*I am not a scholar, but I wanted to write this piece to express some of the concerns of the Muslim community. In addition, this article is heavily condensed. I highly suggest doing more research on this topic. Below are some resources.
September 11, 2001, America was attacked by nineteen militants associated with the Islamic extremist group Al-Qaeda that hijacked four airplanes as part of their suicide attacks against targets in the US (History.com Editors). Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center (History.com Editors). 3,000 people were left dead in New York City (History.com Editors). Bin Laden’s motives were presented in the “Letter to America” where he quoted islamist values. Islamism practiced by Islamists is “not a form of the Muslim faith or an expression of Muslim piety; it is, instead, a political ideology that strives to derive legitimacy from Islam”(Cagaptay). In contrast, Islam is a faith practiced by over a billion people globally. Osama Bin Laden joined the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and for him, Islam was more than a religion; it shaped his political beliefs and influenced every decision he made (History.com). I share this to say Muslims do not share the same sentiment as Islamists.
In the wake of 9/11, a new frightening era began for Muslims in the United States. All Muslims were viewed as preparators despite being innocent and faced collective punishment for something they were not responsible for. Profiling and surveillance took a new definition in the US as islamophobia became prominent. Domestic spying without warrants in Muslim communities was the new norm (GPB). Muslim spaces were being infiltrated. Simultaneously, immigration policy shifted from trying to create pathways to citizenship to take a strict stance by closing the door and deporting people. The Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2002 (DREAM) legislation was introduced to grant temporary conditional residency to immigrants that entered the US as children but are vulnerable to deportation. However, in light of 9/11, the DREAM act was canceled and never passed into law. Twenty years later, stipulations are still being made to satisfy the demands of lawmakers, but it fails to gain majority votes.
After two decades, Americans stand united against the horrific attacks of 9/11 and Islamic extremism. Since then, there have been no terrorist attacks on the same scale of 9/11. However, there have been increased rates of Islamophobia towards all Muslims especially those of Middle Eastern descent, South Asian backgrounds, and people with brown skin.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, between 2000 and 2007, the rate at which the Muslim population experienced violent acts of discrimination increased by 1,600% (Lebowitz citing…Ahmed & Reddy, 2007, p. 208). Although there has been more access to Islamic teachings, Muslim Americans continue to face discrimination and questions about their national loyalty (Mineo). As Ali Asani, A professor of Middle Eastern Studies, states, “Islam is a religion practiced by 1.6 billion people worldwide; Islam is as complex as Christianity or Judaism, each with its diverse interpretations and adherents. People think all Muslims are the same.” Not all Muslims are terrorists, and Islam is not a violent religion. Prejudice towards the Muslim population is based on stereotypes and a lack of knowledge about Islamic culture. Post 9/11, there has also been a resurgence of American nationalism. As a result, Muslims are viewed as the out-group making it more difficult to gain acceptance and inclusion in the fabric of American society.
“Both identities were challenged: their American identity and their Muslim identity,” said Asani, who teaches Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures at Harvard. “I don’t think the country has recovered from making Muslims feel like the other or the enemy. Muslims have recovered from the suffering they had to endure after 9/11 because they always have to prove their loyalty to the United States.”
In the aftermath of 9/11 Muslim American women’s identities were particularly hyphenated. Muslim women face the juxtaposition of being either too American or too Muslim. According to the report “Islamophobia through the Eyes of Muslims,” 74.3% of women are more likely to experience islamophobia than men (Elsheikh, E., & Sisemore, B). Muslim women encounter the lasting effects of the war on terror, especially because some are visibly Muslim. According to a survey by the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), some women choose to wear a hijab in inclination to God and identity (Mogahed, D). Hijab serves as an identity marker, but it also perpetuates a variety of perceptions among in-group members as well as out-group members. Within the Muslim community, not wearing a hijab marks a woman as less religious, while outside of the Muslim community wearing a hijab is seen as too conservative. Whether a woman believes she is meeting traditional standards, and how others perceive she is carrying out those standards is crucial to how the Muslim-American women’s identity is developed. Understanding Muslim American women’s identity involves understanding the intersection of their gender, religion, and race.
Innocent Muslims are stereotyped as terrorists in all aspects of daily life. Whether you are walking down the road, in class, or in any public environment, a Muslim person is no stranger to islamophobia. To counteract this, people should educate themselves about Islam as a religion. They should also establish a state of open-mindedness to ensure that if they are to interact with a Muslim person that they do not hold pre-conceived notions. Most importantly, people should cultivate a common ground, perhaps something as simple as being human. I also recommend finding local interfaith or inter-belief organizations to encourage meaningful conversations. Change starts from within, and it is an effort to be made. I am optimistic for a future that is accepting of Muslims in western societies, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
Resources:
Organizations to follow for research:
- Institute for Social Policy and Understanding(ISPU)
- Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR)
- Yaqeen Institute
- Counter-Islamophobia Project
Books to read:
- American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear by Khaled A. Beydoun
- Islamophobia, Race, and Global Politics by Nazia Kazi
- Islamophobia History, Context, and Deconstruction by Zafar Iqbal
How to help:
- Learn about Islam and Islamophobia
- Support Muslim Organizations: CAIR, Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (Muslim ARC), Islamic Networks Group (ING), World Hijab Day
- Reach out to your local mosque
- Intervene if you see Islamophobic hate
- Advocate against Islamophobic policies to elected officials
Work cited
Alffonseca, K. (2021, September 11). 20 years after 9/11, Islamophobia continues to haunt Muslims. ABC News. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://abcnews.go.com/US/20-years-911-islamophobia-continues-haunt-muslims/story?id=79732049
Bergen, P. L. (n.d.). September 11 attacks. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks
Cagaptay, S. (n.d.). Muslims vs. Islamists. The Washington Institute. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/muslims-vs-islamists
Elsheikh, E., & Sisemore, B. (2021, September). Islamophobia in the United States: A reading resource pack. Islamophobia through the eyes of Muslims. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/islamophobia_reading_pack_publish.pdf?file=1&force=1
Guardian News and Media. (2002, November 24). Full text: Bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’.
The Guardian. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver
Guardian News and Media. (2002, November 24). Full text: Bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’.
The Guardian. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver
History.com Editors. (2009, December 16). Osama bin Laden. History.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/osama-bin-laden
History.com Editors. (2010, February 17). September 11 attacks. History.com. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks
Kishi, K. (2021, July 22). Assaults against Muslims in U.S. surpass 2001 level. Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/15/assaults-against-muslims-in-u-s-surpass-2001-level/
Lebowitz, J. (n.d.). Muslim American Youth in the post 9/11 … – western cedar. Muslim American Youth in the Post 9/11 Public Education System. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=fairhaven_acscapstone
Mineo, L. (2021, September 11). Muslim Americans reflect on the impact of 9/11. Harvard Gazette. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/09/muslim-americans-reflect-on-the-impact-of-9-11/
Mogahed, D. (2021, March 2). Six facts key to understanding American Muslim women: ISPU.
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.ispu.org/six-facts-about-muslim-women/
PBS LearningMedia. (2021). 9/11, South Asian Americans & Islamophobia | Asian Americans.
PBS LearningMedia. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://gpb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/9-11-south-asian-americans-islamophobia-video/asian-americans/.
