On 2nd December 2017, the Birmingham Abbasi Youth Network (BAYN) held the first mental health seminar led by Sakina Zahra Nazerali, with a very successful 120 attendees. This seminar was aimed to make the community aware of mental health and the reality of its impact to people even within our community. This seminar was a safe place to discuss these very important topics.

Sheikh Nuru being the MC mentioned the Islamic aspect on mental health. He emphasized that it is very important to seek help and diagnosis of any condition that someone may have. There are also some spiritual aspects which can assist, however it is important to seek the help of professionals in this field who are mentioned below. Dr Abbas Ramji spoke about OCD, depression, anxiety and Schizophrenia/psychosis. These were accompanied by very useful videos which showed what these conditions mean in the eyes of those who are affected.

Rukaiya Bhanji talked about the facts and myths about mental health medication. She explained what the benefits are and the reality of the effect of the medicines. There is no instant cure for mental health, it takes time and patience, she emphasized. Many people might think that that the medicine either cures or doesn’t have any effect, in fact it is more complex than that.

Dr Safraz Jeraj talked about the relationship between mental health and physical health and how we need to have a balance in these. He explained the steps in getting help and what we need to do with very accurate and relatable examples.

There was a very beneficial mindfulness session by Fatima Syed who gave us a practical meditation session which can be replicated at home. This was to help us in being in the now and to be aware of ourselves.

To top this off there was a very practical talk by a service user explaining her journey through certain conditions. She explained how she could overcome these issues by seeking the right help and the impact that can make.

One attendee mentioned “First of all I think it was a great event. And much needed for the community. I also think the coverage was very good - you managed to get an excellent range of topics which were all very relevant. The large number of attendees is a concrete sign of the interest people have and the value they are giving to this subject”.

The BAYN Wellbeing Team presents it's first ever Interactive Mental Health Seminar for both ladies and gents.

An evening of workshops and talks by professionals in the field, the aim of this event is to raise awareness about Mental Health and empower you to make positive changes in your life.

On:  Saturday 2nd December 2017.

At: The Abbasi Islamic Centre

The programme will begin with registration after Maghribain Salaah at 16.07pm.

Please Note: The minimum age for this event is 16years.

Registration of attendance must be made here.

Please register your attendance by Monday 27th November 2017

BAYN are seeking male and female volunteers. This is a great opportunity for networking, organising or even socialising. If you need any more information please contact Mehdi Khakhi, Kazim Sajan or Gulam Sumar in the gents or Anam Panjwani, Sarah Yusufali in the ladies. Alternatively please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PART TWO - YOUTH FORUM!

BAYN in conjunction with Ahlulbayt TV are holding an upcoming open forum with Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, discussing selected pertinent contemporary religious and societal issues related to youth.

You will have a chance to raise comments or questions on these topics, to then delve into further detail:

Saturday 6th May - 7:00pm-10:00pm (with Salah break)

    -  Why should I vote, how and who to vote for?
    -  Is gender interaction too strict?
    -  Should we get married young, and what does being 'ready' mean?
    -  Does racism still exist within our communities?

Pizza will be served!