CAMPAIGN
WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS WEEK – FRIDAY KHUTBAH
World Autism Awareness Week was being held on 30 March 2020 to 5 April 2020. Phase 3 of the Campaign which aimed to get as many Mosques, ISOCs, Musallaas worldwide to deliver their Khutbah on Friday 3 April 2020 on disabilities including autism. Sara has had the Khutbah prepared by a specialist team and it would be sent out to those signing up to the campaign.
Unfortunately due to Coronavirus Pandemic this campaign had to be postponed. Before we had to postpone this campaign Mosques from over twenty countries had signed up to participate.
NATIONAL AUTSIM HOUR
Sara decided to take this campaign national and she wrote a user manual for Mosques on how to make suitable adjustments for those with autism and contacted Mosques nationwide. On 6 October 2019, Mosques across the UK, from Scotland to South London, took part in the NAS Autism Hour Campaign. Again, Alhumdullilah it was a huge success. Some of the notable achievements were:
- Autistic children up to the age of 14 were able to visit their Mosque for the first time ever
- Families of autistic people were able to network and form support groups
- As a result the first ever SEN Jummah was held in South London
- Massive awareness and interest created in autism and
- disabilities in general amongst the Muslim population
- Coverage in both national and international media
- Mosques have held regular autism related events since
- Mosques have invested and started providing spaces for SEN children to learn.
FINSBURY PARK MOSQUE AUTISM HOUR
Finsbury Park Mosque in London was contacted, requesting that they take part in a pilot scheme to open Finsbury Park Mosque to autistic people by making small sensory adjustments. For example, the mosque reduced bright lights, minimised loud and sudden noises, and provided a silent room. Finsbury Park Mosque agreed and on 16 June 2019, they held the first ever Autism Hour in a Mosque.
The National Autistic Society (NAS) supported the event and made a short video to cover the occasion: https://youtu.be/kSXTNwK0ke0. The event was Alhumdullilah a huge success with people coming as far away as Luton. There were people of all faiths and none in attendance with plenty of happy and emotional faces all around. The five pillars of Islam were presented in a sensory format. This created a lot of interest and Sara was inundated with requests for her to help others bring similar events to their local Mosque.
“This #AutismHour is an event we need and we need there to be many, many more”– Councillor Rakhia Ismail (Mayor of Islington)
“This #AutismHour is an event we need and we need there to be many, many more”– Councillor Rakhia Ismail (Mayor of Islington)
