The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed new religious accommodations offered by the inpatient psychiatry department at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Hennepin Healthcare recently added the psychiatry department to locations in which stickers are placed on the walls to help Muslim patients find qibla, or the direction to which Muslims offer their daily prayers.
In a statement, Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR-MN, said:
“We welcome the continued efforts to better accommodate the religious needs of Muslim patients. Ensuring that all patients can observe their faith practices with dignity and ease is a vital part of providing equitable and culturally-responsive health care. We commend the medical center’s leadership for recognizing this need within the psychiatry department and taking steps to support patients’ spiritual well-being as part of their overall care.”
Hussein said CAIR-MN encourages other health care institutions across Minnesota to consider similar initiatives.
He noted that CAIR offers a “Heath Care Providers’ Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” a resource designed to help hospitals, clinics, and medical professionals better understand and support the needs of Muslim patients.
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CONTACT: Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR-MN, 612-406-0070, jhussein@cair.com; Suleiman Adan, Deputy Director of CAIR-MN, 612-408-7183, sadan@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com