"A Hard Pill to Swallow: Substance Abuse, Mental Health & The Family Unit" by Ayhan Aslam (6/21/19)

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In this groundbreaking khutbah, Khateebah Ayhan Aslam bravely talks to us from the first-hand perspective of a survivor on the topic of drug abuse in the Muslim community, and how we can best help our brothers and sisters who are suffering in silence. In the first half of her khutbah, Ayhan talks about her mother's lifelong battle with pill addiction which led to her untimely death; in the second half, Ayhan opens up about her own use of marijuana to numb her feelings, and how she finally found her way out to freedom from all drug use.

Bio: Ayhan Hatunan Aslam is a New York City based spoken word artist, writer and inner-city youth educator. Her parents split apart when she was seven. At that time she, along with her older brother, was sent to live with their aunt, uncle and three cousins in a small town in Massachusetts while her single mother worked to get back on her feet. Due to her mother’s inner turmoil and struggles, Ayhan spent much of her life moving around from city to city, country to country. This molded her into a culturally aware and sensitive individual who understands the nuances of the human condition, despite cultural barriers that may exist amongst differing communities.



Ayhan has devoted much of her professional career to serving underprivileged and marginalized youth in the New York City area including The South Bronx. She enjoys studying English literature and using hip hop education framework theories to build authentic relationships with her students and herself. She also has spent many years on the front lines organizing in the community for different social justice issues and events. Aside from her professional career aspirations, Ayhan has a deep passion for health and wellness, in particular, holistic healing modalities that include aromatherapy, skincare and building a healthier relationship to food and body. 



She loves taking nature walks, listening to music, painting, writing poems and playing sports. She is currently attaining her yoga teacher certification and hopes to heal others through yoga and breathing practices.
In the upcoming fall of 2019, Ayhan will return back to her hometown of NYC and begin her master's program in school counseling, where she hopes to go back to her roots of working with inner-city youth, in the new role of a school counselor.