Islam Channel launches groundbreaking documentary adoption series
‘Please Can I have a Mummy and Daddy’
The Islam Channel (Sky 813) has recently launched its ground breaking ‘adoption’
documentary series, entitled ‘Please Can I Have a Mummy and Daddy’, airing 9pm on
Wednesdays and 7pm on Sundays for 6 weeks, starting on 12th February 2014.
This 6 part series aims to promote adoption within the Muslim community, highlighting the
shortfall of Muslim adopters for Muslim children needing to be adopted from the care system
and challenging the misconception that adoption is forbidden in Islam.
A percentage of the 2,500 Muslim children in the care system in England need adoption or
long term fostering, ideally with families who can best reflect and support their religious and
cultural identity. A severe shortfall of Muslim adopters makes this a near impossible task for
social workers who sometimes plead for Muslim families to come forward, however they
simply cannot wait indefinitely.
Asian and Muslim children wait the longest to be adopted and some are never even found a
family. Adoption agencies are sometimes pleading for Muslim families to come forwards but
many Muslims believe adoption is forbidden in Islam. But what, then, is the solution for
Muslim children left in the care system? And is this a correct interpretation of what Islam
says on adoption?
This documentary series, by the Islam Channel, hopes to shed light into this often sensitive
subject. Consultation with Islamic scholars, social workers and experts in the field gives a
picture of the reality on the ground and explores what the duty of the British Muslim
community is to its own children.
This series has been greatly anticipated both by Muslims who have been inclined towards
adoption but were unclear about its permissibility and by adoption agencies throughout the
UK who hope that it will lead to an increase in the number of Muslim prospective adopters.
So far we have had 1.6million viewers due to promotion by first4adoption and had enquiries
from overseas.
