Asiyah Center: A Beacon of Hope and Cultural Competency for Muslim Domestic Violence Survivors

Learn more about New York City’s first shelter dedicated to Muslim women

By: Johanna Elattar

For millions of Muslim Americans, mosques serve as sanctuaries offering religious solace, community engagement, and a sense of belonging. However, these sacred spaces have also become unintended shelters for growing numbers of Muslim survivors of domestic violence. This unfortunate reality highlights a critical gap in inclusive and accessible resources for victims within the Muslim commiunity.

Recognizing this void, the Asiyah Center was established in 2018 as an emergency refuge specifically designed for Muslim and BIPOC victims of domestic violence and abuse. Over the past five years, Asiyah has gained widespread acclaim as a trailblazer in cultural competency within shelters and social work, both in New York and across the nation.

The Asiyah Center was born from an urgent need to provide a safe haven for survivors who felt alienated by the existing network of emergency shelters in New York City. Reports of hijab bans, and intimidating encounters with male staff had transformed these refuges into places of fear rather than safety.

Dania Darwish and Mohamed Bahe, the founders of Asiyah, encountered numerous survivors seeking refuge in local mosques due to the lack of culturally competent care in mainstream shelters. “In New York City, no emergency shelters provided culturally competent care for Muslims and communities of color,” said Arianna El Haloui, Asiyah’s Programs Manager, recounting the founders’ early experiences.

As the only shelter in the city that serves halal food, offers prayer spaces, and provides modest clothing, the all-female staffed Asiyah Center has firmly established itself as a cornerstone for New York’s Muslim community. In Arabic, “Asiyah” means “the caring one,” a fitting name for a center dedicated to offering culturally responsive services and pioneering protective and therapeutic resources.

The shelter’s goal is to empower its clients. This client-centric approach stands in stark contrast to the universal and systemic operations of many shelters, which often fail to account for the unique needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The recent Supreme Court case, United States v. Rahimi, has reignited national discussions on domestic violence and survivor safety. The case debates whether the government can prohibit individuals under domestic violence orders from obtaining firearms, a ruling that could significantly impact the work of emergency shelters like Asiyah.

Despite these ongoing legal battles, Asiyah has remained unwavering in its commitment to client and center safety. The center’s programming focuses on the unique needs of each client, offering culturally conscious services such as meals from clients’ countries of origin and spaces where clients can cook freely using readily available resources.

In their 2022 fact sheet, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence reported 204,313 domestic incident reports in New York City, including 71 homicides. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention further reveals that one in three women and one in four men in the U.S. have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner. These statistics underscore the pervasive nature of domestic violence, which transcends race, ethnicity, and religion.

However, the approach to addressing domestic violence has often been one-size-fits-all, overlooking the specific needs of Muslim survivors. This gap extends to therapy spaces, where there is frequently a lack of understanding regarding Muslim family structures and cultural backgrounds.

Asiyah Center’s success serves as a model for how shelters can provide culturally competent care, ensuring that all survivors feel safe and understood. By focusing on individual needs and cultural consciousness, Asiyah has set a new standard for emergency shelters nationwide.

The center’s achievements underscore the importance of creating inclusive and accessible resources for all survivors of domestic violence. As the only shelter of its kind in New York City, Asiyah continues to be a beacon of hope and a vital resource for the Muslim community, offering a compassionate and culturally aware refuge in times of crisis.

Asiyah’s journey from a response to an urgent need to becoming a pillar of support for thousands illustrates the profound impact of culturally competent care. As the national conversation on domestic violence evolves, the lessons from Asiyah Center will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping more inclusive and effective support systems for all survivors.