Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Submit Press Release
  • Toggle search form
  • Imad Hamad Director American Human Rights Council
    AHRC Calls for Moral Consistency on Human Rights, Urges President Biden to Pause His Trip to Israel: American Arabs
  • The U.S.S. Liberty photo courtesy of the USS Liberty Veterans.
    Survivors of Israel’s strike on USS Liberty commemorate 55th year June 6 – 8 American Arabs
  • AHRC Logo new Feb 2021
    AHRC hosts an open meeting with TSA & community Activism
  • Former City Hall reporter Ray Hanania, ShawnTe Raines-Welch and Nick Kantas, candidates for Judge in the 4th SubCircuit, and Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar.
    Nearly 100 candidates, officials address Arab Democratic Club forum Sunday American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    Arabs and Muslim blast Mayor lightfoot for racist store closings American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Chicago aldermen to host “forum” to explore Mayor Lightfoot’s racist crackdown on Arab stores Activism
  • Imam Jamal Saad leads the more than 1,000 muslim attendees in payer at SeatGeek Stadium's open grounds at the Eid al-Fitr celebration May 2, 2022 in Bridgeview
    Local Illinois officials join Chicagoland Muslims for Eid Celebration at SeatGeek stadium American Arabs
  • DCEO Panel discussion on business support opportunities for all businesses including Arab American businesses, April 26, 2022
    DCEO Access to Capital: Arab American Heritage Month business workshop American Arabs
  • DCEO Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month (AAHM) American Arabs
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez addresses the gathering at an Iftar hosted by Radi Abuhashish Thursday April 21, 2022 joined by Dr. Willie Wilson and other candidates for Chicago Mayor.
    Political candidates join local Arab leaders for Iftar Activism
  • U.S. Congressional Candidate Rob Cruz in the 6th District GOP Primary election June 28, 2022
    Republican Candidate for U.S. Congress, Rob Cruz, Opens a Dialogue with the Palestinian Community American Arabs
  • Peak Rock Capital affiliate completes acquisition of Ziyad Brothers, a leading provider of brander Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Chicago aldermen to host forum on Arab businesses closed by Mayor Lightfoot American Arabs
  • April 24, 2022 Illinois DCEO American ArabChamber event
    American Arab Chamber and DCEO host online panel to help Arab Businesses secure funding Activism
  • Oussama Jammal presents Congresswoman Marie Newman with the Courage Award during the USCMO Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner. Photo courtesy of Marie Newman Facebook Page
    Newman endorsed by major Arab and Muslim leaders Activism

The Suicide Epidemic: Occupied Territories and USA

Posted on June 29, 2015September 24, 2018 By Eileen Fleming No Comments on The Suicide Epidemic: Occupied Territories and USA
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

By Eileen Fleming

Every day in Gaza at least one person attempts suicide. In the USA someone dies by suicide every 12.8 minutes.

 

Last week the Palestine News Network reported that the suicide rate in the Occupied Territories jumped 68.4 percent last year.

The Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which was destroyed during last summer’s assault by Israel, announced that at least one person attempted suicide every day.

The reasons for increasing suicide rates in the West Bank were are due to psychological disorders, resulting from the worsening social, political and financial situations.

A quarter of the Palestinian population lives in poverty, with the rate in Gaza twice as high as that in the West Bank.

In addition, the 51-day Israeli offensive last summer on Gaza killed more than 2,200 people, about 500 of them children under the age of 11.

The aggression also demolished 19,000 homes creating 100,000 homeless people and causing more social disintegration, despair and existential crises, leaving the victim obsessing over escaping.

 

 

suicide

  • According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention suicide ranks as the tenth leading cause of death and the second leading killer among US citizens age 15-34.

 

Someone in America dies by suicide every 12.8 minutes.

At least 90 percent of all people who died by suicide were suffering from a mental illness at the time, most often depression. Among people who are depressed, intense emotional states such as desperation, hopelessness, anxiety, or rage increase the risk of suicide. People who are impulsive, or who use alcohol and drugs, are also at higher risk.

 

Because every suicide is preventable and this sister’s brother, James Alexander Kasmir died by self-inflicted strangulation, this reporter spoke with Peter Wood, Tallahassee’s organizer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Community Walk

Peter Wood, Tallahassee’s organizer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Community Walk
Peter Wood, Tallahassee’s organizer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Community Walk

Peter Wood said:

Being based in Florida, where there is a sizeable Jewish population and the Israel-Palestine conflict is a prominent concern for many, I think my ongoing work on suicide and mental health awareness is directly related to these global trends in psychological and sociological anguish.

