world. However, despite its effectiveness, ART adherence still falls short globally, and non-adherence remains the primary cause of treatment failure. In the rural areas of southern Thailand, where the population is predominantly conservative Muslims, there has been an observed increase in ART non-adherence.

Objective

This study aimed to explore experiences of inconsistent ART adherence among Thai-Muslim patients with HIV/AIDS (PWHAs) in southern Thailand. In addition, the perspectives of healthcare providers were also sought.

Methods

Data were collected by conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten Thai-Muslim PWHAs and five healthcare providers at a Voluntary Counseling-and-Testing Clinic. A content analysis approach was utilized to analyze the data.

Results

Inconsistent ART adherence was reported. Religion/spiritual imperatives, forgetfulness, inadequate knowledge (of drug side effects and drug regime), misunderstandings (about being symptom-free and feeling well), boredom from long-term drug-taking regimes, as well as poor transportation and lack of family support (arising from non-disclosure of one's HIV-serostatus due to HIV stigma) were emergent themes derived from the interviews with Thai-Muslim PWHAs. The healthcare providers' interview data revealed their need for the integration of Islamic beliefs to provide better care.

Conclusion

It is essential for healthcare teams to work collaboratively with patients' religious beliefs to enhance ART adherence. Clinical nurses can contribute to the promotion of HIV-care services by integrating Islamic beliefs and Muslim culture into their practice, thus increasing patients' knowledge and motivation for ART adherence. This could entail utilizing Islamic prayer rituals as drug reminders, elaborating on Islamic moral beliefs concerning sickness and healing, and integrating the cultural imperatives of self-care in the Muslim community into ongoing care delivery. Cross-cultural nursing education and specialized training in HIV care should incorporate knowledge about Islamic and Muslim cultural beliefs.

Islamic Spiritual Care, Depression, and Quality of Life Among Patients With Heart Disease: A Systematic Review

Objectives: This study sought to identify the potential effect of Islamic-Spiritual care and how it is delivered in treating depression and improving the quality of life (QoL) of patients with heart disease. Methods: This systematic review is reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. We searched using relevant keywords through PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Springer Link, and Academic Search Complete. Articles with an experimental or cohort design were included, without date restrictions. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist, and data synthesis used thematic analysis. Results: The analysis included 6 of the 47 identified studies. All studies were conducted in Iran, and a small number had a low risk of bias. The intervention was given through an Islamic teaching strategy, indicating the potential to reduce depression and improve QoL. Moreover, the learning core consists of belief and surrender in God's providence, strengthened meaning and life's purposes, worship, and skills to overcome obstacles. Conclusions: The interventions had the potential to treat depression and improve the QoL. However, a further study considering the risks of bias and involving a larger patient population with other Muslim backgrounds is necessary.

Commentary on "From the War on Terror to the Moral Crusade Against Female Genital Mutilation: Anti-Muslim Racism and Femonationalism in the United States"

I am a practicing urologist with expertise in female genital cutting. In this commentary, I respond to Dr Dina Bader's article "From the War on Terror to the Moral Crusade Against Female Genital Mutilation." I outline the current climate around genital cutting, the various actors shaping female genital cutting (FGC) legislation, and public perceptions surrounding the issue. I conclude that legislative changes sweeping across the United States to ban FGC have a variety of motivations. Some are to lift politicians' profiles; some are to prevent destination FGC cutting domestically. The possibility of increased racial profiling or increased Islamophobia is perhaps underrecognized by liberals, and perhaps a discreet and intentional agenda for conservative lawmakers. The effect of this legislation also increases attention on the genital alteration of all children, male, female, and intersex, which could be the greatest benefit of all.

Parents' Supernatural Beliefs on Causes of Birth Defects: A Review from Islamic Perspective

In this article, parents' supernatural beliefs on causes of birth defects were reviewed and discussed from Islamic perspective to draw attention to the importance of supernatural powers in Islamic teachings. Birth defects have been known since ancient ages and many people with different birth defects, who lived in antiquity, have been described. Although reasons for birth defects given in early medieval, 13th, 16th, and 21st centuries medical texts showed differences, numerous people in different cultures of the world have believed the effects of supernatural powers can cause birth defects since early medieval ages. Sixteenth century medical authors associated biomedical explanations with social upheavals and theology in order to understand the individual sins and the signs of the times presented by Allah through malformed human births. However, there is no religious phrase mentioning about causes of birth defects in medical textbooks of the 21st century. Based on the Islamic teachings, we would like to emphasize that supernatural beliefs including "Allah's will and qadar," "a test from Allah," "a punishment from Allah," "nazar (evil eye)," "sihr (magic or sorcery)," and "jinn possession" believed by parents as a cause of birth defects are right, real, and true, and not superstition or misconception. The Quran says "everything is determined by Almighty Allah" and "no kind of calamity can occur, except by the leave of Allah." So, we strongly believe that religious teachings must be integrated into modern medicine. The need for religion is not only for Muslims but also for all people a need of pre-eternity and posteternity. The unfortunate humanity today suffers in great pain from the constant sorrow and disasters of being deprived of the religion blessing.

