SLA Student, Anonymous. E-mail Interview. 08 May 2013.
SLA Student, Anonymous. E-mail Interview. 09 May 2013.
This collection of interviews was conducted around the central idea of this project. I asked several questions such as, “What are some of the biggest challenges with globalization in your daily life? How do you cope with these issues and challenges? Have you changed or adapted your life because of globalization? How so? What are the negative /positive effects of globalization in your life?” The answers to these questions have helped me get a better vision of how I will express the theme of my project. It gave light to the issues of being Muslim in America through the lense of people who actually are going through these issues with the complication of globalization.
Boston Bombing: Being Muslim in Post-9-11 America
Harris-Perry, Melissa, writ. "Boston Bombing: Being Muslim in Post-9-11 America." MSNBC, 22 Apr 2013. Television. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q6hHTzLv4U>.
The Boston Bombing was yet another tragedy where fingers were pointed at the Muslim community. In this particular airing, Melissa Harris Perry investigates the rumors surrounding the bombings and how that affects people who are Muslim. This issue became of great deal when social media erupted with accusations that it was the fault of a Muslim person. It is easy to target this religious group because of the other tragedies that are happening in other places. Including some that have happened here - the 911 Attacks. This makes American people on their heels about ‘any suspicious Muslim’ that lives here.
'White Fear' of Muslims, 'The Darkies' in The Wake of The Boston Bombings
Harris-Perry, Melissa, dir. "'White Fear' of Muslims, 'The Darkies' in The Wake of The Boston Bombings." 22 Apr 2013. Television. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9BSEqo_SrE>.
In this segment, Melissa Harris Perry investigates the lives of people affected by the Boston bombings, including one woman who was verbally/physically abused by a random stranger, screaming of how Muslims are responsible for the bombings, while punching her in the shoulder in front of her young child. The acts such as this create a certain obstacle for Muslims in America to exist - or to remain visible. “Whole peoples get blamed for the acts of one person.” This is the struggle that Muslim Americans face, and it is the same struggle that African Americans have faced for centuries. However, this struggle for individualism isn’t only with African Americans and Muslims, it is all minorities. This interview has helped to shape some of the deeper, underlying issues with this theme.
Muslim American Profiles (Episode 4): Israa on the Challenges of Being Muslim in America
Americagov, , prod. "Muslim American Profiles (Episode 4): Israa on the Challenges of Being Muslim in America." Muslim American Profiles. 08 Aug 2013. Radio. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHt2pr6C3O8>.
This episode explores the life of an everyday person, Israa, and her experience with college and friends. It took awhile to break the wall of “you are different from me because you cover up”. With time, the people in Israa’s friends circle began to realize that they listen to the same music, have watched the same movies and enjoy doing similar things. When it was just those four friends in the apartment, Israa could remove her Hijab, and she put it back on whenever in public or in the presence of men. Her friends had a better understanding of how and why she chooses to make those decisions. While the adjustment may have been weird at first, it has changed the perception of people who are Muslim. Maybe her example changed their perceptions on Muslims in all, because the American stereotype is based that way.
Five Secondary: News Media and Political Responses to Globalization
BBC Documentary on Muslim in America Part 1 & BBC Documentary on Muslim in America Part 2
This two part documentary on Muslim in America talks about life for Muslims post 911. It sheds light on both perspectives of being a Muslim American - whether born here or in another country. There is a battle on all sides of those being put into a category of discrimination and hate. The reality of this documentary is that these issues are ones that will not go away for a long time. How to combat these issues and maintain until that time comes is the true calling. Isolation of one group of people will never help the ‘melting pot’. The journey for those who choose to follow Islam is different for each person. The real issue isn’t the belief system, but rather the harmful actions that some Muslims have committed that makes it hard for all people who wish to convert to Islam. Right-wing activists aren’t the only people with views that are negative toward Islamic people, it is all those who are ignorant to their religion. This documentary is hard to watch emotionally, because it isn’t censored. It truly shows how most people in power view Muslims. This is important to globalization, because it is the spread of ideas that can also be poison.
The Christian truth investigates Islam through the lense of Christianity - the religion this country was based off of. “One nation under God” somehow now does not apply to all that are here, or all that are different. The hatred/fear of Muslims is one of the most significant problems of our country. This issue isn’t the same all across America, but for the majority it is a battle that has been slid under a rug. Being that a lot of American morals are based on the idea of Christianity, it is important to investigate it through this lens. Most people do believe in the ten commandments, as it is shown through our governmental policies and amendments.
All American Muslim Series Episode1, Season1 "All American Muslim S01E01 How to Marry a Muslim." The All American Muslim. 05 Jan 2012. Jan . Web. 10 May 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gSAeACNSew.
The All American Muslim is a series based around the true lives of many Muslim Americans. It is important to view these episodes to get a deeper understanding of how the adaptation to life in this country is drastic. The thought process and beliefs of a Muslim American vs Any Other Muslim may be different to the point where one would think there is a different religious sector. In America, Muslims are not forced by law to hold the beliefs of the Quran, Hadith, etc. However, in other countries many people are. This is the root of ‘oppression of women’ in Islam has come from.
This Muslim leader is one of many outside of the United States. His opinion was clearly stated, he does not believe that Islam is a peaceful religion. Many Muslims in America are outraged by this, because it does not help the current situation of the people who are being attacked for the religious beliefs. There is this, “White Man Fear” that connects to Melissa Harris Perry’s interviews on how Americans perceive these actions that are happening across the world and connecting it here as if they are synonymous. This issue at hand is that it isn’t everybody for the cause of this negativity, but there are people like him who can be extremist in their own right and nothing can be done about it. However, trying to connect the ropes with all these issues in other countries to all the Muslims in America will never lead to positive globalization and progression.
Five Social Media: Twitter, Facebook (Average People)
Collection of Twitter Posts and Trends
All of the social media has been a collection of Twitter trends and issues surrounded by Islamic beliefs and people who are Muslim. This is the general opinion of the social public. The opinion on these issues vary, showing positive and negative effects of each situation. The Boston Bombings were a trend on twitter, where the infamous attack on the Muslim community grew like wildfire. Accusations like these create many issues, including some that seem hard to solve - Ignorance. Globalization is present through social media, because the interactions that happen are from all over the world. The spread of ideas can often be across the board in positivity, but sometimes the posts that get the most attention are those that seem to be extreme and far fetched. It isn’t easy to truly have a full scape on how social media impacts Islam - it truly depends on the place where it is being practiced. In the places that need a voice to silence the negativity the most do not have access to dispel the myths that exist. In Iran, there is a blocking of social media by the government, which means all the Muslims that are being accused of wanting oppression can’t speak out and say anything otherwise. Lack of globalization then becomes a negative here. However, preventing people from having access from social media does shelter and filter a lot of the negativity. People don’t know what to believe when so many things circulate around, there’s almost no telling what the truth is. Being that you can’t pin all people of Islam to one place, for Americans it is easier to blame them all as a whole. The truth is that there are Muslims that exist all over, and social media does a good job at expressing that, but for both.
@ChrisDStedman, . "This Is What It's Like to Be a Muslim in Boston Right Now." . N.p., Tweet hashtag Twitter. Twitter. <https://twitter.com/search?q=#muslim #boston&src=typd>.