BC Muslim community makes mental health matter

The Muslim community rallied alongside Farida Bano Ali – a retired psychiatric nurse and community advocate – to raise awareness, hope and funding for people suffering with mental illness. Farida was so inspired after hearing CKNW host Jon McComb go public with his personal story about mental illness, that she encouraged the BC Muslim Association (BCMA) to host an educational fundraising dinner in support of the new mental health centre at Vancouver General Hospital.

The event – the first initiative of its kind in partnership with VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation – was held on September 14 at Masjid Al-Salaam in Burnaby and met with tremendous enthusiasm by members of BC’s Muslim community, known for its compassion and generosity.

The evening raised an impressive $40,000 for the new Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre, which will replace the current 70-year-old Health Centre, providing a more positive, hopeful and healing environment for thousands of patients across BC.

Farida, who is no stranger to difficult subjects having organized other successful events including empowering women and domestic abuse, has seen firsthand how mental illness has impacted and destroyed families. “The stigma still exists,” she says. “Mental illness is prevalent across society and cultures. It has no boundaries and touches us all, irrespective of race, colour or creed”.