Muslim Stereotypes

1041 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effect of prejudice on individual, society, education

With today’s political climate and foreign policies arising from terrorist attacks from mainly Muslim terrorist groups, the Islamic faith is one of the many oppressed religions in the United States. All of these stereotypes of Muslims being terrorists and blood hungry individuals stemmed from the nationalistic fear instigated by the horrible events that happened on September 11, 2001. Additionally, the influence and popularity of Christianity in the United States throughout history aided in the religious oppression of people of the Islamic faith since they were not only associated with terrorism, but they were seen as foreign as well. However, all of these accusations and stereotypes surrounding Islam as an influence of terrorism are made because …show more content…

Going through with this project pushed me to confront my first ever encounter with a situation where a microassault was directed towards someone I knew. When my Muslim friend Kay came over to my house, she was wearing her head wrap or hijab, and my mother’s boyfriend who is white noticed this as well as the fact that she is black. Rather than greet my friend, he proceeded to ask her how long she had lived in the United States and was surprised when my friend responded that they had been born in the United States. Living in Southern California, I hardly ever hear anyone ask someone of the Islamic faith or of a different race how long have they lived in the United States. Clearly, I was brought to acknowledge that these stereotypes towards anyone of the Islamic faith being solely being seen as immigrants is still extremely prominent in today’s society. I witnessed the cycle of oppression be further encased and I did not even speak out against it. As I challenged my assumptions, I was also reminded how powerless I felt towards these stereotypes that kept people like my friend oppressed and myself as well since I felt that I would not be able to make a difference to thinking of this man who thinks he is superior. Overall, I was enlightened on the religion of Islam and was able to experience how stereotypes and prejudice hinder human progress towards ending oppression. Although the cycle of oppression may be difficult to break, when one gains insight and recognizes these stereotypes or institutions that keep religions or people oppressed, they are able to help further the cause to ending

Show More
Related

  • Muslim American Women On Campus By Shabana Mir

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this article, Kasam explains her experience being a Muslim American on a college campus and the challenges she her and fellow Muslims face on campus. She explains how she is a club leader at Quinnipiac University for a Muslim group. She claims that there is not a lot of Muslims who attend that University. She also believes that many Muslims at the school are afraid of coming out and telling other people on campus that they are Muslims; keeping a low profile. She provides statistics on hate crimes against Muslims around the world, and she also expresses her concern to her Muslim friends on campus. This article was published in the College Xpress for mainly college students to view. Kasam is a staff writer for the Quinnipiac Chronicle who mainly writes stories about incidents on and around Quinnipiac University. This article will help me explain the various problems that Muslim students around college campuses face

    Read More

  • Racial Discrimination In Zeitoun By Dave Eggers

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    The attitudes toward Muslims today have not changed significantly since September 11, 2001. Any Muslim person; man, woman, or child is automatically suspect to instigate pandemonium, based strictly on their appearance and faith. Regardless of any evidence, reasoning, or perspective to the contrary, Muslims are seen as an enemy to United States citizens. The events of 9/11 left Muslim Americans unceremoniously lacking any respect from U.S. citizens regardless of any affiliation with Al-Qaida. We assess Muslim people with a common image of terror. We see the turban or hijab and assume a terrorist is hidden within its folds. Our mentalities inevitably come to a paralyzing halt, and we can never see through the fabric of the religious garments. When we see any one of these people, one person comes to mind, and that is the person who attacked our country. Today, in our nations cities and towns these arrogances still exist forcefully. Muslim people are still profoundly victimized and discriminated against by the means of assumption and negative mental sets. In the novel Zeitoun, author Dave Eggers takes time to assess the spitefulness encountered by Kathy and Abdulrahman Zeitoun, along with narrating the family’s endeavors with hurricane Katrina. Zeitoun presents racial differences in America, primarily in New Orleans, by discussing how they are created and the ways in which they exist today.

    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

  • Zeitoun: Never Losing Faith In The American Dream

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author expressed, “Kathy had not wanted their family to become collateral damage in a war that had no discernible fronts, no real shape, and no rules” (252). Both Kathy, a converted Muslim, and Zeitoun, a born Muslim, knew what the future looked like in terms of discrimination and inequality. The idea of islamophobia is so open to different interpretations, and the fight against it has not yet accomplished all of the goals. The war against Islamophobia, as well as other discriminatory debates, has shown to be a dirty one. Many opinions are gathered and slurs are formed, which make immigrating as a Muslim very difficult. America is known as the land of the free, but for many families of the Muslim faith, it does not always feel that

    Read More

  • The American Dream In James Truslow Adams's The American Dream

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the United States has taken a big step towards accomplishing King’s version of The American Dream, everyday many African Americans, immigrants and other minorities are stereotyped because of their race and ethnicities and are frequently subjected to discrimination and prejudice. Today, Muslims are one of the largest groups who face discrimination for their beliefs; in fact, they have a hard time practicing their religion freely because of society’s prejudgment of them. They are mostly stereotyped as terrorist because of the actions of some individuals such as the ISIS terrorist group. Another group that endures racial discrimination is African Americans. Blacks have been fighting for their freedom, equality, and justice for over two-hundred years; in fact, the fourteenth amendment granted them citizens’ rights as Americans. However, there are many blacks who are constantly treated unfairly because of the color of their skin and are often classified by society as ghetto and a menace. Furthermore, many often become victims of police brutality. For

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Arabic In America

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ahmedi, Farah, Mir Tamim. Ansary, and Farah Ahmedi. The Other Side of the Sky: A Memoir. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2005. Print.

