Muslim community leaders gathered recently at the Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte on Friday to announce they've received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women of more than $300,000 to address domestic violence in the community and support teens.
The grant will fund a new coordinated response team in Charlotte that will consist of over a dozen people, including community members, officers and mental health professionals.
Dr. Denise Berte is the executive director of Peaceful Families Project, a national group that focuses on providing resources to tackle domestic violence in the Muslim community. Berte says the goal of the team is to break barriers between providers and those seeking help.
“It’s difficult for Muslims to go in and feel comfortable with social services, law enforcement, with those kinds of folks,” Berte said. "There’s a lot of misunderstanding between the community.”
The funds will also support a mentorship program known as 'Futuwwah' that will focus on boosting teens’ self-esteem. During the last school year, a Muslim student at Audrey Kell High School was allegedly attacked, though police said there wasn't evidence to warrant hate crime charges. Atif Chaudhry is a local imam at Rahma Center of Charlotte.
He said the program is not a response to that incident, but instead a way to help teens embrace their background.
“There will be incidents where you’ll be challenged, but there’s a way of handling it where you don’t lose yourself, where you don’t feel lost, and you don’t compromise your identity, and you can be strong Muslims,” Chaudhry said.
On Saturday, a workshop was also set to take place to address anti-Muslim bullying in schools.
The federally funded programs are expected to last for three years.
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