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Asslamo Allaikum,
Situation for the Youth in both US & UK is not best either!
Our Mosques by following culture instead of Islam (i.e. talks in Urdu, preference of Asian culture, exclusion of women etc.) are putting our Muslim Youth at risk!
Muslims 'turning to drugs' to cope with ostracism
By Richard Kerbaj
February 27, 2007 02:00am
AUSTRALIA'S disadvantaged young Muslims are so directionless and fearful of being excluded by the broader community many are turning to drugs and contemplating suicide.
Ninety-eight per cent of 150 Sydney-based young Muslims surveyed had considered suicide as a "way out" of the conflicts in their life as a Muslim in a non-Muslim society.
The All Eyes On Youth study found eight out of 10 young Muslims aged between 12 and 25 considered the education system of no assistance "in making lifetime choices", and 94 per cent lacked a clear goal in life.
The findings emerged from a conference for young Muslims organised by the Independent Centre for Research Australia in Sydney last November. ICRA president Fadi Rahman told The Australian yesterday he was alarmed that almost all the 75 males involved in the survey had experimented with drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine.
"We're talking about cocaine, and some of them have even got to a point wherethey've tried heroin," said the Muslim community leader from Auburn, in Sydney's southwest.
"If we're raising a generation where such a high percentage are contemplating suicide and such a high percentage of drug use exists, I think we're heading for a disaster as a nation. Because what this is doing is tearing the very fabric of our society." Mr Rahman said many young Muslims felt alienated by the wider community, especially since the September 11 attacks on the US, which had placed Islam under the microscope.
Young disadvantaged Muslims were worse off than other young people with problems because they lacked aspirations and possessed no vision of hope.
"Most disadvantaged teenagers would at least tell you what they would like to be," Mr Rahman said.
"Our kids did not have goals at all - nothing. As far as they were concerned, it was a dead end and that's that." University student Amna Elghoul - who was part of the survey, which will be officially launched next month - said she had never turned to drugs or contemplated suicide to deal with the "stares and insults" she continually received for wearing an Islamic headdress.
But the 22-year-old said she knew of many young Muslims who resorted to drug use "to stop them basically thinking of what's happening around them".
Ms Elghoul said she was angry about being treated as an outsider by the mainstream community when in fact she was Australian born and bred.
"I've always got it at the back of my mind that someone is going to say something to me today because of what's happening in our current global issues," the student said.
Another young Muslim who contributed to the survey, Abdel Rehmon, said yesterday he had contemplated suicide and turned to drugs and alcohol to block out thepressures he felt from being a Muslim.
"I feel like I'm being kicked out of my own country that I'm born and raised in," said the 17-year-old. "And I've thought about it (suicide) a couple of times - you feel
that way." Mr Rahman attacked Australia's Islamic leaders for putting their internal political problems ahead of the younger generation's difficulties.
"If we don't come together and do something for these youngsters, they will have no hope in putting their lives back on track," he said.
Situation for the Youth in both US & UK is not best either!
Our Mosques by following culture instead of Islam (i.e. talks in Urdu, preference of Asian culture, exclusion of women etc.) are putting our Muslim Youth at risk!
Muslims 'turning to drugs' to cope with ostracism
By Richard Kerbaj
February 27, 2007 02:00am
AUSTRALIA'S disadvantaged young Muslims are so directionless and fearful of being excluded by the broader community many are turning to drugs and contemplating suicide.
Ninety-eight per cent of 150 Sydney-based young Muslims surveyed had considered suicide as a "way out" of the conflicts in their life as a Muslim in a non-Muslim society.
The All Eyes On Youth study found eight out of 10 young Muslims aged between 12 and 25 considered the education system of no assistance "in making lifetime choices", and 94 per cent lacked a clear goal in life.
The findings emerged from a conference for young Muslims organised by the Independent Centre for Research Australia in Sydney last November. ICRA president Fadi Rahman told The Australian yesterday he was alarmed that almost all the 75 males involved in the survey had experimented with drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine.
"We're talking about cocaine, and some of them have even got to a point wherethey've tried heroin," said the Muslim community leader from Auburn, in Sydney's southwest.
"If we're raising a generation where such a high percentage are contemplating suicide and such a high percentage of drug use exists, I think we're heading for a disaster as a nation. Because what this is doing is tearing the very fabric of our society." Mr Rahman said many young Muslims felt alienated by the wider community, especially since the September 11 attacks on the US, which had placed Islam under the microscope.
Young disadvantaged Muslims were worse off than other young people with problems because they lacked aspirations and possessed no vision of hope.
"Most disadvantaged teenagers would at least tell you what they would like to be," Mr Rahman said.
"Our kids did not have goals at all - nothing. As far as they were concerned, it was a dead end and that's that." University student Amna Elghoul - who was part of the survey, which will be officially launched next month - said she had never turned to drugs or contemplated suicide to deal with the "stares and insults" she continually received for wearing an Islamic headdress.
But the 22-year-old said she knew of many young Muslims who resorted to drug use "to stop them basically thinking of what's happening around them".
Ms Elghoul said she was angry about being treated as an outsider by the mainstream community when in fact she was Australian born and bred.
"I've always got it at the back of my mind that someone is going to say something to me today because of what's happening in our current global issues," the student said.
Another young Muslim who contributed to the survey, Abdel Rehmon, said yesterday he had contemplated suicide and turned to drugs and alcohol to block out thepressures he felt from being a Muslim.
"I feel like I'm being kicked out of my own country that I'm born and raised in," said the 17-year-old. "And I've thought about it (suicide) a couple of times - you feel
that way." Mr Rahman attacked Australia's Islamic leaders for putting their internal political problems ahead of the younger generation's difficulties.
"If we don't come together and do something for these youngsters, they will have no hope in putting their lives back on track," he said.
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