The fact that many issues within our community aren’t discussed doesn’t mean that many individuals are not facing the same stressors that can make our life seem difficult.

In past years, we noticed a growing number of our peers dealing with challenges in damaging and unproductive ways. Some lacked the support system they needed, while others had the support but were afraid to utilize it out of fear of being judged based on their problems. We realized that there are in fact a large number of young Muslims who faced barriers preventing them from seeking support.

As a group of Muslim college students who have grown up in California, we have experienced and seen the challenges that come with growing up as Muslims in the United States. The tipping point that set us into action was a string of six youth suicides in a small Californian Muslim community in a period of two months. The struggles that our communities’ youth are facing have become tangible and unavoidable.

The Amala Muslim Youth Hopeline began with the aim of providing an accessible, confidential, and culturally competent means of peer counseling and resource referral for Muslim youth.