Muslims Struggles in Today's World

Introduction

Integration into a new society would be difficult for most; however, this process becomes especially challenging for Muslim women who are immigrating into a Western society. The primary factor in difficult integration is voice. Voice, or lack of voice, leads to diminished capacity for acquiring the assistance for which one is in need. The voice this group has managed to find is largely unheard by peers and outsiders, not necessarily literature, and what has been heard has been looked upon as being not what the average voice in this group would say for herself, and so is in danger of being dismissed.

This group of immigrant Muslim women is a group of voices that is increasingly gaining higher educational levels and could be of benefit in assisting in efforts to improve what they believe is of most importance to them, both here in the U.S. and abroad. The advantages of hearing this voice clearly and sufficiently would be an increased awareness of at least: Issues in other countries; issues in the United States; a better overall rapport between Easterners and Westerners. Immigrant Muslims are not unlike other immigrants, who strive to make a comfortable life for themselves in their new country while maintaining as much native culture as possible.

Discussion

After 9/11, the onslaught from the Western media demonized Muslims and painted Islam as a terrorist religion. The social consequences for Muslims around the world in the aftermath are well documented and in recent months even isolated incidents, ranging from France's banning of the veil in public places to the furor surrounding the outlawing of the Shallcross school, are viewed in some quarters as emanating from post-9/11 prejudice. Muslim people have immersed themselves in the socio-politics of the country and many were significant in the anti-apartheid struggle.

Assimilation into the United States can be difficult depending upon other factors as well. These include a tribal mentality of home culture, a patriarchal mentality of home culture, slowed growth in home societal structure, economic factors in the Muslim parts of the world, among others. Together these circumstances result in a broad spectrum of immigrant Muslim female experience and lend themselves to an analysis of the intersections where identity is formed and re-formed through the assimilation process.

September 11 presented new challenges for immigrant Muslims, especially women wearing a head covering and those who “looked” Arabic. “The events of September 11 simply re-exposed that ours is “a racial landscape where groups jockey to get out from the racist gaze of society and the racist policies of the state” (Karim 40). Assimilation into a new society is difficult and the events of 9/11 only amplified that difficulty for these immigrants. It is important to note that generally, Muslims entering the United States are previously educated and thus have better chance for ease in assimilation. However, 9/11 became a time when Muslim identity in the United States was under immense pressure to reveal itself in a way unlike any time before and individual achievement was ...