The first nationwide Muslim cancer support organisation in the United Kingdom launched on Friday 24 March – to coincide with Ramadan. The Safeena Muslim Cancer Support Network will provide specialist cultural, religious and practical help to patients and their families from Islamic communities.
The Safeena Network has partnered with the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) and well-established cancer charities including Macmillan Cancer Support to deliver support from pre-diagnosis through to recovery and end-of-life care.
Minority ethnic people are diagnosed with cancer as much as 6 weeks later than white people in the UK and often experience delays in accessing treatment, leading to poorer outcomes and premature deaths, according to research carried out by the University of Exeter.
The charity is named after Safeena Bi, who died from stomach cancer in 2020 aged 59, she was the mother of one of the founding trustees, Sarfraz Nazir.
The Safeena Network provides free, specific faith-based information for Muslims on the signs, symptoms and treatment for cancers as well as end-of-life care, and emotional, practical, financial, and psychological support, alongside a dedicated Muslim befriending service.
More than 220,000 leaflets communicating the new service have been distributed through boxes of dates being delivered to Muslims throughout the holy month of Ramadan.
Safeena Co-founder Sarfraz Nazir said: “When my mum was going through cancer I realised that there was no single organisation in existence that provided what my mum and my family needed.
“Muslims in common with many other religions and cultures have specific beliefs and needs around many of the aspects of cancer treatment and care. Issues like hair loss, Do Not Resuscitate orders, intimacy, freezing of women’s eggs, organ donation, awareness raising, stigma, respect and privacy are all areas in which Muslims need support from fellow members of their faith.
“Clearly information is not getting through to Muslim communities. It’s unacceptable that we are being diagnosed 6 weeks later than non-BAME people and accessing treatment as much as 4 weeks later. We realise that much of the lack of awareness around symptoms and treatment options stems from the cultural taboos around cancer in our community. Safeena exists to get Muslims talking about cancer so that understanding grows.
“Cancer support is out there and is done very well by other organisations, but as Muslims, we know we will reach people and support people on all levels including cultural and religious. Muslims with cancer need to see this support being delivered by people like themselves.
“It’s important to add though that the Safeena Muslim Cancer Support Network does not exclude anyone on grounds of ethnicity, culture or religion. We will support anyone from any faith or background, but we also need to exist to fully support Muslims.”
Dr Zohra Ali, BIMA Cancer Awareness Team Senior Adviser and a Consultant Medical Oncologist said: “Muslim cancer patients have specific cultural and religious needs that are not being met by existing cancer support groups. My personal and professional experience is that Muslim patients are in desperate need of practical, emotional and spiritual support from peers who, through their shared religious background, can truly comprehend what they are going through and understand how their families and communities are responding to them and their diagnosis.
“Safeena Cancer Support Network will, for the first time in the UK, give Muslim cancer patients access to a dedicated support service, tailored to their needs. I know this will be a huge help for Muslims and their families who can often experience fear and isolation during their cancer journey.”
Zahida Ramzan-Asghar, 48, was treated for breast cancer and is a Safeena Trustee, a lawyer and mum-of-three from Hertfordshire. She said: “In the Muslim community we do not talk enough about cancer, we don’t even like to mention the cancer word, when I was diagnosed I used to refer to it as the C word in the family. Our own research for Safeena showed that people didn’t know what the signs and symptoms were for the top main cancers.
“Through Safeena we hope to change the narrative on that and educate people about the signs and symptoms of cancer and the importance of seeking support and not feeling that they have to deal with this on their own. We want to normalise cancer conversations and help eradicate the taboo of cancer that exists within our communities.”
Shuma Rouf, 31 from Cambridgeshire lost her mum, Gulnaher Begum to breast cancer eight years ago.
“There were no Muslim cancer support groups for mum and us. My mum belonged to a generation where cancer was something you kept hush hush about. In Muslim communities it is respectful and expected that you visit a sick person. This is all well-intended, but because there was a lack of awareness of how mum’s chemo treatment and the cancer itself made her feel, people would arrive at the house and some days mum just needed to be alone.
“This can be difficult to explain to people without appearing to be rude. In large parts of Asian communities, as with other communities, there isn’t a fundamental level of understanding about the impact of cancer and treatment because it is rarely talked about because cancer is seen as a stigma. As a family we felt we couldn’t put boundaries in when we really needed to but in hindsight realise we should have.
“If Safeena had existed then it would have helped us to have someone else to talk to through the befriending service. It would have helped us realise that others are in our situation and may have helped us and empowered us to articulate things better. I am also hopeful that through the creation of Safeena that the culture will shift as it will help increase awareness around all aspects cancer in Muslim communities.”
Afzal Khan MP (Labour, Manchester, Gorton): "We know that cases of cancer are on the rise and every 1 in 2 of us will be impacted by cancer. Religious and cultural sensitivities mean the needs of those from a faith background and specifically Muslims are not met. I am delighted to be supporting the Safeena Network and the work it’s looking to do via its befriending service, as well as raising education and awareness in our communities across the UK."
