NISA Observes Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
Domestic violence
crosses all boundaries of religion, culture, and
gender and the American Muslim community is not
immune to this menace. NISA, the North American
Islamic Shelter for the Abused, has been actively
forming alliances with notable Bay Area DV organizations
to provide support and create awareness of the
severity of this problem. One of NISA’s advisory
board members, Mrs. Aysha Haider, has joined the
San Jose Domestic Violence Advisory Board and
has also been nominated for the County of Santa
Clara Domestic Violence Council.
On Oct. 6, NISA
and Muslim Community Association, Santa Clara
held an event to commemorate the DV awareness
month. Domestic Violence Domestic Harmony was
the theme of the program. Aysha Haider, Director
of the North American Islamic Shelter for the
Abused (NISA) and Co-Chair of NISA Outreach, welcomed
the guests on behalf of her organization. The
program featured speakers from AACI (Asian Association
for Community Involvement), Next Door Solutions,
Arab Cultural Community Center of San Francisco,
Support Network for Battered Women, Maitri and
NISA.
Educator and
Volunteer Coordinator of the Asian Americans for
Community Involvement (AACI) San Jose, Charu Aggarwal,
explained the ways an abuser of Domestic Violence
might use power to control an immigrant victim.
She said that an abuser may use threats of deportation.
“Isolation whereby the victim is not able to communicate
with their family or friends and is confined within
the home. Use of constant humiliating verbal remarks
addressed at the victim for not having enough
knowledge or capability to do anything hence forcing
him/her into staying isolated.”
The speaker
from the Arab Cultural Community Center of San
Francisco, Hala Abdoun, speaking about DV effects
on children, pointed out that the effects of violence
toward the spouse become a normal habit for the
children within the family. “Children from these
homes are often depressed, have poor academic
performance and misconduct at school. Often, the
sons become abusers themselves and daughters become
the abused. Last but not the least important,
the receipt of such abusive behavior by the children
results in a cycle of violence for the next generation.”
Another topic
of discussion was legal implications of DV. Nalini
Shekar of Next Door Solutions, San Jose, pointed
out that abusers often use and abuse the legal
system for their own advantage. The speaker reminded
everyone that in the US all assets achieved after
marriage equally belong to both spouses. “In a
marital relationship, each spouse is entitled
to his/her own immigration documents and it is
very important to have copies of passports, and
other important records.”
Advocate Indira
Chakravorty of Maitri related her Interaction
with Muslim clients of DV. She has been dealing
with the Muslim clients for a number of years
and currently handling five clients. Indira said
that she considers them as her sisters. Maitri
has helped Muslim women in the past and continues
to do so by being sensitive to their prayer needs
and other religious obligations.
Advocate Mahnaz
from NISA spoke about the fears of many immigrant
victims of domestic violence such as losing their
children, losing financial assistance and of being
deported. The bilingual Persian speaking advocate
captivated the audience while reading a note by
an Iranian client she had assisted. She highlighted
the importance of knowledge about one’s personal
rights and available options to get out of abusive
relationships.
The program
ended with a closing speech by the NISA Chairperson,
Dr. M. Rajab Ally who reminded the audience that
the community is finally accepting the problem
of domestic violence.
