Islamophobia Essay

2152 Words5 Pages

Post September 11, 2001 the life of a Muslim women living in America changed forever. Islamophobia is the prejudice against Islam or Muslims. Islamophobia is not a new concept, it has roots hundreds of years ago, however after 9/11 it became much more prevalent in America. Following 9/11 Western media used Islam and Muslim women who covered to inflict fear in American citizens. Western media framed Islam as a dangerous and hateful religion that needed to be stopped. At the same time the media became obsessed with Muslim women who veiled and wanted to save these women from their oppression. However, these articles written about the oppressed Muslim women did not feature Muslim women and their experiences veiling. They were not given a voice …show more content…

299). The study consisted of having in-depth personal interviews to share their experiences of being a Muslim American woman (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 300). Veiling to these women was a way of freedom while also having a Muslim identity (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). It was also a source of behavior control, to not be sexually objectified, a way of commanding respect from others and even a source of checking their own behavior (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). One of the women interviewed said, veiling to her was a way to feel connected to other Muslim woman who veil (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 302). Veiling can be a way to feel connected to your religion and God as well as being connected to those who practice the same faith, it can be considered an act of membership. Many of the women interviewed noted they have been removed from planes, been treated unfairly, and have had strangers shout at them all for just being Muslim and being more visibly recognized from veiling (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 303). This is an example of how media can affect the general population. When the media only shows radicals and compares all Muslims to being terrorist or dangerous they are actually putting Muslim people at risk of being assaulted in public. Muslim woman in particular are more at risk for being assaulted as they are more identifiable. So while veiling can be a source of empowerment and freedom for women it is a double-edged sword because it also puts them at further risk of being

Show More
Related

  • Professor Leila Ahmed's Article Reinventing The Veil '

    186 Words  | 1 Pages

    Professor Leila Ahmed, active Islamic feminist, in her article “Reinventing the veil” published in the Financial Times assumes that there is a connection between “advancement” and veiling, which means that unveiled women are advanced and vice versa. In addition, she supports that it led to increasing rate of violence. She questions why women wear veil, that is considered as “symbol of patriarchy and women’s oppression”. However, research changed her position towards wearing veil. Firstly, she states that wearing veil was essential for women, because it could be beneficial and influence to how people treat women, in terms of job, marriage and free movement in public. Secondly, her assumption was explained while interviewing women, who stated

    Read More

  • Salem Witch Trials Vs Islamophobia Essay

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    When you think of Islams what do you think of. When you think of the salem witch trials what do you think of. History is very interesting but it can be hard to keep it from repeating itself. We could compare it to the Salem “Witch-hunt” and Islamophobia.. There are many Similarities and differences between the Salem Witch Trials and Islamophobia. This essay will be comparing and contrasting the Salem Witch Trials to Islamiphobia the problem with which we are dealing with right now.

    Read More

  • Scarfing It Down Analysis

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fatemeh Fakhraie’s essay “Scarfing it Down,” explains how Muslim women suffer because of what they wear. Fakhraie blogs about Muslim women in her website she explains; “Seeing ourselves portrayed in the media in ways that are one-dimensional and misleading." Several people judge Muslim's by their appearance because they assume they're a bad person. The author of this essay wants the reader to know that Muslim women wearing a hijab are not a threat to the world.

    Read More

  • Muslim American Women On Campus By Shabana Mir

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ariana Donaville’s article “Muslim American Women on College Campuses” was published in Fashionista on May 13th, 2017. In this article, Donaville explains the changes that Muslim American women on campuses had to face prior and post 9/11. She explained how the Muslims students on college campuses were treated prior to 9/11 and post 9/11. She also elaborates on how most Muslim American women on campus have to hide their true/real identity to “Fit in” with other college students from different races. She also states a proposal/what can be done to make college life safer and more enjoyable for Muslim American students. This article was published by Fashionista, an independently owned magazine that is available to many journalists in the world. Dovaville is currently a college student at the University of Oregon who wants to help the Muslim American women at that institution to have a voice. This article will help me explain a proposal/provide a solution on how to make campuses more comfortable for Muslim American women.