I’m currently organizing an event for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention through two groups I’m involved with: the Secular Student Alliance at Florida State University, and the Center for Inquiry of Tallahassee (FL).

Each year AFSP holds two national-level gatherings called Out of the Darkness Overnight Walks. Being a bit far from Dallas and Boston (this year’s two locations) I decided to organize a Community Walk in the state capital of Tallahassee for this coming October 24.

Suicide is a common, appallingly underfunded method of death throughout the world, which is why SSA and CFI are so eager to change that status quo. AFSP’s community walks are a great way to enhance awareness and bring those affected by suicide and mental illness together in a supportive environment.

One of the most exciting things for me about this walk is the larger opportunity to show the important role secularism has in advocating for mental healthcare. The greater Levant is a clear example of how religious affiliation can complicate already complicated issues like cultural and geopolitical conflict. In Florida, like anywhere, maintaining separation of church and state is needed as much as ever. CFI and SSA are two of the largest groups in the world who convey this message well, that both religions and governments suffer when the line between them is blurred.

While organizing this Community Walk is exciting for the local community of Tallahassee, I am equally excited by the chance to bring attention to Florida as a national beacon for progress in mental health awareness. Huge social stigmas exist regarding conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and many others.

There are amazing organizations out there already committed to fixing this problem; by bringing them together in Tallahassee I hope to be part of an already inspiring trend of supporting research, rehabilitation, and family counseling for the millions who are impacted by mental health illnesses.

OutofDarkness


 HOPE has two children. The first is ANGER at the way things are. The second is COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it.-St. Augustine

 

bethelight

This reporter’s hope is that my brother’s pain that led to his death by suicide not be in vain and that requires breaking the silence which is the only way to end the epidemic of suicide.

LEARN MORE:

“WE ARE NOT NUMBERS: We are individuals trying to change the world.”

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

FamilyMattersBOOKCOVER-1 Family Matters

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Eileen Fleming
Senior Non-Arab Correspondent for TADN at The Arab Daily News
Senior Non-Arab Correspondent for The Arab Daily News
Producer "30 Minutes with Vanunu" who founded WeAreWideAwake.org in response to her first of 8 trips to both sides of The Wall in Palestine Israel.
In 2012, Eileen ran for US House of Representatives District 5, in Fl.
Read her FREE eBooks and more at:http://www.eileenfleming.org/
Latest posts by Eileen Fleming (see all)
  • Vanunu still has more nuclear secrets to spill, Israeli court declares - December 29, 2021
  • 9/11 and a 20th Reflection of That Day - September 5, 2021
  • Mordechai Vanunu: Final Annual Update and this Writers Next Steps - June 19, 2021

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
American Arabs, Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Eileen Fleming, Health, Palestine & Jordan, Video Tags:American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Arab American, Arab World, Florida State University, Gaza, Gaza Strip, Israel-Palestine, mental illness, Middle East, Out of the Darkness Walks, Palestine, Palestine News Network, suicide prevention, We are not numbers

Post navigation

Previous Post: Bad Islamic Books need to be shelved
Next Post: Adnan breaks fast, Israel seizes Freedom Flotilla flagship

Related Posts

  • Soheila Adelipour author, Dancing To The Darkest Light
    Dancing to the Darkest Light: Turning Tragedy Into Something Positive To Enrich The Lives Of Other American Arabs
  • JFK Airport, Terminal 1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    New Yorker Arrested for attempting to provide material support to ISIS American Arabs
  • Christopher G. Kennedy, announces his candidacy for election as Governor of Illinois, Feb. 8, 2017.
    American Arabs endorse Kennedy for Governor American Arabs
  • Yale Law students protest restrictions on Syrian refugees American Arabs
  • Amash wins GOP endorsement; Tlaib loses bid; Baydoun makes strong showing American Arabs
  • Map of Hebron showing location of Palestinian home being taken by Israeli settlers in Israeli occupied Hebron. Photo courtesy of Peace Now
    Peace Now denounces settler takeover of Arab home in Hebron Arab World

