Domestic Harmony
Mission Statement:
The Domestic Harmony Committee (DHC) is committed to promoting peace and harmony within the family by providing support and guidance in an Islamic context and working towards ending domestic violence and exploitation in Muslim families.
Background/History:
The Domestic Harmony Committee was established in 1992, under the auspices of the Islamic Center of Long Island in response to the social, emotional and psychological needs of a growing Muslim community. The Committee is multicultural/ lingual and works to empower survivors by providing services through education and leadership development, advocacy and community outreach. DHC volunteers have various levels of specialized expertise ranging from advocacy to medicine and have been trained to handle crisis situations.
Services Provided:
ô Evaluations
ô Support Groups
ô Emotional Support
ô Pre-Marital Counseling
ô Interpretation Services
ô Advisor for Legal Consultations
ô Individual or Family Counseling
ô Referrals for Financial and Legal Assistance
It is easy to turn away and call Domestic Violence "a problem of the West". But those among us who may be victims of domestic violence would be left HURT AND ALONE.
All services are free and confidential
DHC Outreach and Events:
In February of 2004 some of the DHC members attended the House of Peace Domestic Violence workshop, a sub-division of ICNA which deals with Domestic Violence and also runs a shelter under the Muslim Women’s Help Network in Jamaica, Queens.
In February of 2004 the DHC had their first Movie Night - fundraising event. Featuring “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer”, written and directed by Aparna Sen. We had a full house, including dinner and a lively discussion among our guests. Mr. & Mrs. Iyer conceptualized as a love story set amidst violence but ultimately says a lot more.
In March of 2004, the DHC presented and lead a workshop session Topic: Issues and Challenges Faced by Muslim Adolescent Girls In America at the 5th Annual Conference in Stonybrook State University of New York. It was presented by Long Island Fund for Women and Girls Gender Equity in Education in collaboration with Stony Brook University. The purpose of this session is to present research that explores the challenges and concerns faced by adolescent Muslim girls of first and second generation immigrant parents.
In March 2004, the DHC presented the "Muslim Women, Achievers against the Odds” during the Sunday Adult educational program. The focus of this program was to showcase, admire and listen to the voices and stories of Muslim women from the community of Long Island, who have struggled with their lives, careers, faiths or in the practice of their faith…. and have overcome the odds, and achieved their goals in BIG or SMALL ways and have been successful in their lives.
In July of 2004, some DHC members visited Family and Children’s Association in Hicksville. Family and Children’s services is one of the largest helping agencies on Long Island with more than 40 programs spread over 25 locations.
In October of 2004, in Commemoration of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the DHC in collaboration with The Communities of Faith Task Force on Domestic Violence presented at ICLI the program, Domestics Violence: An Interfaith Dialogue. Healing Communities, Healing Families. Invited guests from different faith group and agencies, presented and talked about Domestic Violence and how to eradicate this problem from within our communities.
The DHC has a bi-weekly support group called “Soul Food”. This support group is every woman’s motivation to learn, teach, explore, support, and be supported. The group uses discussion, Creative Art, Visualization and Relaxation.
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