Changing attitudes on psychiatric care
Two troubling incidents in Paterson — an imam stabbed during a prayer service and the…
Two troubling incidents in Paterson — an imam stabbed during a prayer service and the smearing of feces on the letters “Allah” in a school sign — have sparked conversations about mental health care in the Muslim community.
In both recent cases, the suspects were from Muslim backgrounds and had exhibited alarming behavior. Serif Zorba, of Paterson, has been charged with attempted murder in the stabbing attack. Mohamed Bekheet, of Clifton, was charged with bias intimidation and criminal mischief for allegedly defacing the Dr. Hani Awadallah sign.
In the aftermath of the crimes, there was speculation about why — whether the men had vendettas, were Islamophobic or had mental health issues. Whatever the reason, Selaedin Maksut, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said it was a critical reminder of the need for greater awareness around mental health issues.
“It is a reality we cannot ignore,” he said. “Although it’s something culturally we have shied away from, it’s necessary we have these conversations. We see this in Paterson. If we care for the souls who walk our streets, we should provide resources to them, the same way we provide food or shelter.”
For Muslims, social and cultural stigma may pose a barrier for individuals who need help, but that is starting to shift as more organizations reach out to communities to let them know that mental health care is available and is compatible with the Islamic belief system.
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Mosque stabbing, sign defacement spur discussion
On April 9, Zorba allegedly lunged at Imam Sayed Elnakib during early morning prayer, stabbing him twice before he was subdued by worshippers. Zorba, 32, disagreed with the mosque and its leader for collecting money in the “name of Islam,” according to a police affidavit.
Zorba raised alarm at a nearby mosque days earlier when he remained bowed in prayers, with a scarf over his face and head, unmoving for 90 minutes and questioned the imam about why he wore a tie — falsely claiming Islam doesn’t allow it.
A Passaic County judge ordered a psychological evaluation for Zorba. The imam is recovering from two stab wounds that punctured a lung, said mosque President Abdul Hamdan.
The day before the stabbing, Mohamad Bekheet, 32, was arrested for allegedly smearing feces on the sign in front of Dr. Hani Awadallah School, a K-8 building on Marshall Street in Paterson. He blocked out the word “Allah,” which means “God” in Arabic.
On his Facebook page, Bekheet shared in now-deleted posts photographs of the defaced sign and of a torn Quran, the Muslim holy book, lying on the floor in what appeared to be feces. According to state records, Bekheet is a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Stigma in the Muslim community
Suzy Ismail, founding director of Princeton-based Cornerstone Counseling Marriage and Family Intervention, stressed that there is no single type of person who might struggle with mental health. She educates people at workshops and wellness events at mosques throughout New Jersey about identifying signs of illness and using preventive techniques.
But obstacles persist. Some Muslims may want to keep such problems hidden, fearing that they would reflect badly on the family. Others believe psychiatry is a Western invention. Among Muslims, there is also a notion that problems can be solved through prayer and faith alone.
But faith and mental health care are not mutually exclusive. In fact, Muslims pioneered humane treatment of mental health conditions during the Islamic Golden Age, a period of scientific, economic and cultural advancement from around the eighth century to the 13th century.
Mental health in Islamic history
Mental health was emphasized by early Islamic scholars, who were among the first people to discuss the concept of talk therapy, Dr. Rania Awaad, a clinical associate professor of psychology at Stanford University School of Medicine, said during a workshop in Paterson in November.
Speaking at the Islamic Center of Passaic County, Awaad said scholars urged people to take care of “mind, body and soul.”
They viewed mental disorders as medical conditions and not something caused by an outside malevolent force — a common belief in Europe at the time. Pioneers in modern medicine, Muslims set up the first mental hospitals as early as the eighth century, using humane treatments and supports for the patient.
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At the workshop, called “Understanding Mental Health Needs in the Muslim Community,” Awaad also noted that some Muslims may shy away from care because a provider isn’t familiar with their faith, culture or language. She told them more Muslims have entered the field of mental health and can be found via searchable provider databases online.
Muslim leaders and care providers say attitudes are changing. “I’m not sure we’d even be in the masjid [mosque] having this conversation 10 years ago,” said Awaad, director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab.
Muslim therapists help faith be a part of healing
Still, some Muslims believe that prayer and faith alone are enough to deal with mental illness. At Cornerstone Counseling, Ismail emphasizes that faith, along with treatments and therapies, can be part of the healing.
“We work with clients from whatever faith background,” Ismail said. “We find what motivates them, what keeps them going, what is the intrinsic factor that makes them want to seek healing and move forward, whether that is faith or some other element.”
Today, Cornerstone has a wait list for care as more Muslims, like other Americans, are seeking mental health treatment, especially since the COVID pandemic, she said.
At Cornerstone, the staff focuses on elements of community, hope and faith to build resilience when helping clients. “What helps people through a crisis is feeling that there is something better or something more,” Ismail said.
