Welcome to the latest edition of BIMA Pulse, our monthly newsletter which gives you a flavour of what our dedicated volunteers and teams have been up to and updates you on exciting upcoming events.
Our thoughts and prayers continue for our brothers and sisters around the world. We have seen and heard of heartbreaking events in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and many other countries. We pray that Allah provides relief and ease to all.
Our volunteers have been busy preparing our flagship Mindsavers and Cancer Screening workshops, which will be delivered in masjids across the country. These presentations aim to reduce health inequalities and enhance health education in areas that our communities have traditionally faced barriers or lower participation. We are increasing our activity in relation to the assisted dying debate and urge all members to visit our website and become well informed on how decisions made in the next few weeks will affect each and every one of us.
In the next few weeks we will be hosting career pathways events for qualified healthcare professionals and an ‘Xceed’ networking and development day for students.
We are looking forward to our annual Gala Dinner on 14th December, an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and dedication demonstrated by our teams and volunteers, whilst networking and enjoying a delicious meal. Please buy your tickets early to avoid being disappointed!
We pray you find this edition both enjoyable and insightful.
JazakAllah Khayrun,
Dr Safwaan Hafez
Vice Executive Director
Senior Leadership Team
October Highlights
BIMA at the GPU 2024
BIMA held a stall at the Global Peace and Unity Event in London on 19th and 20th October 2024. The stall was a tremendous success.
The stall attracted over 700 attendees from a diverse range, allowing us to provide health information and resources to hundreds of people over the course of the weekend. This included breast, cervical, and bowel cancer screening as well as flu, HSV, childhood, and COVID-19 vaccine related information.
We conducted 240 free health screenings, including blood pressure, BMI, blood sugar, and rhythm checks, offering vital insights to individuals who otherwise might not have had easy access to these services. 6 new cases of hypertension and 1 new case of diabetes were diagnosed through these checks. Around 110 flu and COVID-19 vaccinations were administered over the weekend.
Women's Team
The "Developing a Muslimah Community" event, which took place in Birmingham on 19th October was a wonderful success, with engaging talks from Dr. Aisha Janujua and Sabia Rehman. Attendees enjoyed networking, connecting over lunch, and supporting local businesses. Thank you to all who joined the BIMA Women's Team to build a stronger, united Muslim women’s community.
BIMA’s Official Position on proposed Assisted Dying legislation
We believe in protecting the most vulnerable in our society, which is why we strongly oppose the legalisation of assisted dying. Visit our website to view our full position statement so you can understand our reasoning.
The bill to legalise assisted dying will be voted on by our MPs in Westminster, in just over 3 weeks' time.
It is vital to take action and contact your MP now by email and ideally visiting - go to our website section on AD for more information and advice on how to do this.
It's important for all of us that the law protects life.
An Open Letter to the UK Government from the Alliance of Healthcare Professionals
Our alliance of healthcare professionals based in the UK with over 10,000 members reiterates its repeated and urgent call for an immediate and permanent end to the ongoing plausible genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories. We stand firmly in solidarity with our Palestinian and international visiting healthcare colleagues who are delivering care in harrowing circumstances and condemn the ongoing violent attacks being inflicted upon them and their patients.
Upcoming Events
Islamophobia Awareness Month 2024
Join us in marking Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) in November 2024. This year’s theme, "Seeds of Change", encourages everyone to reflect on the small but impactful actions we can take daily to raise awareness and tackle Islamophobia.
To help raise awareness during Islamophobia Awareness Month, BIMA has developed several resources that we encourage you to use and share with your colleagues.
Unravel the complexities of the NHS Pension, delivered by 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. Plus, discuss the changes announced in the October 2024 Budget and how this could impact you.
Agenda: · How could October 2024 budget impact you · Legacy NHS Pension schemes (1995/2008) · How does the 2015 scheme differ · Impact of the McCloud Judgement changes
We have completed our 3 Mindsavers Mosque Workshop Pilots - in London, Lincoln and Leeds. A bespoke Mental health and wellbeing framework for Muslims.
Alhamdulillah, they were a remarkable success with participants from a wide range of backgrounds and we received great feedback.
Insha Allah this programme is being rolled out to more mosques in November. If you would like to help deliver this workshop in a masjid near you, please do register your interest here.
To view which masjids are delivering the workshops, or would like to attend, please book your tickets here.
Cancer Screening Talks
This November our volunteers will be presenting cancer screening workshops in Mosques across the country, with a particular emphasis on cancers such as breast, cervical and bowel cancer.
Our dedicated cancer screening team are busy preparing the presentation and toolkit. Stay tuned for more information!
ACE your Medical Career
BIMA is thrilled to announce our upcoming ACE F1 Speciality Application Series! Join us for an exciting online 3-part series where you'll learn how to ace your applications and have the chance to participate in a Q&A with recent applicants.
Dates: November 6th, 13th, and 20th Time: 7:00-8:30 PM
Join BIMA on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024, in London for a FREE event designed for pharmacy professionals. Hear from renowned speakers from leadership, industry, and technology, and network with others in the field. Whether you're looking for a new role, interested in learning about different sectors, or newly qualified, this event is for you!
Join the BIMA ACE DFT team on Saturday, 07th December 2024 from 10am at our next FREE webinar event, where we invite experienced guest speakers to explore the various dental career pathways that you can take following completion of the Dental Foundation Year. Topics to be covered include entering dental specialty training; making the most of being an associate & increasing private work; as well as covering non-clinical and academic roles.
Join sBIMA on Saturday, December 14th, 2024, in London for the highly anticipated XCeed: Development day! Through talks, competitions and workshops, we will explain how Muslim healthcare students can achieve their goals and contribute to their communities, focussing on activism! Suitable for all healthcare students, this event is not to be missed!
PalMed UK, PalMed Academy, and the GEM team are honoured to invite you to a panel discussion and charity dinner titled "Resurrecting Medical Education in Gaza: Challenges and Solutions."
What we have achieved after 6 months of initiating the GEM scheme.
Explore the extent of the challenges facing medical students and universities in Gaza.
Discuss the importance of innovation and networking in addressing the catastrophic destruction of health and education infrastructure.
Date: 23rd November 2024 Time: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE
Contribute to New Research on Loneliness and Health in British Muslim Communities
Equi is a recently established think tank focused on policy insights for the benefit of all British communities, uniquely channelling the perspectives and ideas of British Muslims. Born out of the need to include British Muslims in public policy, Equi aims to foster a just and prosperous society. Their upcoming research examines loneliness among British Muslims, focusing on its impacts on health and community wellbeing, and exploring culturally sensitive approaches.
BIMA is supporting Equi by encouraging members to contribute to this report.
The survey should take around 10–15 minutes, and responses would be greatly appreciated..
BIMA members input can provide vital evidence on how loneliness may affect the NHS and healthcare delivery more broadly. Your responses will help Equi advocate for better-targeted support and policies based on British Muslim experiences and insights, directly contributing to Equi’s recommendations. Equi is particularly interested in understanding the demand for health services linked to loneliness and the potential benefits of preventative, culturally sensitive approaches.
There are 40+ BIMA professional and regional WhatsApp groups that you can benefit from. These groups are a chance to network and discuss topical issues with colleagues in your professional area(s) and/or region.
.png?upscale=true&width=600&upscale=true&name=Understanding%20your%20NHS%20Pension%20%26%20Budget%202024%20(1).png)
.png?upscale=true&width=600&upscale=true&name=Dental%20Career%20Pathways%20(1).png)
