Want to host a conversation on abortion in Islam? Here are some guidelines

At HEART, we are committed  to ensuring that our Muslim communities have access to trauma-informed and accurate information regarding reproductive health and rights. Moreover, we also are committed to prioritizing the safety of those who may potentially be triggered by community events and conversations that are intending to address the timely topic of abortion.

In prefacing any conversation about pregnancy termination or abortion, we must acknowledge the following truths:

1. The abortion debate in the United States has historically been, and continues to be, rooted in gender oppression, and mostly led by white men in powerful government positions
2. The abortion debate in our Muslim communities in the United States has historically been, and continues to be, centered in male leadership and scholarship.
3. Recent legislation banning abortion will have the greatest impact on communities of color, including Muslim communities. Specifically, the laws regarding abortion have more to do with criminalizing black and brown women than with morality and have tremendous implications on the future of mass incarceration.
4. A person’s decision about abortion is deeply private and personal. The decision should remain exclusively between her and a healthcare provider. Her partner, and/or a spiritual guide, may also be involved, if she wishes.

By  continuing to center male authority on this matter, those directly impacted in our communities – Muslim women – remain dependent on men, reinforcing the vulnerabilities of unequal power dynamics. The hardest part in uplifting the voices of the directly impacted is that it challenges the essence of male privilege and leadership in our communities.

The conversation on abortion is long overdue in our communities; in fact, it is critical for our communities to engage in open and honest conversation as pregnancy loss, termination and abortion is a daily lived reality for many Muslims. However, in order to ensure the safety, mental and spiritual well-being of those who are directly impacted, it is crucial to commit to having these conversations in a thoughtful, responsible manner.  Because of the uptick in community conversations on abortion, we’d like to offer a guide for Muslim institutions and community members leading these conversations, to do so mindfully with the following recommendations:

1. Reconsider hosting events about issues that predominantly impact women without several, diverse female voices. This is to promote the basic premise that women should not be absent on panels or events, especially concerning topics that pertain to them and their bodies.
2. Remember that hosting conversations and events about issues that require expertise – must include an expert. For example, an event regarding abortion must include a clinician who can speak  directly to the issue based on work experience.
3. Acknowledge that Muslim leaders and scholars are not experts on everything and therefore are not trained to discuss just any topic. It is CRUCIAL to partner with local institutions that already have done the groundwork, and have a framework to address these topics in a way that is accurate and trauma-informed.
4. Trust women to be the experts on their bodies and experiences. Trust women to be the experts on their bodies and experiences.
5. Replace shame and stigma pertaining to pregnancy loss, termination, and abortion with compassion, healing, and support.
6. Be mindful in who you invite to speak on the topic. Selecting an appropriate scholar means that an institution is choosing someone who is qualified to speak about the subject matter, has shown extensive history and knowledge regarding the subject matter, and is not being selected for merely being religiously trained as a scholar or identifying as a woman.
7. Be committed to hosting programs that are trauma-informed. At any given point, we may not know the negative impact that participants/attendees are experiencing  regarding topics presented. Cultivating a space that fits their needs emotionally and psychologically fosters safety, trust, and openness in engaging with information. For example:

• A trigger/content warning must be provided if images/photos are to be shown.
• Always speak as if there are survivors of abortion and/or pregnancy termination in the space.
• Practice RAHMA principles and responding with compassion and mercy.
• When possible – provide a trained trauma informed clinician/counselor who can offer support for individuals who may be triggered during the event.

It is imperative that those that are directly impacted have ways in which they can access services holistically. If we want to be at the forefront of honoring our religious commitment to compassion as well as our duties to gender rights and humanity, we have to have these difficult conversations. The only way to do this is to center the voices of the directly impacted.