“As a Muslim, I am reminded every day that I answer to Allah for how I treat my patients. It is part of my identity.”
Dr. Rizka Sulaiman-Baradien, a medical geneticist and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, responded to a question about how her faith influences her work as a medical professional.
Sulaiman-Baradien was one of five panelists who addressed the theme of faith and medicine during a Ramadan iftar on Friday at the university’s Bannatyne campus.
Elder Jerry Singous (from left), Riska Sulaiman-Baladien, Doug Koop, Faisal Siddiqui, Natasha Ali, and host Edgar French. (John Longhurst/Free Press)
The event, which brought together Muslim and non-Muslim medical students, faculty, and others, was the first Ramadan Iftar hosted by students at the University of Massachusetts Rady School of Health Sciences.
For panelist Dr. Natasha Ali, a registered psychologist who also works as a Muslim spiritual care provider at U of M, her faith provides a framework for engaging with patients.
Noting that Islam views human beings as body (jism), soul (nafs) and spirit (ruh), he said that all three “need to be addressed for healing.” If we focus only on the body, we miss a huge part of what it means to be human… Spirituality is an important component of health. ”
Ali went on to say that there is a lot of research showing how faith can help “alleviate psychological problems,” and ignoring the spiritual aspect “can be very harmful to patients.” said.
Dr. Faisal Siddiqui, a critical care physician and assistant professor of internal medicine and anesthesiology, pain and perioperative medicine at the Health Sciences Center and St. Boniface Hospital, says that for him spirituality is “an essential part of health. There is,” he said. Care. “
“My own spirituality helps me help patients,” he said, adding that when faced with difficult medical situations, “I help patients.” “I pray and ask God to listen to me and give me the ability to do the right thing…I always ask God for help.”
While the three panelists agreed that faith is an important part of health care, they noted that medical professionals need to avoid thinking that their faith is the only truth. “We need to avoid exclusivism,” Ali said.
“We need to respect people everywhere, both of faith and non-faith,” Siddiqui said, noting that Islam is about loving and caring for others. . “I want to treat all my patients like my own family.”
“We must be careful not to impose our beliefs on patients,” added Sulaiman-Baradeen. “We have to respect their autonomy.”
Doug Cope, a spiritual health practitioner with the Health Sciences Center, and Elder Jerry Singus, a member of the Anishinabe Nation, also spoke at the iftar.
Koop noted that although religious affiliation is declining in Canada today, “many people still claim some form of spirituality.” His role as a spiritual care provider is to discover what his beliefs are.
At the same time, he says, “you need to be aware of your own soul and tradition…The deeper you dig into your own faith, the better you will be able to see and understand the beliefs of others.”
Shinguth, a boarding school survivor, pointed out that indigenous people also believe in the importance of mind, body and spirit. By reconnecting with her Indigenous roots, she was able to cope with the trauma she suffered at her boarding school and discover a “whole way of being.”
Modern medicine “tends to focus on one aspect, the physical side,” she says. This has a negative impact on Indigenous peoples because they go to seek care “as a whole being.”
Students Heba Elgbutan, Mackenzie Aleksyuk and Haley Fallion organized the event.
“It’s incredible how much spirituality and medicine intersect,” Alexiuk said. “The problem is that there is a lack of connection between them in modern medicine, which leads to poor health outcomes.”
Elghoubutan further added, “Faith is important to my identity as a Muslim. However, faith is not often addressed in our training. Through this event, we encourage students to study their faith. We want people to know it’s okay to bring them in.”
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john longhurst
faith reporter
John Longhurst has been contributing to the Winnipeg Faith Page since 2003. He also writes for the American Religion News Service and writes the media, marketing, and communications blog Making the News.
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