Religious and spiritual perspectives of social work among the Palestinians

This chapter examines religiosity and spirituality in the context of social work. Religious coping strategies also help those coping with the loss of a loved one, and are associated with better adjustment to adverse events. Islam is a monotheistic religion believing in one God, Allah, and in the Prophet Mohammad, the messenger of Allah. Islam has two main streams: Sunni and Shiite. Societies in the West are usually low-context societies where the individual is prized over the collective. These societies are fast-paced and always in a state of transition. Palestinians are a minority group within Israel. Over 700,000 Palestinians are Muslim, roughly 150,000 are Christian and almost 100,000 are Druze, Circassian or other groups. Traditionally, help-seeking services have been provided at the mosque, as the mosque is not only a place of prayer, but also a venue for the provision of educational, welfare and conflict resolution services for Palestinian groups, families, couples and individuals.