Middle Eastern Muslim Research Articles

On the Center: Mirror-Window- Sliding Glass Door Books in the Middle East Picture Book Award

Children’s literature can serve as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. They are mirrors for marginalized groups to see themselves represented, windows for dominant cultures to learn about marginalized groups, and sliding glass doors to develop empathy. In this study, I examined Middle East Picture Book Award to address what books are available about Middle Eastern Muslims who experience xenophobia and Islamophobia; and identify the books that serve as mirrors-windows-sliding glass doors.

A Transnational History in the Making

Abstract Hip hop and Islam have reshaped visions of one another in hip hop’s homeland, the United States (US), and Islam’s birthplace, the Middle East. This article surveys the history and rise of American Muslim hip hop (AMHH). It then examines Middle Eastern Muslim hip hop. I argue that the skillful appropriation of religious motifs in music generates transnational connections via AMHH, while music’s utilization of Islam reinforces Islam’s long-standing transnationalism, albeit through an unconventional platform. AMHH simultaneously reflects and reconfigures Islam and hip hop in the US, making it a model for Middle Eastern counterparts who borrow from AMHH’s musical, religious themes. I further argue that the highlighted sample of AMHH artists holds a reified understanding of Islam that it consistently advances, whether extremist, conservative, or liberal. In contrast, the highlighted Muslim Middle Eastern hip hop displays incoherent Muslim identity markers that combine all three distinct strands of Sunni Islam.

On the Politics of Viruses and Visibility

On the Politics of Viruses and Visibility

Woman, Life, Freedom: Decoding the feminist uprising in Iran

This paper examines the gap between a researcher's positionality and theory building; seeing research through the lens of women of color in academia. Drawing on the autobiographical approach in feminist geography, I argue how a researcher's background and life events influence how we produce knowledge in the field by sharing my personal journey. Specifically, I share what it means to be a Middle Eastern Muslim academic conducting research on female immigrants' cultural adaptation process in the U.S. I urge readers to uncover the power of self-reflection, embodied subjectivity and emotions in expanding geographic research and conclude how the future research will benefit from the motives behind each study, as well as giving a reflexive researcher a platform to be heard.

Culturally relevant picturebook for Middle Eastern Muslim students’ healing

PurposeIn this paper, the author adapts the concept of culturally relevant pedagogy and the pedagogy of hope for Middle Eastern Muslim students' education. This paper aims to develop a new perspective for educating Middle Eastern Muslim students by focusing on Islam by considering being Muslim as a cultural way of being and living.Design/methodology/approachPedagogy of hope (Hooks, 2003), particularly the concept of healing in education and culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), guided this study during the research process.FindingsThree themes of culturally relevant pedagogy through a picturebook by Mobin-Uddin (2007) entitled The Best Eid Ever was examined to illustrate how this picturebook can be used as an example of culturally relevant pedagogy.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation is the researcher’s interpretation as a Middle Eastern Muslim who lived in a Western country. The Best Eid Ever (2007) can be used in the classroom for Middle Eastern Muslim students' education to discursively build a positive identity and educate students from different backgrounds. More studies may investigate other texts (e.g. novels) with Middle Eastern Muslim characters. Further research can also explore the use of this book in the classroom.Originality/valueThis study provides qualitative description of a picturebook from culturally relevant pedagogy and pedagogy of hope to guide teachers to bolster Middle Eastern Muslim students’ schooling experiences.

“We are America’s Number One Enemy”: The Experiences of Middle Eastern Muslim Men College Students Navigating Higher Education in the United States

Muslim students in higher education are affected by the hardships of oppression, discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes associated with the increasing Islamophobia and xenophobia within the U.S. The current literature on Middle Eastern Muslim men college students lacks an understanding of their lived experiences on U.S. college campuses. The purpose of this study is to understand how Middle Eastern Muslim men college students navigate a university within a divisive political context. This phenomenological study conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Middle Eastern Muslim men students. Data gathered informs how participants of this study made sense of their experience navigating higher education institutions. The findings describe that Middle Eastern Muslim men college students must fight negative perceptions, face the challenge of feeling alone socially and academically, and commit to education with the support of their families. After the findings, this paper provides a discussion and a list of recommendations for research and practice to be inclusive and elevate the lived experiences of Middle Eastern Muslim men students in higher education. While this study took place in the U.S., the discussion and recommendations apply to all colleges and universities worldwide.

