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November 2024

BIMA Pulse

Welcome to BIMA Pulse

Assalam Aleykum,

May the Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon you! 

It is an honour and a privilege to share with you BIMA’s activities over the past one month via our monthly newsletter.

As always, it has been a very busy month for our volunteers with a wide array of activities ranging from our advocacy work to educational workshops to our mentorship scheme for students! 

As we approach the end of IAM 2024, in order to tackle what is becoming an increasingly rampant issue in our society, in addition to resources we have published on Islamophobia, we now offer training workshops to healthcare organisations on identifying and tackling Islamophobia. 

Like you, BIMA has been intently watching the recent developments in assisted dying where the bill was passed in the House of Commons. While we remain opposed to assisted dying, we will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the beliefs of healthcare professionals in this contentious issue are protected and we will continue to advocate for improvement in end of life care, especially given the current state of the NHS. 

November also saw the successful implementation of our inaugural ‘Mindsavers’ workshops, a much-needed community initiative that has received fantastic feedback so far!   

Finally, we are looking forward to our annual gala dinner, which is now sold out, where we celebrate our volunteers, who remain the heart and soul of our organisation. 

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. May Allah swt accept our sincere efforts!

Wassalam,
Dr Ejaz Faizur Rehman
BIMA Treasurer

November Highlights

Islamophobia Awareness Month

Throughout Islamophobia Awareness Month, BIMA has worked to engage stakeholders, raise awareness, and inspire healthcare organisations to take action. Dr. Shehla Imtaz Umer, Director of Advocacy at BIMA, has authored a powerful blog featured on the RCGP website: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/Blog/ending-islamophobia-workplace.

BIMA has also given presentations on Islamophobia to the GMC Council, BMA, Integrated Care Boards,  UK Health Security Agency Muslim Network and NHS England. All were very well received and BIMA has further seminars planned for early December with NHS Resolution and the Race Equality Foundation among others. This year IAM has focused on ‘seeds of change’ but change starts with each of us — organisations and individuals have a responsibility to keep learning, advocating, and committing to creating safe, inclusive spaces in healthcare and beyond.

Assisted Dying

On 29th November 2024, Assisted Dying, private members Bill, passed its second reading at Westminster despite significant concerns and opposition from a broad cross-section of society.

BIMA maintains its opposition to assisted dying as we have deep concerns about inadequate safeguarding and the heightened risk of coercion, particularly for those from marginalised communities. 

BIMA’s recent survey of Muslim healthcare professionals also highlighted that the majority of respondents did not wish to be involved in actively ending life but wanted greater focus on quality end of life care.

As the bill progresses to the next stage, we are determined to ensure nuanced discussions take place, and robust legal protections for both patients and healthcare professionals are essential.

We reiterate that there is an urgent need for accessible, well-funded palliative care across the UK. Without such care, any claim of ‘choice’ at the end of life risks being undermined.

Cancer Screening Talks

This November, cancer screening talks have popped up in Mosques all over the country, with fantastic engagement and positive feedback from the community. JazakAllah Khayr to all the wonderful volunteers and organisations that helped to make it successful!

Please keep a lookout for the last few talks coming up this December!

Scholars' Roundtable

Following on from a successful inaugural event in March, a second roundtable discussion was organised by BIMA and CIM to delve into the complexities of vaccination and screening within Muslim communities. 

A diverse panel of public health experts, Muslim scholars, and healthcare professionals convened to explore the religious perspectives on these issues and discuss strategies to optimise engagement with Muslim communities and external stakeholders, ultimately aiming to reduce health inequalities and enhance health outcomes.

Mindsavers Workshops

20 mosques, 958 sign ups and counting...

The Mental Health team along with  many passionate volunteers have been very busy this month preparing and delivering the Mindsavers workshop all over the country (Scotland and Wales included)! So far they have delivered Mindsavers at 12 mosques, with 8 more to go. 

Alhamdulilah, the feedback has been really positive and they hope to share this with you all soon.

ACE Medical Career Series

The ACE FY1 team recently hosted a three-part webinar series titled “ACE Your Medical Career,” with over 120 participants. Each session featured expert speakers offering invaluable guidance.

