ABSTRACT
With the growth of interest in the health of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups, a thorough critical examination of cultural competence, diversity issues, systemic racism, prejudice, Islamophobia, mental health service provision and delivery should be the components of the debate. With the growth of Muslims globally and the rise of Muslim migrants in different countries, there has been a corresponding rise in the need for mental health service provision and delivery as a result of the psychosocial effects of migration, prejudice, discrimination, Islamophobia, microaggressions and social inequalities. Muslims patients often attribute their mental health problems to a religio-cultural concept of distress such as evil eye, Jinn possession or black magic. Islam places great emphasis on the sanctity of life and is unconditionally opposed to self-harm, suicide, euthanasia (mercy killing) and rational suicide. An eating disorder is an illness that causes serious disturbances to your everyday diet, such as eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating. The factors that influence eating behaviours include food characteristics and cultural, biological, social, familial and individual factors. Anorexia is a serious psychiatric disorder with far-reaching effects that encompass all the bio-psychosocial aspects of an individual’s life, and family, and significant others. Islam views food as a symbol of Allah’s blessings, a function of health and a method of worship. In Islam, the destruction of one’s health is viewed differently because suicide is considered haram.
