Gender dysphoria, which once affected roughly one in 50,000 children and was naturally resolved through puberty in 80 to 90 percent of cases, has now become an epidemic sweeping through schools and infiltrating even the Muslim community. Licensed Muslim therapist Sister Haleh Banani, who serves exclusively the Muslim community, reveals the alarming reality she encounters every single day in her practice and offers critical guidance for parents and Islamic institutions.
The Gender Identity Crisis Has Reached Muslim Children
What was once considered unthinkable in Muslim households is now a daily reality in Sister Haleh’s counseling practice. Muslim children in public schools are being exposed to information that contradicts Islamic beliefs and confuses their sense of identity. Many of her young clients report deciding on a different gender identity at age 13, heavily influenced by peer pressure and school environments that actively promote this ideology while suppressing any opposing viewpoint.
“Every single day I see this in my practice, and I serve only the Muslim community. A lot of the kids have a double life — there’s the Muslim child in front of the parents at the mosque, and then there’s a whole different side to them. They don’t talk to their parents because they don’t feel safe to open up.”
Why Islamic Schools and Strong Families Are the Solution
The breakdown of the Muslim family is at the root of many of these problems. When homes are filled with conflict, neglect, or silent warfare between spouses, children become vulnerable to outside influences. Shaytan knows that breaking up the family breaks down all of society, which is why in the hadith, the devil honors the one among his soldiers who succeeds in separating a husband from his wife above all others. Islamic schools provide the critical environment where everything children learn reinforces their Islamic beliefs rather than contradicting them.
“I can guarantee if you are using an outdated approach of force, threats, hitting, spanking — you’re going to lose your kids. You have to connect with them, make them feel heard, understood, appreciated, and accepted. Your thoughts create your emotions, and your emotions create your actions.”
Practical Steps Every Muslim Parent Must Take
- Equip children with high self-esteem and a strong Islamic identity — teach them the WHY behind being Muslim, not just the rituals
- Create positive associations with the Masjid and community so children feel welcomed, not policed and pushed away
- Be a genuine role model at home, not just at the mosque — children lose respect for both parents and Islam when they see hypocrisy
- Invest in Islamic schools and community centers that serve as safe havens where children love to be and where their faith is reinforced by their peers and environment