More Related Articles

To: The Associated Press and Washington Post Re: Israel’s WMD and Mordechai Vanunu Arab World
Rue Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Waiting for A Dream in Africa Abdennour Toumi
Cook County Board President Pro Temper Deborah Sims, (4th from left) poses with representatives of Arab American organizations in Illinois at the board meeting March 20, 2019. From left are Tasneem Abuzir and Mazen Barakat, editor and publisher of Hyatt Magazine, writer and author Ray Hanania, Sims, activist Sam Odeh, County Commissioner Sean Morrison, and Our Lady of Lebanon Pastor Pierre El-Khoury. Photo courtesy of the Cook County Board. Cook County Board approves April Arab Heritage Month proclamation American Arabs
Mordechai Vanunu Reports and the Thomas Merton Connection Arab World
Using American Tax Dollars to Undermine Civil Rights American Arabs
Looking past religion in Middle East Arab World

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Palestinian refugees forced to flee their homes at gunpoint by Jewish terrorist groups operating in Palestine in the 1930s, 1940s and after Israel was created on May 14, 1948. Photo courtesy of the United Nations
    Unresolved status of Palestinian rights makes UNRWA essential
    May 7, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • Hollywood Sign
    Will Smith violence takes Oscar protests to dangerous level
    March 31, 2022
  • Chicago's racist Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered more than 150 Arab owned stores closed in 2021 in a racist effort o fight street gang crimes
    Arab Daily News launches Arab American Network to fight racism
    March 12, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Imad Hamad Director American Human Rights Council
    AHRC Calls for Moral Consistency on Human Rights, Urges President Biden to Pause His Trip to Israel:
    May 24, 2022
  • The U.S.S. Liberty photo courtesy of the USS Liberty Veterans.
    Survivors of Israel’s strike on USS Liberty commemorate 55th year June 6 – 8
    May 23, 2022
  • AHRC Logo new Feb 2021
    AHRC hosts an open meeting with TSA & community
    May 19, 2022
  • Former City Hall reporter Ray Hanania, ShawnTe Raines-Welch and Nick Kantas, candidates for Judge in the 4th SubCircuit, and Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar.
    Nearly 100 candidates, officials address Arab Democratic Club forum Sunday
    May 15, 2022
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Imad Hamad Director American Human Rights Council
    AHRC Calls for Moral Consistency on Human Rights, Urges President Biden to Pause His Trip to Israel:
    May 24, 2022
  • The U.S.S. Liberty photo courtesy of the USS Liberty Veterans.
    Survivors of Israel’s strike on USS Liberty commemorate 55th year June 6 – 8
    May 23, 2022
  • AHRC Logo new Feb 2021
    AHRC hosts an open meeting with TSA & community
    May 19, 2022
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Chicago aldermen to host forum on Arab businesses closed by Mayor Lightfoot
    April 15, 2022

The Tabboun Column

The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
  • Tabboun
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    The Political Grapevine/The Tabboun, Friday Dec. 16, 2021
    December 16, 2021
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    Tabboun: Chicago remains strongest Palestine voice
    September 7, 2016
  • The Tabboun: Israeli human rights violations hit
    June 30, 2016
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    Tabboun: Himes questions troop deployment to Syria
    November 3, 2015
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    The Tabboun: Dearborn removes statue of racist former mayor
    September 29, 2015

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • HANANIA Arab News Op-Eds
  • Ukraine conflict gives Palestinians chance to redefine their conflict
    March 9, 2022
  • Mishmeshan PHC medical center destroyed in Syrian Government assaults. Photo courtesy of UOSSM Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations
    President Biden’s dyslexic policy in Syria is a mess
    October 20, 2021
  • Annissa Essaibi George and family
    Annissa Essaibi George faces “race hypocrisy” in campaign to be Boston Mayor
    October 20, 2021
  • Jerusalem image of Jews and Arabs walking together. Shutterstock. Courtesy of Arab News Newspaper
    Jewish Michigan lawmaker leads push for Two State Solution
    October 7, 2021
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • Girl Fighters, new book on Yemen Book Cune Press
    New Book: Girl Fighters: Break Tradition in Yemen 
    October 25, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • Hollywood Sign
    Will Smith violence takes Oscar protests to dangerous level
    March 31, 2022
  • 03-30-22 Arab Chamber Heritage Month Flyer
    Arab Chamber to host Arab Heritage Month dinner March 30
    March 14, 2022
  • “Rupture”, the psychological thriller produced by MBC STUDIOS, has won Best Saudi Film at the 2021 Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF).
    MBC GROUP’s Rupture wins Best Saudi Film at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival
    December 15, 2021
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2022 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme