Acknowledgments
This volume was seeded at a conference I hosted at the University of Chicago in October 2019 under the auspices of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine. That conference, Advancing Muslim American Health Priorities: Exploring the Religious Dimensions of Mental, Reproductive and Sexual Health [A-MAP], was sponsored, in part, by a grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and brought together Muslim religious leaders, clinicians, researchers, and advocates to discuss health and healthcare disparities among Muslim Americans. Prof. Al-Deen found the conversations illuminating and novel, and hence engaged me in conversation about how we may capture the rich discussions and research findings in print form. Fast forwarding a few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and we witnessed how marginalized and minoritized populations were bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s social, economic, and health burdens. Simultaneously, ethical questions about religious life in the face of social restrictions were being raised in Muslim circles. We also witnessed many Muslim organizations rally to fill in healthcare and educational gaps. This history-in-action reshaped our thoughts, and we quickly pivoted to centering these experiences within the proposed edited volume. To our knowledge, this is the only volume of its kind, and we hope it provides the foundation for improving the plight of the marginalized in our society and addressing the religious, social, and ethical dimensions of health and healthcare.
As this book comes to light, I would like to thank all those who supported the 2019 conference that sparked this project, including the sponsors, presenters, and staff. I am truly indebted to Prof. Al-Deen for her confidence in our partnership and persistence in seeing this volume through and to our colleagues at Brill, especially Nienke Brienen-Moolenaar, who facilitated the review process and supported us throughout the publication process. An enormous note of appreciation is due to Dr. Lauren Nickel, Youa Xiong, and Thérèse Wassily Saba, who performed painstaking formatting and editing of the chapters and bibliography. As with any of my academic projects, I am grateful to my wife, Maryam, and our children, Aaleeyah, Maaria, Ahmed Fateh, and Faathima, who sacrifice on a daily basis to allow me to spend time on these efforts. And last but not least, all praise and gratitude are due to Allah for making all of this possible. I pray that He makes this work one of benefit to its readers.
Aasim I. Padela MD MSc
All of the above charts our journey with this collection. Additionally, I am indebted to all of the contributors and to my husband, Frederick, who just smiles at my projects and makes sure the coffee pot is on. Working again with Dr. Padela, a taskmaster in his own right, has been wonderful.
Aminah McCloud Al-Deen PhD