Addiction to Opioids: A Common Challenge, a Shared Responsibility
The American Human Rights Council in Dearborn, Michigan held a conference on the growing problem of Opiod Addiction in the Arab American and Muslim community. The conference was held on Feb. 18, 2020 to address the challenges facing drug addictions
On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) organized and hosted a community leadership meeting and open discussion to address the crisis of addiction to opioids within the Arab and Muslim American community.
The meeting included the following government officials: Mr. Mathew Schneider, US Attorney of the Eastern District; Mr. Steven M. D’Antuono, SAC FBI Detroit Field Office; and Mr. Bruce R. McColley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge II, Detroit/OCDETF Strike Force. From the community and civil society were fifty men and women in attendance. They included civic community leaders, clergy, lawyers, mental health professionals, medical doctors, lawyers, students, ethnic media representatives, business leaders, relief agencies and educators.
The common denominator of all those in attendance was the full determination to join efforts to fight this rapidly growing epidemic. Participants exchanged views, analysis and diagnoses as to this crisis destroying lives and taking lives. All stressed the importance of raising awareness that addiction is a disease and not a personal and moral failure. The culture of shame and silence is literally taking innocent lives. There is no shame in seeking help.
The US Attorney, the FBI and the DEA stressed on the importance of collaborative efforts between the community and law enforcement agencies to fight this danger and to help save lives. They offered all the needed assistance to help the community at large contain and fight this challenge. The same sentiment was affirmed by all participants who pledged to increase their awareness and prevention efforts.
The American Human rights Council (AHRC-USA) recognizes that there are several great community initiatives that have been working hard to address this epidemic. Their efforts are commendable and indeed they are helping save lives. This meeting was not meant to send the message that nothing is being done about the crisis. We can always do more.
“The opioid challenge is a common challenge facing us all,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “AHRC calls upon all community leaders, civic and religious, to spare no effort to help spread further awareness about this most serious challenge,” added Hamad.
“We too are passionate about working together to diminish the tragic consequences of opioid misuse and abuse,” said Mr. Bruce R. McColley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge II, Detroit/OCDETF Strike Force. “It is obvious that these parents, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles, are passionate in working together to reduce the impact the opioid epidemic is having on us all,” added McColley.
“There can be no denying America is facing a national crisis regarding opioids and other similar drugs. More than 100 people, mainly youth, die daily from opioids and similar drugs,” said Imam Steve Elturk, AHRC Board Member and Imam of the Islamic Organization of North America, IONA. “The meeting with government officials, clergy, community leaders, teachers, etc. organized by AHRC was a step in the right direction. It is through our combined resources that we can beat this epidemic,” concluded Elturk.
“The meeting was an eye opener. The Imams, educators and social workers shed light on how the opioid crisis has affected the vulnerable unsuspecting population – the young and elderly,” said Michigan attorney Shereef Akeel, AHRC Advisory Member. “The need is great to allocate more resources to schools to educate our young and their families before it is too late. We need to act with a sense of urgency,” added Akeel.
“There is a lot of stigma, judgement, shame, and even just ignorance associated with drug addiction, and with mental illness in general. We all need to work together as a community to bring awareness to this problem. Whether you are friend or parent, an educator, or a health care workers, everyone can make a difference.” Said Dr. Laila Hajjar, President NAAMA Michigan Chapter.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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