Muslim Youth Helpline - Nihal Khan

A brother addicted to marijuana, and wants to stop. A sister who doesn’t wear Hijab, but wants to start. A brother hooked to pornography, but wants to quit. A sister who is struggling with her parents, but wants to set things right.

Many of us know a Muslim friend who may be struggling with one or more of the above mentioned problems. At the same time, they want to quit and start getting closer to Allah (SWT) and make their lives better, but they just cant seem to make that decision due to not having a proper outlet to speak to. I remember some brothers a bit back who were completely HOOKED to drugs and wanted to stop. But the problem was that he didn’t want to speak to the Imam nor his parents nor anyone close to him, as a matter a fact. He felt embarresed of his problem and didn’t want anyone to know. This is where the Muslim Youth Helpline plays its role.

Recently, Young Muslims discovered this project in Vancouver, Canada. It was run by a youth organization called Ajyal. We wanted to expand it and bring its benefits to the United States. Last month, after a talk with the administration of the MYHL, Young Muslims agreed to endorse the program and advertise its services all throughout the USA. Here is a little intro of the MYHL:

-It’s the first toll-free, anonymous phone hotline, for Muslim youth in North America.

- The service is completely anonymous and confidential. Calls are not traced and call display is not used. You don’t even have to tell them your name if you don’t want to.

- The counselors are Imams, activists, and youth advisors, who grew up in North America and know the trials and tribulations that the Muslim Youth go through everyday.

-Brothers can speak to male counselors and sisters can speak to sister counselors, to make them more comfortable.

We hope everyone can benefit from this service. If you have any questions, go ahead and call 1-800-550-6945 (MYHL). Please visit www.ymsite.com or www.ajyal.ca for more info.

A brief insight into the past challenges and future direction for the old and new generations.

Most mosques in the tri-state area were built within the last 20 years. I have had been fortunate enough to see this revival or ‘making of a mosque’ within many communities. I am deeply touched by the altruism of many folks to build a community center to cater to the needs of Muslims. Many mosques and community centers offer classes on Islamic education, assist in burial rites, offer daily prayers, have full-time Imams to offer advice, social services, and offer programs for women, youth, and converts, etc.

How were all of these services institutionalized? Well! there is a history that I would like to share to my readers and offer some suggestions on the future direction. (more…)