Psychiatric Impact of Wars and Terrorism on Muslim Women

The Muslim women’s mental health in wars and terrorism is hardly known to the world at large. Few significant research studies have been published in scientific journals. Until two decades ago, the impact of war and other atrocities on women were hardly reported. The Gulf Wars and Afghanistan invasions, drone attacks in the Pakistan Tribal belt, general suicide attacks in the main cities of Pakistan and the Syrian war refugees have been highlighted by the media, particularly after the 9/11 War on Terror. Active participation of UN Agencies, human rights organizations, the individual bloggers on internet, particularly Twitter have played a vital role in sensitizing the global world about the plight of Muslinwomen in conflict areas. Awareness of gender based violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation of refugee women, especially in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and now Syria has been raised by women in mental health professions, the media and their professional organizations have taken cognizance of these brutalities. Attempts have been made support the women victims of psycho trauma. The victims of violence (bomb blasts, terrorist attacks and genocide) need urgent psycho social support, rehabilitation services, counseling and treatment, to prevent long term consequences and permanent disabilities. Thereby increasing the global burden of mental health issues, with phenomenal financial burdens on war affected countries and escalate the global mental health problems. The safety, dignity and both mental and physical health of human beings are clearly not being managed adequately by the WHO, United Nations Relief Agencies and the Human Rights Organizations particularly without any discrimination. This article highlights the experiences and perspectives of Muslim women - their thoughts and nightmares and their daily struggles - in an age of war, insurgency and terrorism Firsthand experiences of war and deadly political oppression on Muslim women It is our moral and professional duty to unite efforts as psychiatrists to bring this pertinent tragic issue to the forefront and suggest ways to prevent, treat and rehabilitate the silent suffers of wars and terrorism.