Training of Psychosocial and Medical Practitioners in Fighting Substance Addiction in Muslim and Arab Cultures

Abstract

This article argues that the Western approach to dealing with drug
addicts is a failure for several reasons. It treats drug addiction from an
amoral perspective, seeking external solutions to the problem, which
have failed in the West as well as in the Muslim World where they were
imported without adjustment for local culture and values. The paper
asserts that, Islam embodies values which can not only empower the
drug addict to permanently eschew use of drugs, but can also create an
environment where there will be no temptation to use them in the first
place. While recommending treatment, the paper underscores the
virtues of prevention. The paper advances strategies that would enable
parents, teachers, the mass media, and practitioners to use the Muslim
faith in eliminating drug usage.