Representasi Muslim Modern Timur Tengah dalam Videoklip ‘Stereotype World: The Middle East Speak UP!’

This study aims to analyse the representation of Middle Eastern Muslims in the video clip, Stereotype World: The Middle East Speak UP!, created by Haifa Beseisso, a rapper, Youtube vlogger, philanthropist and Palestinian activist in collaboration with Qatari director Kimo Basha. Using Roland Barthes' Semiotics analysis, the findings illustrate that the visual codes in the video clip Stereotype World: The Middle East Speak UP! deconstruct Middle Eastern myths built by Orientalists. This video clip represents modern-civilised Middle Eastern Muslims, friendly people who love peace and respect differences. Additionally, Islam, which is depicted through Muslim Tengah in this video clip, represents freedom of expression for Muslim women with advanced civilization and a modern lifestyle.

Happiness from the viewpoint of Ibn Kathīr (1300-1374): Some notes by a Middle Eastern Muslim Scholar

In early philosophically oriented societies, happiness was a prominent theme in literature. This article discusses the concept of happiness according to Ibn Kathīr (d. 1374), who was an eminent scholar of Islam. The idea of happiness and how to achieve it is something that has occupied researchers for millennia. They consider happiness to be temporal, conditional and existing outside the human body. According to this view, there is no lasting happiness in the human soul. In contrast, Ibn Kathīr referred to happiness as having a heart filled with faith and behaving in a way that follows religious teachings. By applying qualitative methods, the study found that Ibn Kathīr discusses happiness from the perspective of temporary worldly wealth, for the decline of belief in revelation, and eternal happiness in the hereafter. This paper concludes that the key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of God, and worshipping only Him.

ADAPTING MIDDLE EASTERN ISLAMIC CULTURE: A JOURNEY OF WESTERN MUSLIM WOMAN IN G. WILLOW WILSON’S THE BUTTERFLY MOSQUE

The 9/11 tragedy in America has created more intense tension between America and Middle Eastern cultures. Then, the term Islamophobia emerged, where many non-Muslims feared Islam. Even until now, they associate Islam with terrorism. However, this situation led Willow, the main character, to decide to study and convert to Islam. Although not the main point that caused Willow to convert to Islam, the decision was made after the 9/11 tragedy. Willow represents a western woman who intentionally learns Islamic teachings. This study will use a qualitative descriptive method to explore events and cultures surrounding the main character. Therefore, there are two purposes of this study. The first is to delve into how the culture of Middle Eastern Muslim women is portrayed. Secondly, is to examine how the main character adapts to the culture of Middle Eastern Muslim women. In analyzing the data, this study applies postcolonial feminism theory to understand the cultural differences between Middle Eastern and Western Muslims, particularly regarding women. This study shows that the main character faces cultural challenges different from her origin country in carrying out religious practices, especially Islam. Nonetheless, the main character can adapt to the values of both cultures.

The Crusade of the Pen: Developed During the Colonial Period and Dismantling the Discourse of the War on Terror

Abstract In March 2021, Pope Francis visited Iraq, highlighting the challenges faced by the Christian community in Iraq and meeting with the Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. By engaging in this interreligious dialogue with al-Sistani, Pope Francis reminded us of another interreligious episode from the Crusades between Saint Francis and Sultan al-Kamil and challenged our perspective on the Crusades. This paper submits that in order to facilitate the repairing of relations between Christian and Muslim communities in the Middle East, we must dismantle the War on Terror discourse and in particular the nineteenth century Crusader images that underpin it and follow the example of Pope Francis in recovering not only a more ecumenical vision of the Crusades but also of the relationship between Middle Eastern Christians and Muslims. This article aims to dismantle this discourse which divides Muslim and Christian communities both in the West and in the Middle East by examining the use of Crusader imagery from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt to the present, arguing that our modern images of the Crusades are developed in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and it is these ahistorical images that also fuel the rhetoric surrounding the War on Terror.