    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

  • The Impact of Stigma for Muslim Americans Post 9/11

    2518 Words  | 6 Pages

    Islam is the religion that provides a complete code of life including social as well as personal spheres. Islam has been targeted by many stereotypes including extremism since last few decades. The reason behind these stereotypes are on some facts and to some extent widely propagated through media. Many people involved in criminal activities, get highlighted easily by media and catch the attention of general public if they are Muslims. A major role behind these stereotypes is played by the outcomes of the 9/11 attacks. Muslims have been targeted with stigmatization and other forms of racial discrimination. They have to face tight security at international airports. Employers have also been showing concerns or hesitation while hiring Muslims especially the immigrants. Many reasons beside 9/11 attacks behind Muslim stigmatization in United States have been in existence since many decades.

    Read More

  • Racial Stereotypes

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    The concept of stereotypes is what we have been created in our presumptions of a person without even having an idea of how they are. It is a common thing in our society on which sometimes it can create tolerance or intolerance toward other groups because of different ideas or traditions. The film by Gregory Nava My Family and the book by Victor Martinez Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida are clear examples of the concept of stereotypes. In addition, the film Real Women Have Curves by Patricia Cardoso demonstrates some of the ways stereotypes can affect one’s own ethnic group. Racial stereotypes can be good or bad creating influences toward a group. In this case, stereotypes can create bad influences causing misperceptions, confusion within the same

    Read More

  • Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    People being generalized based on limited and inaccurate information by sources as television, cartoons or even comic books (Tripod). This is a definition that seems to go against many public standards. The above words are the exact definition of stereotypes. Stereotypes as understood from the definition, goes mostly hand in hand with media -- only not the regular meaning of the innocent media we know. Media propaganda is the other form of media that is rather described as media manipulation. In this paper, the following will be discussed: first, how stereotypes of ethnic groups function in propaganda, why does it function so well, and finally, the consequences of these stereotypes on the life of Egyptians in particular in society. A fair examination will be conducted on this example of stereotypes through clarification examples and research results from researches conducted from reliable sources. The real association between Egyptians’ stereotypes and propaganda discussed in this paper shall magnify the association of stereotypes and propaganda in general.

    Read More

  • What Makes Islam, Islam?

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is a strong belief that Islam and politics are directly tied. They are tied in the sense that the building blocks of the religion dictate how they ought to behave in the political environment. Through this mandatory follow up behavior that the religion delineates, many have come to believe that its teachings are a form of terrorism. Mandaville argues that what has challenged the Islamic link between politics and religion was the emergence of secularism, which went against the belief that politics and religion could go together. Islam has been a religion that has been accused of supporting terrorist activities in the world. Different assumptions have been brought up to understand better the linkages between what really lies behind the Islam religion and politics. Peter Mandaville argues that Islam is dynamic and that it has changed over time; situated within time and politics.

    Read More

  • Islamophobia: Muslims and Terrorism

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    After 9/11 has induced negative attitudes towards Muslim peoples who tend to be strongly associated with any act of terrorism. The media has played a colossal role in developing such negative association wherein it constantly portrays Muslim people in combination with violent terrorist acts. It does so in a way that they both go hand-and-hand. In other words, it has made it as though the Islamic religion is synonymous with terrorism. The media has perpetuated Muslim stereotypes over the years that followed the 9/11 incident. Because of this, society has developed, and still has developed, this prejudiced mindset about the Islamic religion and the Muslim communities around the world. People immediately assume that any violent act being depicted through the media is the direct result of Muslims. They automatically generate this idea that the act was performed by a Muslim terrorist even when they were not involved whatsoever. Regardless of whether it was true or not, Islamic religion and its Muslim adherents are at the top of societies’ agenda just waiting for the evidence to be generated so that they can then safely blame them for such world affairs. Again, this has led to the attack on the Islamic religion itself wherein people have come to postulate Islam as an act of oppression, violence and hatred towards non-Muslims. Anti-Muslim sentiments and campaigns have resulted from such misinformation the media has been generating and feeding its viewers.

    Read More

  • The Religious Terrorist

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    Terrorism has been around for centuries and religion-based violence has been around just as long. (Hoffman, 2). The violence was never referred to as terrorism though. Only up to the nineteenth century has religion been able to justify terrorism (Hoffman, 2). Since then, religious terrorism became motivated and inspired by the ideological view (Hoffman, 3). Therefore, it has turned against the main focus of religion and more towards the views of the extremist and what is happening politically (Winchester, 4).

    Read More

  • Arab World And Stereotypes

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    The use of the term “Arab World” can be offensive to people living in the Middle East. (14) There are people that would rather not be called that because they don't confine to the Arab people or religion. Another term that people use is an “another Arab ban. ”(17) This term isn't something people like because it makes it sound like they have been banned for many things and that they are bad people.

    Read More

More about Muslim Stereotypes

Open Document