Islamic Careline

Open to everyone

Islamic Careline's most important message for non-Muslim survivors: you are welcome. The service is explicitly open to all persons regardless of faith, race, gender, status, or culture. The Islamic perspective informs the counselling approach — the Shari'i dimension of problems is considered alongside the psychosocial — but no client is turned away on religious grounds. South Africa's diverse urban communities often seek counselling services outside their own cultural or religious networks, and Islamic Careline's inclusive policy makes it one of Fordsburg's genuinely accessible community resources.

Leadership and professional foundation

Director Suraiya Nawaab — BA Social Sciences (Wits), postgraduate in Counselling, Community Development and Sociology (UJ), Masters in Islamic Studies — has led Islamic Careline since its founding and simultaneously serves as National Director of the Muslim AIDS Programme (MAP). She is one of South Africa's quiet leaders in community psychosocial welfare, having previously volunteered at Family Life Centre, the 702 Helpline, and Childline. Her dual leadership of IC and MAP reflects the deep connection between the GBV and HIV/AIDS crises in South African communities — the same populations are often affected by both.

Islamic Careline's staff are academically trained professionals: social workers, psychologists, psychometrists, and other social science specialists. Volunteer counsellors are trained and supervised to professional standards. Ongoing in-service training keeps the service current.

Services for GBV survivors

Individual counselling — for women (and others) experiencing marital abuse, domestic violence, family violence, sexual abuse, and related trauma. The counselling integrates psychosocial and, where appropriate, Islamic perspectives.

Play therapy — for children who have been exposed to violence, abuse, or trauma at home. Critical for families where GBV has affected children directly or indirectly.

Trauma debriefing — for individuals and groups after traumatic events.

Support groups — Islamic Careline runs a notable range of groups with direct relevance to the GBV context: - First Wives Support Group — for women in polygamous marriages who may face economic abandonment, social isolation, or direct abuse - Co-wives Support Group — for women in polygamous family structures navigating conflict and vulnerability - Divorce Support Group — for women navigating the emotional, social, and financial dimensions of divorce, often intersecting with abuse - Bereavement and Widows Support Group - Parenting Support Group - Fertility Support Group

Ladies Lifeskills programmes — economic empowerment and life skills for women, including those escaping abusive situations.

Hijab Support Group — a support and community space for women navigating identity, faith, and social pressures around dress and religious identity.

Marriage Education Programmes — prevention-oriented, helping couples build healthy communication and reduce conflict.

Basic and Enhanced Counselling Skills Training — capacity building for community members and practitioners.

Substance Abuse Workshops — relevant to the GBV–substance abuse intersection.

Employee Wellness Programmes (EAP) — corporate/workplace counselling services, including trauma, relationship, and social problems affecting employees.

The Muslim AIDS Programme (MAP)

In 1996/97, Islamic Careline was approached by the Islamic Medical Association (IMA) to assist the National Department of Health with a religious-sector HIV/AIDS response. Together with JUSA, they launched what became the Muslim AIDS Programme (MAP) — initially operating from Suraiya Nawaab's Mayfair home. MAP has since become a fully independent registered NPO with its head office in Fordsburg and provincial sites in KZN, North West, Gauteng, and the Western Cape. The GBV–HIV intersection is particularly significant: survivors of sexual violence face elevated HIV risk, and MAP's work directly supports this population.

How to access Islamic Careline

Walk in or call the head office: +27 11 373 8000 / 1st Floor, Baitul Hamd, 32 Dolly Rathebe Road, Fordsburg. Visit icareline.org.za for service details and contact forms. For Islamic Careline resources, the Jamiat's parent page is jamiatsa.org.

⚠️ Note: A separate organisation — Islamic Crisis Call Centre (crisiscentre.co.za / 072 011 7861) — also operates in South Africa's Muslim community context and specifically focuses on GBV, drug abuse, and marital crises. The two organisations complement each other but are independent.

Islamic Careline: icareline.org.za / +27 11 373 8000 / 32 Dolly Rathebe Road, Fordsburg, JHB. Open to ALL, regardless of faith or background. Counselling, play therapy, trauma debriefing, support groups, MAP. GBV crisis: 0800 428 428 (toll-free, 24/7).