Breast cancer screening among immigrant Muslim arab women in the United States: Analyzing relationships between beliefs, knowledge, spousal support and mammogram utilization

BACKGROUND

Regular mammogram screenings contribute to a decreased breast cancer (BC) mortality rate. Women from ethnic minorities in the United States, however, often underutilize mammogram screenings; in particular, immigrant Muslim Arab (IMAW) women have low mammogram screening rates.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the associations between mammogram utilization and (a) health and religious beliefs, (b) level of knowledge about mammograms, (c) health care provider (HCP) recommendations, and (d) spousal support.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study employed online data collection. An Arabic or English survey was completed by women who were 45 or older and married, had immigrated from Arab countries, and had no history of breast cancer. Logistic regression was conducted for data analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 184 Immigrant Muslim Arab survey participants, 86.6% reported having had at least one mammogram in their lifetime, and 32.6% adhered to mammograms. Ever having obtained a mammogram and adherence to mammograms were negatively associated with perceived mammogram barriers and positively associated with (a) spousal support, (b) level of mammogram knowledge, and (c) perceived self-confidence. Receiving (HCP) recommendation increased the likelihood of ever having obtained a mammogram. Finally, participants who reported higher levels of perceived mammogram benefits were more likely to have obtained a mammogram within the last 2 years compared to their counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

IMAW have demonstrated low mammogram adherence rate.

IMPLICATIONS

Nursing clinicians and scholars must play a role in designing and implementing interventions to promote women adherence to mammograms. Involving husbands in these interventions may improve immigrant Muslim Arab women's mammogram adherence rates.

Sunni Islamic perspectives on lab-grown sperm and eggs derived from stem cells - in vitro gametogenesis (IVG)

An exciting development in the field of assisted reproductive technologies is In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG) that enables production of functional gametes from stem cells in the laboratory. Currently, development of this technology is still at an early stage and has demonstrated to work only in rodents. Upon critically examining the ethical dimensions of various possible IVG applications in human fertility treatment from a Sunni Islamic perspective, together with benefit-harm (maslahah-mafsadah) assessment; it is concluded that utilization of IVG, once its efficacy and safety are guaranteed, could be permissible by strictly adhering to Islamic ethical principles related to marriage, biological/genetic relatedness, sexual intercourse, and moral status of the embryo/fetus versus that of the gamete. As a result, IVG will be acceptable for treating primary infertility, age-related infertility, and preventing genetic diseases. However, it will be unacceptable for application in posthumous reproduction, donor gametes, genetic enhancement, and procreation in same-sex couples.

The influences of faith on illness representations and coping procedures of mental and cognitive health among aging Arab refugees: a qualitative study

Introduction

Refugees experience higher rates of mental illness such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which are documented risk factors for dementia. Faith and spiritual practices have been shown to play a significant role in patients' understanding and coping with illness, however, this field of study among refugee populations remains lacking. This study aims to address this literature gap by examining the role of faith on mental health and cognitive health among Arab refugees resettled in Arab and Western countries.

Materials and methods

A total of 61 Arab refugees were recruited through ethnic community-based organizations in San Diego, California, United States (N = 29) and Amman, Jordan (N = 32). Participants were interviewed through in-depth, semi-structured interviews or focus groups. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed, translated, and coded using inductive thematic analysis and organized based on Leventhal's Self-Regulation Model.

Results

Faith and spiritual practices significantly impact participants' illness perceptions and coping procedures regardless of resettlement country or gender. Several themes emerged: (1) participants believe in the interdependent relationship between mental and cognitive health. (2) There is a self-awareness of the impact of the refugee experience and trauma on participants' mental health problems, leading to a belief of increased personal risk for developing dementia. (3) Spiritual fatalism (belief that events are predetermined by God, fate, or destiny) greatly informs these perceptions of mental and cognitive health. (4) Participants acknowledge that practicing faith improves their mental and cognitive health, and many read scripture to prevent dementia. (5) Finally, spiritual gratitude and trust are important coping procedures that build resilience among participants.

Conclusions

Faith and spirituality play an important role in shaping Arab refugees' illness representations and coping procedures of mental and cognitive health. Holistic public health and clinical interventions tailored to the spiritual needs of aging refugees and incorporating religion in prevention strategies are increasingly needed to improve the brain health and wellbeing of refugees.