Muslim Cosmopolitanism in Rural Bangladesh: The Construction of Power Dynamics vis-à-vis Cosmopolitan Identity

The article addresses how the migrant Bangladeshi workers, in their bid to be a part of the Middle Eastern Muslim Cosmopolis, make sense of the negotiation between the concepts of nation-state and umma. The article also examines whether these migrants’ endorsement of a ‘foreign’ Muslim culture in Bangladesh has created a community of ‘other’ Muslims perceived to be less Muslim because of being less exposed to the Middle East culture. In a rapidly changing context in terms of cultural identification, it is pertinent to investigate if the power, prestige, and privilege that these Bangladeshi migrants enjoy in Bangladesh rely solely on their becoming ‘better’ Muslims or rather chiefly stem from their monetary gain. The article explores whether a good financial status becomes the driving force in creating the Muslim ‘other,’ and how it has been inspiring others to migrate to the Middle East to become successful and ‘Global’ Muslim Citizens. The concepts of umma and cosmopolitan constitute the conceptual framework of the study. The study also presents a critique of cultural influence and identity construction based on faith. In addition, some migrants were interviewed to reflect upon their experience and the role of religious affiliation in the construction of cosmopolitan Muslim identity. Both collective conscience and the sense of religious affinity are addressed.

Health and Well-Being of Refugee Children and Adolescents

Health and Well-Being of Refugee Children and Adolescents

Arab Muslims' Perceptions of Perinatal Loss Care in the United States of America.

One in four American women will experience a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death each time she becomes pregnant. These perinatal losses occur even more frequently in women who are immigrants from developing countries. Care of Muslim families after perinatal loss is based primarily on expert opinion as opposed to research evidence, as few, if any, studies exist on this topic. It is critically important to know what parent's preferences for care actually are, since care that is incongruent with the desires of the bereaved parents may intensify their grief. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and attitudes of immigrant Arab Muslims regarding psychosocial bereavement practices common in the United States after perinatal loss and to pilot test an investigator-developed instrument for collecting data regarding culturally relevant psychosocial bereavement practices of immigrant Arab Muslims after perinatal loss. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design using an investigator-developed instrument entitled the Arab Muslim Perceptions of Perinatal Loss Care (AMPPLC). The AMPPLC, available in both English and Arabic, was used to collect data on perinatal loss care from a convenience sample of 79 immigrant Arab Muslim adults (male n=43 [54.4%]; female n=36 [45.6%]). The study opened in June 2017 and closed in August 2019. The AMPPLC instrument demonstrated good reliability (α=0.89) in measuring participants' responses. Responses by survey participants did not always agree with prior published literature on Muslim preferences after a loss. Optimal care for Arab Muslim immigrants involves offering all options that are typically part of Western bereavement care as well as options that may be more specifically associated with Islam. This information will enable healthcare providers to provide more culturally sensitive and compassionate care to Middle Eastern Muslim parents during this difficult and tragic experience.

US Foreign Policy and Iconization of A Terrorist Through Hollywood Films: A Content Analysis of Afghan and Iraq War in Pre & Post 9/11 Movies (1995 To 2015)

The study is about the cinematic representation of war on terror and explores the relationship between Hollywood productions and US foreign policy. It includes 14 Hollywood productions for cinema screen regarding Afghan and Iraq war during the era of 1995 to 2015. Content analysis of selected movies is done to find out how the ‘Other’ characters are presented on screen. The observation concludes that the Hollywood has hand in gloves with Washington to propagate the state agenda throughout the world. The image of enemy on cinematic screen is shaped and reshaped following the patterns which suit the US government as obvious in the case of Afghan and Iraq war. It is also found that the terrorist Middle Eastern and Afghan Muslim characters are mostly non-uniformed, covered head, armed, veiled, wearing upper/ jackets and wear in formal dresses. Moreover, they are iconized as animalistic, uncivilized, aggressor and have no family roles. On the contrary, the ‘Other’ characters which are supportive to American army are mostly presented as un-barbaric, civilized, defender and having family roles and they are mostly uniformed.

Identity and interests: History of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy and the Middle Eastern Muslim States, 1947 to 1956

This study discusses Islam as a “strategic entity” in Pakistan’s quest for identity and interests, in its formative years, 1947 to 1956. The end of the post-colonial era not only re-defines the geo...

Reinventing the Identity and Interests: Pakistan and the Middle East (1971 to 1979)

Pakistan's territorial mutilation in the 1971 war with India was the utmost military, psychological and political disaster for Pakistan. Pakistan lost its Eastern wing and more than ninety thousand soldiers, civilians, civilians, and along with the territory, all the same to India. In the prevailing uncertainty, Pakistan vigorously asserted its Islamic Identity to foster its moral, economic, and political interests to revive from the loss. It looked towards the Middle East to revive its national identity and interests' fulfilment. During the Seventies, political changes within the Middle Eastern region were also favourable and useful for promoting Islamic ideology and shared identity. There was much scope to achieve ideological, strategic, economic, and foreign policy objectives that Pakistan missed in the past. The new Pakistani civilian government under Bhutto arranged shuttle diplomacy overtures the Middle Eastern Muslim countries to convince them to help Pakistan rebuild its identity and achieve its interests. Bhutto was one of the principal architects of the newly charged Muslim unity. He skilfully and effectively used the OIC platform to guard the country's identity and interests.