6th Nov: Speciality insights for IMT, CST, O&G, and GP.
13th Nov: Careers in Radiology, A&E, Anaesthetics, Ophthalmology, and Psychiatry.
20th Nov: “Thinking About F3?” explored options like CTF roles, locum work, working abroad, and clinical management.

This impactful series equipped attendees with strategies and insights to navigate their career paths effectively. Stay tuned for future events and resources!

ACE Pharmacy Career

Alhamdulillah, the ACE Pharmacy team successfully held our annual Career event on 23rd November, in London.

With close to 60 attendees hearing from our renowned speakers representing all major sectors, the day was highly inspiring, ending with a productive networking session.

Infant Male Circumcision

The British Islamic Medical Association collaborated with Trafford Council to hold a CPD evening on Infant Male Circumcision at the British Muslim Heritage Centre on 13th November. The event was attended by General Medical Council, Medical Protection Society and British Medical Association and several current and prospective providers across the country.

BIMA plans to introduce training, create a national working group, scale up the standards, and continue to advocate for this to be a service available on the NHS as it currently is in Scotland and used to be in other parts of England. Do get in touch if you're interested in taking part.

BIMA Dress Code Project

On Friday the 22nd of November, Dr. Javed presented a poster and an oral presentation at the Women in Vision Conference 2024 held in Bristol on behalf of the BIMA dresscodes team. We  showcased some of the preliminary results of the BIMA dress code project, looking at the impact of NHS England Uniform policies on Muslim female healthcare professionals. The project received positive attention and gained a prize for best oral presentation. There were many notable figures in the audience, including the head of GMC council, Dame Carrie Macewen, who spoke positively of our work.

Overcoming challenges within the workplace

BIMA women's team organised a well attended webinar on the 27th of November. 

Sabina Hafesji, co-founder of the Muslim Women's Network, delivered an impressive talk about navigating workplace challenges for Muslimas in healthcare. Dr Usha Javed, BIMA's Dress Code team, shared some of the preliminary results of the BIMA dress code project, looking at the impact of NHS England Uniform policies on Muslim female healthcare professionals. An insightful discussion followed between attendees and the panellists.

Upcoming Events

Introduction to Financial Planning

Learn about investment fundamentals, planning for your retirement, what shariah options are available from Chartered Financial Planner and Founder of Blackstone Wealth, Anwar Hussain.

Blackstone Wealth is a FCA regulated Independent Financial Advisory firm specialising in Shariah compliant pensions and investments. Anwar has over a decade’s experience in financial services, including 5 years advising medics on the NHS pension and their general financial planning needs. 

Beyond Giving: Organ Donation Through an Islamic Lens

BIMA presents this exclusive webinar focused on queries raised by university students.

Learn more about organ donation by joining us for a free webinar. You will hear from a healthcare expert, an islamic scholar, and a renal transplant patient.

There is a shortage of life-saving organs from black and ethnic minority communities whilst 31% of people on the transplant waiting list are from black or ethnic minority backgrounds. Individuals waiting for an organ transplant will have a better chance of receiving one if there are more donors from their racial/ethnic background.

To find out more and have your questions answered, join us on the 2nd of December at 6 pm.

ACE Dental Career

sBIMA Development

Just less than 2 weeks left till Student BIMA’s XCeed Development Day in London!

This year builds on the success of last year, giving students a clear roadmap to build a career as a Muslim Healthcare Professional with the correct intentions. We will be focussing on activism, understanding what our place is in this sphere and what we have to offer.

Our speakers include Dr Ayo, at the forefront of muslim activism, and Dr Aqil, who has built a lasting engine for change. We hope to see you there, tickets are selling out fast and are available on the BIMA website.

Annual Gala Dinner 2024

We look forward to meeting BIMA members, volunteers and guests at the sold-out Annual Gala Dinner in December. It promises to be a memorable night of celebration, inspiration and networking. 

Date: 14th December 2024
Time: 6:30PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Royal Nawaab London
Dress code: Black tie/Formal

External Opportunities

BHF Defibrillator Funding Programme

Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The British Heart Foundation is continuing their mission to fund defibrillators in local communities using data to identify and reach areas across the UK with limited access.

Help your community have better access to a defibrillator by visiting the BHF's
Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.

Become a Paying Member

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Join BIMA Whatsapp groups

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