The article “Muslims in America, Post 9-11” is a discussion on the plight of Muslim-Americans. It summarizes several studies made on the well-being of Muslim-Americans especially after the 9-11 crisis. Different findings were revealed from the various studies. The first study presented was by the Pew Research Center which showed that the number of Americans with favorable views of Islam dropped from 41 percent in 2005 to 30 percent in 2010. This claim supports the hypothesis that there is indeed a change in the perception of Muslim-Americans after 9-11. It proves that 9-11 negatively impacted the view of Americans on Muslim-Americans and Arabs. In a study by Amer, the results showed that the Muslim-Americans feel anxious and depressed as an aftermath of the 9-11 crisis. In another study by Abu-Ras, the Muslims who participated in the research reported that some of them have suffered from verbal and physical assaults, workplace discrimination and interrogation by government agencies. A study on the coping methods used by Muslim-Americans showed that they cope with stressful activities through religious and non-religious means. Sirin, an associate professor on the other hand, found out that most Muslim-Americans are already at ease with their identities without having to choose which one they prefer.
The article being reviewed is published by The American Psychological Association, which is a professional organization of psychologists in the United States in Canada. As such, it is a reputable source of information in the field of psychology. Most of the studies presented in the publication are supported by research.
The topic discussed by the author, Rebecca Clay is a very relevant topic. She is not biased in the presentation of the research studies on Muslim-American. She objectively conveys the results of the researches. Positive or negative results are both highlighted. Opposing viewpoints are communicated by the author.
One is not totally convinced though of the studies which she presents because the methodology are not specified. The studies do not detail the sample size of the population and how they are chosen. The sampling procedures are not explained clearly for most of the studies mentioned in the article. This is important because it has a bearing on the conclusions that will be drawn. The size of the sample should be appropriate to the study being conducted. The design of the studies is not given too. The dependent and independent variables are not indicated.
Other people who will read this article may question the author based on the choice of the researches which she mentioned. There is a need for her to explain why she chose to include the studies she discussed. The credibility of the researches she discussed in her article may be questioned because of the lack of background information on those who conducted the study.
The implications of the results of the studies are not discussed extensively. One would have a better appreciation of the article if the implications are also expounded by the author.
One expected to see a more precise comparison of how Muslims in America are treated prior to 9-11. If this information is given in the article, the change in the lives of Muslim-Americans before and after 9-11 will be better highlighted. The author could have shown how the lives of Muslim-Americans prior to 9-11 were, in terms of their family life, education and occupation. Another vital information that could be added are data on the migration of Muslim-Americans. Was there an increase of Muslim-Americans who went back in the Middle East after 9-11 or was there a decrease in the number of Muslim-Americans who migrated to America after 9-11? These statistics are very interesting figures which the readers may appreciate.
There is no suggestion of a future research which can complement the other studies. The author could have proposed other possible areas of research which affects Muslim-Americans. A possible topic that is worth studying is how different sectors of America view Muslim-Americans after 9-11. The population that will be covered could either be high school or college students or the working professionals. The population can be further differentiated by segregating those respondents who witnessed the 9-11 attacks and those who hardly have a memory of the event. With this study, one can get a glimpse of the extent of stereotyping towards Muslim-Americans based on those who witnessed 9-11 and those who just heard and read about 9/11.
Another possible area of study is the impact of the American media on how Americans view Muslim-Americans. Additionally, Muslim-Americans may also be asked on how they think American media contributes to how Americans view them. This is an interesting research because most movies on terrorism especially after 9-11 almost always portray Muslim-Americans or the Arabs as the terrorists.
Muslim-Americans will always be part of the American population. Whether they are treated equally like other non-American immigrants or citizens is questionable especially after 9-11. The treatment of Americans towards Muslim-Americans and Arabs may not be the same as their treatment of other nationalities. The article insinuates that Muslim-Americans are aware of this; thus, they have already developed several ways of coping with the situation. Aside from the psychological impact, there are other ways that Muslim-Americans are affected. But the choice will always be theirs. What matters is whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks of living in America and being a Muslim-American.
Works Cited
Clay, Rebecca A. "Muslims in America, post 9-11." American Psychological Association (2011): 72.
Cowgill, Allison A. "Muslim Americans - A guide to online resources." 2012. crln.acrl.org. Web. 14 October 2013 <http://crln.acrl.org/content/73/5/268.full>.
Kaya-Uranli, Arzu. "The paradox of Muslim Americans." 16 September 2013. huffingtonpost.com. Web. 14 October 2013 <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arzu-kaya-uranli/paradox-of-muslim-americans_b_3927963.html>.
