As Muslim healthcare professionals and active members of the community and charity spaces, we often face complex situations — yet we may lack the tools, language, or frameworks to address abuse effectively when it arises.

We strongly recommend that our core members, volunteers and staff attend this essential webinar.

Join the webinar to navigate:

? How to build systems of accountability
? What it means to create safe, supportive spaces
? How Islamic values of justice and ihsan can guide our approach
? Why our leaders must adhere to higher standards

Sign up for the webinar here. 

Speaker profiles: 

Maariyah Adam is the founder and managing director of Sacred (body:mind:space), a community-based research organisation dedicated to examining abuse within Scottish Muslim communities. In 2024, Sacred published its first research report, “Sacred Trust, Silent Wounds: An Exploration of the Experiences and Understanding of Abuse in Scottish Muslim Communities”, offering an in-depth analysis of abuse within the Scottish Muslim context.

She is currently pursuing a PhD at The University of Chester, researching the use of Islamic-based texts in spiritual abuse within Muslim communities in the UK, with a particular focus on Muslim men. With a BA in Social Sciences, an MA in Islamic Studies,
and an MSc in Public Policy, Maariyah brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her work, bridging academia and practice to address complex issues in Muslim communities. Her approach is grounded in decolonial research methods that centre
community-led approaches, amplify minoritised voices, and promote self-representation, with a focus on producing research that drives tangible, positive change.

Maariyah has worked, consulted, and volunteered with various community-based organisations for over two decades and has experience in the field of Violence Against Women and Girls and has. Her research for Vibrant Scottish Mosques in 2022 led to the publication of the landmark report “Hear My Voice: A Report on the Experiences of Muslim Women’s Engagement with Mosques in Scotland”. She currently has several academic publications in progress, reflecting her ongoing contributions to both scholarly and community-focused discourses. With her combined expertise in research and grassroots engagement, she remains dedicated to supporting ethical leadership, advancing social justice, and empowering communities with the agency to drive change.

Dr Rahmanara Chowdhury is a chartered psychologist and senior lecturer in forensic psychology at Nottingham Trent University. She completed her undergraduate studies in Ergonomics at Loughborough University, obtained a Masters in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University and was awarded ESRC funding to complete her PhD at Brunel University London. Her research interests concentrate on abuse within a variety of Muslim contexts, with a specific focus on domestic violence and abuse and spiritual abuse. She further explores inequities faced by minoritised communities within the criminal justice system and holistic approaches towards wellbeing.

Rahmanara often carries out grassroots workshops, training to service providers, and has published various academic papers and book chapters in relation to these topics, including co-editing Holistic Responses to Reducing Reoffending. Rahmanara has a previous practitioner background working with survivors of domestic abuse including developing a faith-informed recovery support programme for Muslim female survivors. She has also published two community focussed books on domestic abuse.

Rahmanara’s research led her to develop the Web Model of Domestic Violence and Abuse for front line practitioners working with domestic violence and abuse. She has also adapted this work to develop the Reintegration Framework for practitioners working in prison and probation. Both of these models are designed to support practitioners to work more holistically with their clients and service users, particularly when they are from a minoritised background. Outside of academia, Rahmanara has her own online training platform www.reflecttransformative.training where she aims to support practitioners to work more holistically with their clients, alongside her innovative faith-informed Road to Recovery programme for survivors of domestic abuse.