our community

Fostering Healthy Families for 16+ Years

Family violence can take many forms – some visible, others hidden – and addressing it requires care, trust, and community. This page shares how IslamicFamily responds with culturally grounded, faith-informed support and education.

Introduction

We are by your side.

At IslamicFamily, we are committed to supporting individuals and families affected by family violence through compassionate, community-based care. We understand that family violence can take many forms, including emotional, psychological, spiritual, and financial, and it often remains hidden. Our work is rooted in justice, mercy, and a deep belief in every person's right to safety and dignity.

Our Impact

15

+ years

of family violence prevention and intervention work

our approach

A Holistic, Faith-Informed Response to Family Violence

Our work is guided by a holistic, faith‑centered lens. All of our programs are both trauma‑informed and culturally safe, tailored to meet the specific needs of Muslim and newcomer communities. We focus on:

  • Prevention, by raising awareness and identifying early warning signs.
  • Early Intervention, offering support as soon as concerns emerge.
  • Ongoing Healing, helping individuals and families to rebuild and grow well after harm has occurred.

Our programming is built in partnership with families, community leaders, and service providers. Together, we strive to create environments where individuals feel seen, heard, and empowered to choose safety and healing.

Reflections

our supports

We offer...

Outreach Services

Our trained outreach workers offer confidential, one-on-one support for individuals navigating family violence. This includes safety planning, connections to legal and housing resources, and emotional support. We prioritize trust-building and culturally relevant support, recognizing that each journey is unique.

Culturally Sensitive Counselling

We provide Islamically-integrated counselling by professionals trained in trauma-informed care. Our counselling services are accessible to those experiencing or at risk of family violence, including emotional and coercive forms of harm.

other ways we help

Education & Prevention

Our online GBV modules were created to offer culturally inclusive, accessible education on gender-based violence, with a focus on the lived experiences of Muslim women in Edmonton. These video-based resources are designed to support both formal and informal care providers, including family members, community leaders, and faith-based supports, who are often the first point of contact for those experiencing harm. Developed with cultural sensitivity and community input, the modules offer meaningful insights into how GBV shows up in Muslim communities and how to respond with compassion, safety, and knowledge. They are also a valuable tool for survivors, offering validation, education, and pathways to support in a format that respects their context and voice.

Our online coercive control modules offer a culturally informed training series focused on how coercive control operates within immigrant family systems. This educational resource is designed for service providers, including social workers, counsellors, and healthcare professionals, who support immigrant and racialized communities. The content is grounded in real-life scenarios and cultural context, using case studies such as the fictional Aziz Family to help learners identify red flags and patterns of harm. By equipping frontline workers with this knowledge, the modules help foster safer, more responsive environments for those facing invisible or non-physical forms of family violence.

In partnership with the Immigrant Family Violence Prevention Committee (IFVPC), IslamicFamily developed an online module in 2021 focused on understanding family dynamics within newcomer, immigrant, and refugee households. This resource prepares service providers to deliver truly client‑centered care to families from Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe – communities that bring rich traditions that may shift with time in Canada.

impact

Leadership & Sector Impact

IslamicFamily takes pride in our leadership roles and contributions to systemic change in the anti‑violence sector:

Leadership in CIAFV

Our Clinical Director, Lubna Zaeem, has served as a council member with the Community Initiative Against Family Violence (CIAFV) since 2022, contributing to a coordinated community response to family violence.

Partnering with IMPACT

IslamicFamily has been an associate partner of IMPACT since 2020. Lubna Zaeem also serves as a Steward and Co‑Chair for “Enhancing Social Inclusion,” one of the five priority areas identified in Alberta’s Primary Prevention Playbook.

Shaping Alberta’s Prevention Strategy

IslamicFamily staff contributed to the development of the 2023 Alberta Primary Prevention Playbook, led by Dr. Lana Wells and "Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence", supporting the advancement of province-wide prevention strategies.

Framework for African, Caribbean, and Black Communities

From 2021–2024, IslamicFamily contributed to the “Breaking Barriers, Building Support” framework in partnership with Africa Centre to address intimate partner violence in ACB communities.

Peer Leadership with OCASI

In collaboration with the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), we co-led the Peer Champion and Community Advocacy Network (Peer‑CAN) project (2020–2025), building leadership capacity among non-status, refugee, and immigrant women across Canada.

Stewarding IFVPC

IslamicFamily plays a leading role in the Immigrant Family Violence Prevention Committee (IFVPC), with staff members serving as Chair and Co‑Chair, guiding efforts to support newcomer and ethnocultural communities in preventing family violence.

Donate today

Make a Difference

Your help drives change. Choose how you want to contribute today—whether it’s giving your time or a donation, every action counts.

Sign up to the IslamicFamily newsletter