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.