MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Culture and Lifestyle, World — March 7, 2018   

Muslim Foster Parents Welcome Children From All Backgrounds

Original article by Sarfraz Manzoor published in the Guardian on 12/03/2017

Photo Credit: Guardian
Photo Credit: Guardian

“We estimate there is a shortage of 8,000 foster carers,” says Kevin Williams, chief executive of the Fostering Network which is the UK’s leading foster non-profit. “And there is a particular shortage of Muslim foster carers.” The Guardian profiles two British Muslim families who share their experience fostering children, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

Right before Christmas in 2010, Riffat and Sajjadtook took in three Caucasian children who were raised in a Christian household and were in urgent need of short-term care. “We are Muslims and we’d never had a Christmas tree in our home,” says Riffat who is of Pakistani heritage. “But these children were Christian and we wanted them to feel connected to their culture.” The couple quickly purchased a Christmas tree, presents were purchased and the home was made festive for the children. “I had never seen that kind of extra happiness and excitement on a child’s face,” recalls Riffat. The children were supposed to stay for a few weeks but seven years later, two of the three siblings are still living with them.

A British Pakistani, Shareen and her husband Asif, began fostering three years ago, and has looked after children from many nationalities including Afro-Caribbean, Syrian, Egyptian and Pakistani. “I just could not believe that there could be children so deprived of love,” she says. Shareen’s longest foster placement arrived three years ago, a boy from Syria. “It took ages to gain his trust… I got a picture dictionary that showed English and Arabic words and I remember one time when I pronounced an Arabic word wrong and he burst out laughing and told me I was saying it wrong – that was the breakthrough.” Now 18, the young man speaks English fluently and is applying for apprenticeships. And he still lives with Shareen and her husband.

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Contact Quick

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

M Film Lab Now Accepting...

Applications are now open for the inaugural M Film Lab: a free-to-join screenwriting workshop and mentorship opportunity for storytellers and creators committed to fair artistic representation of … [Read More...]

American Eid – Interview...

American Eid is a new, short film on Disney+ about two sisters from Pakistan adjusting to their new reality in America when they are unable to take off school to celebrate Eid, the festival after the … [Read More...]

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

Sign Up Quick

Sign up to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2025 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.