    Read More

  • Martha Nussbaum's Essay 'Veiled Threats'

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    For some women wearing a veil is not something that is forced on them but rather a choice of their own. Martha Nussbaum and Maysan Haydar are both authors that try to explain their reasoning that veiling isn't an oppressive tool used against women. Martha Nussbaum's article “Veiled Threats”, is a political and philosophical take on why banning the burqa is a violation of human rights. On the other hand Maysan Haydar’s article “Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering”, is a more humorous and personal take on why veiling shouldn't be as judged or stereotyped. Though Nussbaum and Haydar have equal goals this essay is being used to understand the main argument, claims and whether or not each article has any weaknesses.

    Read More

  • Veiled Intentions: Don T Judge A Muslim Girl

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ever pass by Muslim woman in a hijab at the mall or park and think how oppressive and restraining her culture must be? Maysan Haydar, a New York social worker who practices the Muslim tradition of veiling, believes otherwise. In her article, “Veiled Intentions: Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering,” Haydar highlights on her experiences as a Muslim living in an American culture, where showing more skin is the “norm.” Haydar speaks specifically to a crowd who unconsciously makes assumptions about certain Muslim practices, in hopes of sharing the truth behind them. Haydar suggests that, contrary to popular belief, not all Muslim women cover themselves strictly as an “oppressive” religious practice, but that some women, like herself, find

    Read More

  • Life of a Muslim in the U.S. after 9/11

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    On September 11, 2001, since the terrorist attacks, many American Muslims have been stereotyped negatively in the United States. Salma, a Muslim woman, says that the way Muslims have been recognized in the media has played a big role in the antagonism directed at her. “I don’t know how many times I heard my classmates accuse me of being al-Qaeda or a terrorist” (Mayton 2013). Salma, along with other Muslims, even after a decade, are still struggling with trying to find their “American” and “Islamic” identities, while facing verbal attacks for their ethnicity. Too often, the general Muslim population gets lumped in with the immoral acts of a few because of the lack of knowledge about their culture.

    Read More

  • People Wearing Turbans are Stereotyped as Terrorist

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    The way Muslims have been treated after the 9/11 incident is very different than before. Before 9/11 there was certainly some discrimination towards Muslim Americans, but after the attacks happened, between the years 2000 and 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported a 1,700 percent increase of hate crimes against Muslim Americans (Khan & Ecklund, 2012). “While trying to adapt to the outcome of 9/11, Muslim Americans dealt with an increase in negative stereotypes spoken by the common culture, and Muslim immigrants faced more negative attitudes than any other immigrant group” (Khan & Ecklund, 2012). Since the 9/11 attacks, people who dress with a substantial resemblance to Muslims worry about the upcoming hatred and unfriendliness from people of other ethnicities (Khan & Ecklund, 2012). While listening to the media, one can hear reports of negative stereotypes towards people who resemble the Muslim religion, which may be assumed that these people are violent. Negative attitudes that Muslim Americans experience may have detrimental effects on their success in America and their success of achieving the American Dream.

    Read More

  • Islam in America

    2522 Words  | 6 Pages

    Islam in America has historically been misunderstood, and this is due to the misconception of culture and religion as well as lack of education and incorrect portrayal in the media, which gives a skewed idea of Islam. Especially in the United States, Islam has been seen as the “terrorist religion” or a religion for the extremists and a religion in which freedom is not an option. Among the countless misconceptions, the basis of stereotypes by Americans is due to the mix up between religion and culture. Furthermore, the media only fuels fire to these misunderstandings and lack of factual information about Islam causing Americans to lash out on American Muslims without reason.

