黑料吃瓜

As the news unfolded about the hate-fueled attack that left three people dead at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18, Halima Said (鈥�17, 鈥�20) experienced a range of emotions. 

Shock. Anger. Grief.

This was, after all, her mosque in a community she has called home for the past 13 years. Yet as Said attempted to process the tragedy, she found herself gripped by an overwhelming urge to take action.

"My first thought was, 鈥楬ow do I help my community?鈥欌�� said Said, a graduate of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 (CBB) master's program. 

鈥淎nd I feel very privileged that I can.鈥�

In the weeks since the attack, Said has put her CBB education into practice, rendering support to a community in crisis through , an organization dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of San Diego鈥檚 Muslim community. She co-founded the nonprofit in 2020 alongside her friend Amira Abudiab, a fellow Palestinian Muslim therapist who had gone to school at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD) as a youth.

Almost immediately, AMALY (Arabic for 鈥渕y hope鈥�) began putting mental health support services into place. 

Two days after the shooting, the organization 鈥� knowing the attack had made community members fearful of public gatherings 鈥� hosted a virtual healing circle. That weekend, they were at ICSD, co-facilitating multiple in-person sessions for women, men and children.

鈥淲e were able to run a whole mental health initiative inside a mosque for four or five hours,鈥� Said explained. 

In a community that has long faced barriers 鈥� both internal and external 鈥� to mental health care, what AMALY accomplished is no small thing. 

Stigma and scarcity

Within the Muslim community, Said explained, individuals seeking mental health care are often stigmatized as weak or broken. And experiences with non-Muslim therapists have only exacerbated the stigma. Muslim clients often find themselves facing judgmental treatment, negative assumptions and criticism of their religion that cause them to disengage.

鈥淲hen you go to therapy and end up with somebody who is not culturally competent, that reinforces the fear that there is really no help for you,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜 Associate Professor Nola Butler-Byrd, who directs the CBB program and continues to serve as a mentor to Said.

鈥淚t makes it even less likely that that person will reach out again to try to get some help.鈥�

Said knows this firsthand. While seeking care a decade ago, she was paired with a non-Muslim therapist who committed what she recognized as multiple macroaggressions towards Muslims and Arabs during sessions. 

Shaken by the experience, Said sought a Muslim therapist in San Diego, only to come up empty.

鈥淚t was like searching for a needle in a haystack,鈥� she said. "I realized San Diego lacks services for Muslims. I was talking to Amira, who had just been accepted into a counseling master's program in New York, and said, 鈥榃e should start something.鈥欌�� 

Impactful education

Right about the time that idea was hatched, Said was accepted into CBB 鈥� a detour that helped AMALY take flight.

鈥淐BB came into my life when I needed it the most," she said.

Said appreciated the program鈥檚 social justice focus, as well as how it challenges students to confront their own baggage and biases and think critically about issues impacting their communities. To this day, Said uses a presentation she created in CBB about working with Muslims and mental health in AMALY trainings for community partners.

"It prepared me to work with the community and to deal with crisis,鈥� explained Said, who went on to teach in CBB for four years and serve as an assistant practicum supervisor. 鈥淲e were trained in healing circles. CBB was very big on, 鈥榃hen the community needs you, you're going to be available.鈥�"

For Butler-Byrd, who carries on CBB鈥檚 52-year legacy as its director, Said鈥檚 story feels like the fulfillment of the program鈥檚 mission.

鈥淔or her to take what she's learned and turn around and quickly implement it is just so exciting,鈥� Butler-Byrd said. 鈥淗alima is a very special young woman. She loves learning, she loves people. And she has grit and determination.鈥�

Moving forward

In the wake of the ICSD attack, AMALY鈥檚 support for San Diego鈥檚 Muslim community has not waned. In fact, it鈥檚 expanding.

Supported by funding from the NGO Islamic Relief USA, AMALY has ramped up in-person therapy for individuals directly affected, including children. Two 2026 CBB graduates, Yasmeen Asad and Sudad Abdulrazak, were hired to lead the sessions.

AMALY鈥檚 day-to-day work, meanwhile, goes on. The organization now has two additional Muslim therapists on staff. 

When she鈥檚 not acting as co-CEO, Said sees clients for individual and couples therapy, and runs cultural humility and suicide prevention trainings for community organizations. 

All while somehow finding time to work through her own emotions.

鈥淎mira and I have also made space for our grief, because it was our community that was impacted,鈥� Said remarked. "But I feel honored that they can accept my help. I'm always going to be there to give it to them."