Mental Health of Muslims: Who was Arif Faisal?
By: Tamanna Syed
On January 4, 2023, a 20 year old Bangladeshi man named Faisal attempted to self harm with a kukri, a kitchen tool, when he was apprehended by police. Fearing for the brutal ending of his life, Faisal ran several blocks down the Cambridgeport neighborhood, shirtless, barefoot, and on railroad tracks. Every time he would stop, he would have large armed police surrounding him. He was sprayed with hard sponge bullets and shot six times by Officer Liam McMahon, rather than having his life saved. His 21st birthday would have been May of 2024.
There are several more cases of South Asian Muslims in mental health crises shot and killed by police. SAPHA, South Asian Public Health Association, states that 1 in 5 US South Asians experience a mood or anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Thus, there is a great need for South Asians and Muslims to receive appropriate mental health care, especially in the post 9-11 era of police discrimination.
In an interview with one of Faisal’s immediate family members, who chooses to remain anonymous, there are several positive qualities mentioned of Faisal. On his mother’s birthday, he would gather friends and family to honor her, filling her wrists with golden bangles and her heart with joy. Heaven lies under the feet of your mother, and that is something Faisal displayed every day. Whenever his mother was feeling low, he would embrace her. He grew up in Chittagong but had dreams of joining the US Army. However, due to his mother’s fear of losing her son, Faisal did not join.
Faisal would surprise his cousins with gifts aplenty, though typically it is the older adults who give gifts on Eid. Faisal struggled with his mental health, but he was never out to harm anyone.”
According to the documentary, No Budget for Bullets, though alternative mental health resources such as the Cambridge Holistic Emergency Response Team exist, they receive little funding. In the media, he was painted as a man carrying a machete in an attempt to harm others. But in reality, he was kind, young man, struggling with depression.
“He decorated shoes to donate to others and created paintings that would be auctioned at exhibitions for hundreds of dollars. His Somerville murals could be admired by all, as his goal was to serve his community and make a difference in the world–one smile at a time…”. He played the tabla and learned instruments in his free time, but also enjoyed playing soccer on sunlit days with his close friends, learning languages, gardening, and glassmaking. He loved traveling and even saved money to take a trip to Nepal. He was a huge foodie whose favorite meal was chicken roast.
He was honest, punctual, straightforward, helpful and hardworking. But words can do little to describe what a beautiful soul he was–and everyone can see that kindness radiated from his eyes.
No mother’s chest should ever feel the emptiness of losing such a loving and kind child as Faisal. No friends, family members, or loved ones should experience the heartbreak of losing someone in their youth. Faisal’s memory will be honored by many.
Cities can reallocate their police budgets to alternative mental health response teams and other community resources, so such cases are mitigated.
An in-depth version of this article will be found on Sapan News Network.