Ten years ago, while studying to become a nurse, Khadijah Abdullah was confronted at a hospital with a rather difficult patient, a Muslim living with AIDS who was also coping with several other medical issues. When Abdullah realized how isolated and stigmatized this patient was in his own faith community, she became aware of her prejudices and ignorance and she decided to do something about it.… Read More...
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DC CFAR CAB Member, Khadijah Abdullah, Speaks at Conference on Faith and HIV in Geneva, Switzerland
DC CFAR CAB member, Khadijah Adullah, was recently asked by the World Council of Churches and UNAIDS to speak at their conference on Faith and HIV in Geneva, Switzerland. Khadijah is the Founder of both RAHMA and the National Faith & HIV AIDS Awareness Day here in the U.S. Participants in the Geneva meeting included individuals from UNAIDS, PEPFAR, World Council of Churches, WHO, and many other national and global organizations.… Read More...
Faith Communities Celebrate HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Local Christian and Muslims groups gathered Sunday in southeast D.C. at America’s Islamic Heritage Museum to mark the second annual National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
The event is an interfaith collaboration that brings together faith communities together to counter stigmas and provide safe spaces for those who are living with HIV. The barbecue-style cookout provided free HIV testing in a vehicle provided by Sasha Bruce, pamphlets on STD prevention and free condoms to those in attendance.… Read More...
How the Muslim community is combatting the stigma around HIV and AIDS
“I was removed from sex ed classes in school because my parents felt it was inappropriate information,” Khadijah Abdullah, executive director of RAHMA, said. She added that this is the case for many Muslim students.
“When I was in high school, an HIV-positive person came to our school to give a talk, and I felt disgusted by this person,” she said. “I…… Read More...
National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2017
Sunday, August 27, marks the first National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD). Faith-based groups and religious leaders across the country will be working together to engage their communities in the fight against the epidemic.
Spearheaded by HIV-negative ally Khadijah Abdullah and her nonprofit organization, RAHMA (Reaching All HIV-positive Muslims in America), the event hopes to unite Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu and Baha’i representatives to work for HIV education, prevention and treatment.… Read More...
Uniting Faith Communities in the Fight Against HIV
Khadijah Abdullah, the Executive Director of RAHMA (Reaching All HIV-positive Muslims in America), is a powerful advocate for people living with HIV and the founder and lead organizer in the inaugural Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD), which will be held on August 27.
We caught up with Khadijah Abdullah to learn more about her work and the upcoming awareness day.… Read More...
Faith AIDS Day – One Day. Each Year. Until We Find A Cure.
I started National Faith HIV & AIDS Awareness Day because of people like Bryan. Everyone has the right to feel safe and welcomed in their faith community and not be judged due to their HIV status. My journey towards organizing this day began in the spring of 2016 when I reached out to HIV.gov requesting for this day to be officially added to their HIV Awareness Days calendar. I learned in order to do so, I must show a need … Read More...
Bringing Mercy to the U.S. Muslim HIV Community
Khadijah Abdullah hasn’t always had as much rahma—an Arabic word for mercy—as she does now. The steadfast HIV activist knew virtually nothing about the disease when she was an undergrad at Southern Connecticut State University. But while working at Saint Raphael’s Hospital during her college years, she found out a friend and fellow student was HIV positive. In that moment, she realized her naiveté.… Read More...
On the Path to RAHMA
Drip. Drip. I could hear the sound of the saline dripping from the IV as I stood at the door. His back was turned towards me and the room was dark. The shades were drawn and I asked myself, “Is he sleeping?”
I hesitantly stood at the doorway for a moment longer. Behind me I could hear the hustle and bustle of the nurses as they went from one patient’s room to the next, typing their notes in the computer, … Read More...
On the Path to RAHMA
Drip. Drip. I could hear the sound of the saline dripping from the IV as I stood at the door. His back was turned towards me and the room was dark. The shades were drawn and I asked myself, “Is he sleeping?”
I hesitantly stood at the doorway for a moment longer. Behind me I could hear the hustle and bustle of the nurses as they went from one patient’s room to the next, typing their notes in the computer, … Read More...
