Fear of Islamic health clinic stirs debate in Northeast Philly
When neighbors learned a health clinic run by an Islamic nonprofit organization was coming to Northeast Philadelphia this fall, they had questions.
Will the clinic be open to anyone, or only Muslims? (Answer: Anyone.) Will doctors impose their religious beliefs on patients? (No.) Is this a front for extremism? (No.)
“We just so happen to be Muslim, but that shouldn’t deter people,” said Ammar Shahid, a doctor who works with ICNA Relief, the nonprofit opening the clinic in the Holmesburg neighborhood. Free blood-pressure screenings, dental work, and counseling for people who can’t afford basic health care will be offered.
The clinic’s association with Islam — ICNA stands for Islamic Circle of North America — has sparked debate about tolerance in the Northeast, one of the city’s most rapidly diversifying areas. While most residents say they welcome the clinic, which the city Zoning Board of Adjustment approved last month, the word Islam still gives some pause. And in isolated cases, it has evoked hate.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/icna-relief-islamic-health-northeast-holmesburg-20170904.html
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