Women Who Choose Islam

Abstract

Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion and with 6 million to 8 million Muslims in North America, it remains a sizable minority. To facilitate understanding. the seven basic beliefs and five obligatory duties/pillars of Islam are stated. Perceptions and possible misconceptions regarding the status of women in Islam are discussed and clarified. To enhance practice strategy for professionals in time-limited settings, information from several interviews with women who became Muslim are presented along with the findings of previous research. Discussion focuses on significant issues, changes, and challenges encountered. Issues identified involved family and social life changes, employment, dress and attire, learning and practicing the basic tenets of the faith. avoiding physical contact with men who are not related by a blood or marital bond, acceptance by other Muslims, and how to best raise children to be good Muslims. To facilitate therapy, helping professionals need to be “self-aware” and enlightened regarding their clients’ ethnic background and how these perceptions and beliefs can affect the helping relationship. Professionals are encouraged to identify, acknowledge, and anticipate the struggle(s) faced by clients in order to provide equitable ethnicsensitive practice. Recommendations are made for sensitivity training regarding Islam, Muslims, and American Muslim women.