The tragedy of a mother who killed herself in a Shipley supermarket last month has raised questions about bereavement support for Muslim communities.

Sobia Yousef was devastated by the death of her youngest daughter, her brother revealed to the Telegraph & Argus last week. Imtiaz Ali said his sister suffered a breakdown after learning her nine-year-old daughter Mehvish was losing a life-long battle with a serious heart condition.

Mrs Yousef’s suicide, in front of shoppers and staff at Asda in Shipley, has raised concerns about the support available for Muslim parents suffering child bereavement.

Zulfi Karim, vice-president of Bradford Council for Mosques and founder of inter-faith community partnership the Giant Chilli Project, wants to work with mainstream service providers, including health and social services, on offering appropriate bereavement support.

“This tragic incident has highlighted the need for a support system to deal with grief before it becomes a mental health issue. It’s about prevention rather than cure,” says Mr Karim. “Bradford has a high infant mortality rate, as highlighted in the Born in Bradford survey, yet when it comes to the loss of a child there appears to be a lack of understanding among mainstream service providers of the specific needs of ethnic minority communities. It raises issues of health inequality.”

Within the Muslim faith a fixed time of mourning immediately follows a death. “It is very intensive early on, then the family moves away from that and are left their own devices,” says Mr Karim. “It is then that people may think ‘how do we as individuals deal with this loss?’ “Grief is complex. Sometimes it is only when the mourning and practicalities of organising the funeral and other affairs is over that it hits you. This can be months, even a year later, and it can affect relationships and families.

“There needs to be somewhere to turn to say, ‘I’m not coping’. We should be looking for service providers to be relevant to the needs of these communities, and also looking at services the Muslim community can provide.”

Mr Karim aims to initially gather information from Muslim people, through mosques and community organisations, about experiences of bereavement, and whether they would use an appropriate support network.

“From there I’d like to set up a partnership of agencies – the NHS, social services, Council for Mosques, GPs and inter-faith groups – looking at educating and training professionals in how to deal with bereavement in Muslim families. It’s important that they understand the requirements and can signpost to organisations that can help.

“It’s creating a network of professionals. If someone’s first port of call is their imam we need to make sure he too has relevant training. Communities can play a role in identifying and addressing needs too.”

He adds: “This is addressing bereavement support for all. When a child dies, their siblings may not understand death or how to cope.”

In June, a West Yorkshire branch of national charity Children of Jannah, which supports Muslim parents and families following the loss of a child, will be launched in Bradford. The charity was founded in 2011 by Hafizah Ismail, following the death of her two-year-old nephew.

Run by trained volunteers, Children of Jannah is based in Manchester and is expanding to other areas of the UK and overseas. It meets the needs of grieving Muslim parents – through practical, emotional and spiritual support through a helpline, online support groups, meetings and bereavement support packs – and provides education and training for the wider community, including the NHS, police family liaison officers, palliative care organisations, mosques, and community leaders.

“There is no worse pain than losing a child, but it’s something we don’t generally talk about it. When my nephew died I tried to find support and information on the internet and there was nothing from an Islamic perspective,” says Hafizah. “We try to help parents cope with bereavement and avoid unresolved grief.

“What pains us with this tragic incident in Shipley is that we didn’t know about this woman. Nobody signposted her to us.

“Organisations like the Council for Mosques need to take this seriously. Education and training ensures that professionals and members of the wider community can refer people in need to us and other organisations for help, before it’s too late.”

For more about Children of Jannah call (0161) 480 5156 or visit childrenofjannah.com. To contact Bradford Council for Mosques, call (01274) 732479.