    Read More

  • Islamophobia Essay

    1781 Words  | 4 Pages

    In America, there is a hatred lurking around in almost every corner of the nation; a discrimination and social bias that preys on the lives of innocent Muslims. Some people fear for their lives when they see a Muslim board a plane that they’re going to go on. Politicians are using that fear to fuel their popularity in elections. This prejudice even started to become a form of patriotism in the eyes of a concerning number of Americans. A lot of Muslims fear for their own lives in America because they are being looked down upon and even targeted by some people. This fear and hatred against these innocent Muslims are defined as Islamophobia. I believe that this amount of Islamophobia that is happening in America

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Veil

    1609 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many different views towards Muslim choice of clothing especially wearing the veil. “I wear it believing it is necessary, but someone else can be wearing it believing that she is doing something extra” said Hamna Ahmed. One of the many reasons a Muslim can be wearing the veil are their own personal decisions too. Hamna has been wearing it for seven years now, despite her mother and three of her four sisters staying uncovered. Socially this causes an issue with the meaning of the veil and conflict with other groups. With many different consumptions of religion, what it means, what is considered to be practicing and what is not can lead to negative misunderstandings. Ultimately the decisions are up to the individuals although; there is likely to be misinterpretation between the meaningfulness of religion to family and society. On an even bigger scale of things this could also impact society and it...

    Read More

  • Muslim Bag Experiment

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    The purpose of the investigation was to see how randomly selected people, in a park, would treat a visibly Muslim woman and compare their interactions to that of an ordinarily looking American woman. Both volunteers would hold a bag and ask a random pedestrian if he or she could watch her bag for a quick second. First, he observed the reactions of the people who were asked to watch the American girl’s bag. “As you all saw, no one has hesitated to hold on to her bag and trusted her fully” stated Karim in his study. “Now let’s see what happens when the woman in the Hijab does the same exact thing.” No matter the variation, “I don’t feel very well” or “I’m going to leave right now” the response was all the same. It was a no for the general public. Very few people wanted to trust the woman in the visibly Muslim clothing and some, as a result, even became hostile. One man, in particular, took the time to fully state “Leave that bag there and I’ll call the cops! Grab that bag!” Even after his outburst, he continue to aggressively harass the woman causing the actress to cry. Overall the general public has clearly demonstrated their overall lack of trust and animosity to those women who display their

    Read More

  • Is Islamophobia a Form of Racism?

    2347 Words  | 5 Pages

    Islamophobia is a newly coined term that is used to describe the growing fear of Muslims or specific groups that are considered to be associated with Islam. As a new term, the validity of Islamophobia is still a subject of huge debate even as its causes and characteristics are also controversial. This term was coined to refer to the events in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in light of people’s attitudes towards Muslims and those associated with Islam. Actually, after the dust settled following the attacks, a new gesture of nationalism was witnessed across the United States and racism soon followed, which are usually faces to the same coin (Rose, 2013). In light of these developments on the question on whether Islamophobia is a form of racism has generated arguments and counter-arguments in support and opposition to the claim. People who consider Islamophobia as a form of racism have supported their argument through various reasons including the division and exclusion associated with the fear of Muslims. On the contrary, opponents have argued that Islamophobia is not a form of racism because of lack of a clear link between the term and racism as well as the fact that Islam is not a race but religion. An analysis of these arguments and counter-arguments reveals that Islamophobia is a form of racism, particularly cultural racism.

    Read More

  • Islamophobia: Muslims and Terrorism

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    Islamophobia has become a new topic of interest among social sciences, political leaders and media commentators. People amongst society have developed this phobia towards Islamic religion and people. It has become a novel “form of racism in Europe and American based on discrimination ...

    Read More

  • Irmak Ozer Mutual Misunderstanding

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    For over a decade fear filled statements about Islam has made headlines throughout Western civilization. Nations have banded together criticizing, attempting to regulate and blaming the entirety of Islamic faith after the events of 9/11. This can be seen in stereotypes

    Read More

More about Islamophobia Essay

Open Document