Development and validation of a performance measurement system based on Islamic principles

The infamous malfeasance of corporate giants and the collapse of a financial system with global reverberations have further pressured the need for greater ethical discipline and consideration in business and finance. This study explored the motivations within firms as driven by their performance measurement systems (P.M.). Then, the study developed a newly proposed P.M.S. with greater ethical emphasis based on Islamic principles to be a foundation for augmented Sharia-compliant screening criteria for Islamic equities. Discourse analysis of the Islamic religious texts was used, followed by validation through interviews with scholars and practitioners. Results indicate that improving the current Sharia screening criteria is possible by expanding the qualitative and quantitative assessments to include indicators that consider shareholders, the board of directors and top management, business dealings and products, employee relations, community issues and environmental protection. This study has implications for regulators such as Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and Sharia-compliant screening criteria users such as the Dow Jones Islamic Market (DJIM), Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) and Standard and Poor's (S&P) that may consider expanding their current equity screening criteria which mainly depends on the issuer's business activity and narrow quantitative measures. This version: June 28, 2022.

A civic bridge or a silo? Islam, religious affiliation, and civic engagement in rural Indonesia

This article tests the hypothesis that membership in faith-based civic associations leads to more secular forms of civic engagement in a Muslim-majority nation. Drawing from Social Capital Theory and using survey data from rural Indonesia, this study examines whether religion, especially Islam, works as a silo that houses most civic life or as a bridge to greater and more diversified civic engagement.The study poses two questions: Does religious affiliation increase secular volunteering and charitable giving? Anddo levels of engagement and philanthropic giving vary based on a household's faith or the community's religious composition?The findings imply that Islam serves as a civic bridge to more secular forms of engagement, albeit a short civic bridge. Residents of Muslim-majority communities engaged less diversely, raising concerns that Islam may operate more as a silo that fosters local network ties rather than as a bridge to more cross-cutting connections.

Embracing Islam in Switzerland: (Re-)Conversion Between Searching for the Meaning of Life and Social Ties

The pioneer conversion model of Lofland and Stark suggests that people adopt a religion because experiences in their biography motivate them to seek answers regarding the purpose of life, and because they encounter followers of a religion that happens to provide them with convincing answers. We draw on the Lofland-Stark model while considering Lofland's and Skonovd's concept of conversion motifs to gain a deeper insight into the convert's story of adopting a new faith. Furthermore, we integrate Paloutzian's concept of spiritual transformation into our theoretical framework to cover both conversion and reconversion (reversion). Against this conceptual background and applying a combination of narrative-autobiographical interviews with qualitative network analysis, we interviewed 24 converts and reconverts in Switzerland. Based on the findings, we propose a typology along the dimensions of "seeking answers" and "social contacts".

Religious Identity Discrimination in the Physician Workforce: Insights from Two National Studies of Muslim Clinicians in the US

BACKGROUND

Discrimination negatively impacts physician career trajectories and well-being.

OBJECTIVE

Quantify perceived religious discrimination among US Muslim physicians and compare trends over time.

DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS/MAIN MEASURES

Two national surveys tabulated discrimination. The 2013 survey involved a mailed questionnaire to a random sample of 746 Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) members, while the 2021 survey was administered online to subscribers of IMANA, American Muslim Health Professionals, and the US Muslim Physician network. Eligible participants had to be practicing US Muslim physicians, and English-proficient (the 2021 sample was further restricted to physicians in academic medicine). Questionnaires assessed experiences of religious discrimination and accommodation.

KEY RESULTS

In 2013, the 255 participants had a mean age of 52 years, were mostly male (70%), Sunni (91%), South Asian (70%), and adult immigrants (65%). In 2021, the 264 participants had a mean age of 39.5 years, were mostly male (65%) and Sunni (75%). In contrast to 2013, the majority were born in the USA (59%; p<0.01), and respondents were more diverse with 33% South Asians, 22% Arabs, and 16% African Americans. Greater proportions of the 2021 sample reported facing religious discrimination frequently in their career (24 to 53%; p<0.01), experiencing job turnover (7 to 32%; p<0.01), and having patients refuse their care (9 to 33%; p<0.01). A higher proportion of South Asians, Arabs, and participants under the age of 40 reported discrimination and job turnover in 2021 when compared to 2013. Higher proportions of South Asians and Whites reported being passed over for professional advancement and having patients refuse their care in 2021 relative to 2013.

CONCLUSIONS

Many American Muslim clinicians encounter religious discrimination at the workplace, and these experiences appear to be on the rise. Healthcare workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity programming should include a focus on accommodating the religious identities of physicians.