(In)visibility and the Muslim other: Narratives of flight and religious identity among Iraqi Christians in Denmark

This article investigates identity and belonging among Christians of Iraqi origin in Denmark through an analysis of their narratives of flight and interreligious relations, with a particular focus on the underlying dynamics of a widespread anti-Muslim discourse. Based on qualitative interviews and informal conversations with Chaldean and Assyrian Christians from Iraq, I examine how they presented themselves to me through their stories of flight from Iraq and settlement in Denmark. The analysis draws on perspectives on positionality and belonging among migrants as well as the ambiguous concept of (in)visibility, understood both as something structurally enforced and as how individuals and groups experience their (in)visibility and strive towards mobility and recognition. In addition, the analysis incorporates insights and discussions from literature on racialization and minority–majority relations, while particularly focusing on religious identity and Muslim–Christian relations. Against experiences of racialization and misrecognition as Muslims, I explore how they make sense of, articulate and act on their complex social location as invisible Christians and visible Middle Easterners in a Danish context characterized by ambiguous expectations of religiosity and national belonging. I draw attention to three different, yet simultaneous, narratives put forward by the Iraqi Christians: flight from political oppression, flight from Muslim persecution in the Middle East, and Islam as a threat against Europe. I argue that Iraqi Christians interpret and navigate the experience of being bodily invisible as Christians but visible as immigrants and Middle Eastern Muslims by rewriting narratives of their flight from Iraq to Denmark. Consequently, they also rewrite their relations to both the ‘Christian other’ in Denmark and the ‘Muslim other’ in Denmark and Iraq. The article contributes with a perspective on ‘invisible’ and/or misrecognized non-Muslim minorities in Europe and thus offers insights into the diversity within assumedly homogenous ethnic groups.

The neural mechanisms of threat and reconciliation efforts between Muslims and non-Muslims

ABSTRACT To reduce the escalation of intergroup conflict, it is important that we understand the processes related to the detection of group-based threat and reconciliation. In the present study, we investigated the neural mechanisms of such processes using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Functional neuroimaging techniques may shed light on quick, automatic responses to stimuli that happen outside of conscious awareness and are thus increasingly difficult to quantify relying only on participants’ self-reported experiences. They may further provide invaluable insight into physiological processes occurring in situations of sensitive nature, whereby participants–deliberately or not–may withhold their honest responses due to social desirability. Non-Muslim Western Caucasian participants watched short video clips of stereotypical Middle-Eastern Muslim males threatening their ingroup, offering reconciliation to the ingroup, or making a neutral statement. Threatening statements led to increased activation in the amygdala, insula, supramarginal gyrus, and temporal lobe. Reconciliation efforts led to increased activation in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and caudate. The results suggest that threat detection is a relatively automatic process while evaluating and responding to reconciliation offers requires more cognitive efforts. The implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

The Impact of Social Revolutions on the Arab-Israeli Conflict

The Arab Spring refers to the protests and revolutions that spread across Middle Eastern and North African Muslim countries in the spring of 2011. It was the first “social media revolution”, which demonstrated the spread of social revolution and the way civil protests and demands for political reforms can swiftly spread globally through social media. Following the social movement in the Arab World, the turmoil in the Middle East continued with the Israeli Social Justice movement of summer 2011, which was also identified as a social media revolution. Same as in the Arab World, in Israel too new media increased the role of the public, who could influence political issues by bypassing the monopoly of the political establishment and traditional media on the political discourse. The research examines the way that the concept of democracy in the region changed in the digital age. The findings show that social media became crucial in shaping the political discourse and determined dramatic changes in the balance of political power in Israel and Arab countries. Through digital technology and online campaigns politics changed as young Arabs and Israeli altered public agenda from the traditional religious and political Arab-Israeli conflict to social and economic issues.

What’s Hot in Literacy Instruction

What’s Hot in Literacy Instruction