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Experiences of Muslims in America.

Group conflicts are one of the most significant problems experienced in the twenty-first

century. Most of the overwhelming conflict issues virtually experienced across the globe and at

regional levels are based are organized from one approach of group-based differences.

Remarkably, it is not ethnicity and religion alone which explain the sources of prejudice on

Muslims living in united states but also other factors like historical differences and culture which

overlay the reasons Muslims are Othered.

Who is doing othering?

“Othered” is a term that encompasses an impression of prejudice based on communities’

religion, identity, or culture by the government or the society. This term also reflects a clarifying

social frame whereby there is a stable, familiar environment and conditions that are experienced

by the group. These groups experience social discrimination, marginalization, and social

inequality. The structure set by the governments does not favor the Othered group. Lack of

religious homogeneity between the existing communities in America, different racial color,

ethnicity, and diverse culture has differentiated the minority group, making them vulnerable for

discrimination by the dominating groups. Othering occurs both at the group and individual
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levels. The government has assumed some of the communities by treating them not to be part of

America.

Reasons why Muslims are Othered

Since its historical foundation, the United States has strangled to identify itself based on

ethnic structure and found it challenging to classify who belong to America and who are the

outcasts in America. The country has a composition of diverse ethnic groups from African

American, Native Americans, and the Americans. Muslims are among the most popular groups

in America that experience social mistreatment and oppression by the American federal policies.

Islam and other minority populations face high levels of racialized “Othering ” and

discrimination experienced by the group and individuals the rightwing political unleashed the

“Othered” perception which targeted the Muslims after the post-cold war era (Husain & Altaf

145). Huntington’s clash of civilianization created the need for using cultural discrimination

based on hostility and differentiation. Association of Islam with acts of terror has made followers

living in the US vulnerable to a biased society. Many Muslims in America are targeted by the

perspective that the group is a terrorist Brotherhood organization (Nelson and Dorothea 290).

Ways in which Muslim groups are Othered in United States.

.The terrorism perception towards Muslims is not only experienced in America but also

in many other non-Islamic states in the world. The religious antagonism associated with Islam

makes them to be Othered in economic and social dimensions. Both conscious and unconscious

discrimination is harmful to the shaping of the goals of the members of the communities. Some

off the common ways that have institutionalized mechanism causing group inequalities involve

federal policies. These policies are designed to limit the access of the discriminated groups to the
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public resources. These policies segregate the minority groups to lower class schools, different

schools, and various social amenities, for example, the segregation rules by Jim Crow (Berrey&

Stephen 18). This approach focuses on the beliefs and practices of the middle class and upper

class affect the Othered groups.

According to Statham & Paul (180) the administration of President Donald Trump

approaches Muslim identity from a historical dimension and often target the immigrants. Due to

unique clothing etiquette, Muslim women are mostly subjected to racism in American societies.

Islam is at this moment seen as an alien religion in America with this consciousness been evident

in the speeches made by many political leaders the social work practitioner has demonstrated

biasness based on the ethnicity of the Muslim groups in community band other closely related

groups like the Arabs and Asians. The social education educators have a pivotal role in playing a

crucial role in avoiding macroaggressions against the “foreign” students who sometimes

experience segregation in learning environments. The religious macroaggressions against

Muslim has affected the social life of from dimensions of social work and the freedom to

practice their religion as well as education access dimensions.

Awareness of the community to the issue of othering

Moreover, the Othering of Muslims in America is both at conscious and unconscious

levels. Various researches have proved that some of the population in America is not aware of its

unconscious bias against the group (Tope and Daniel 60). Unconscious bias is a situation people

have a social stereotype on a certain group of people in the community outside their

consciousness. The general perspective of the communities towards the Muslims causes children

born in those societies growing up such negative attitudes towards such individuals in the

society.
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The increase in the number of terrorist attacks occurring across Europe, conscious

biasness against the Muslims has inclined. According to Statham & Paul (190) in Britain,

Muslims face extreme prejudice, and other states are favoring restrictions against the Muslims

groups. The climate of been warm welcoming towards the group is not favorable. Little has been

facilitated by the government to bridge the gap between the dominant community and the

Muslims. Attacks against the minority groups have been promoted by the media and the

community image towards the Muslims and stigmatization of Muslims in the society (Husain &

Altaf 138). There is no doubt that people have a negative image against Muslims, and often fear

them.

Survival and Adaptation of Muslims in America

As concerns about extremism continue to rise, so little has been done on helping of the

discriminated groups to create a social consensus. The recent researches by Saleem and Muniba

(380), three-quarter of the Muslims urge that no little support has been offered by the

government to assist in extremism Adapting to societies through “Othering” has not been an

easy thing. Rejection though treated as “others” within the community by the Muslims groups

has been significant activism in the US in seek of social and equality in government treatment

and programs. The Muslims have been able to resist oppression treatment by the communities

through determination and self-definition. Resistance against oppression is aimed at attaining of

humanitarian justice the extremist associations focused in challenges of their struggle to in

access quality education of their children, struggle in language learning, lack of cultural

materials to help them develop and poor perception of the teachers and other experts towards

them.
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Solutions to the Discrimination of Muslim Communities.

According to Husain, and Howard (140), there is no definite resolution to “Othering,” but

the discriminated communities can adopt various mechanisms which will make them not

discriminated. Assimilation is a mechanism whereby the Othered group or individual erases the

features that cause difference or defines them as an Othered group such as their religion or

culture and adopting of the dominant practices within the American culture. Most Muslims have

adopted assimilation as a way of clearing their ethnic differences. However, assimilation can

never be an excellent solution to the problem of Othering. Rather than seeking to reduce the gap

of inequality and marginalization, it finds a way of eradicating all the differences that cause the

group marginalization.

I believe that inclusion and belongingness are the only viable resolution to the challenge

of otherness. Widening of the human circle of humanity and accommodating of differences in

ethnicity is a hard goal to achieve. However, belongingness encompasses the willingness of the

members in the community to tolerate each other’s differences the sense of belongingness not

only improves the educational development of young populations but also widens the quality of

life experienced by all members in the community Integration of the sense of belongingness into

the communities’ institutionalization should be more expressive. The American disabilities act is

one of the most successful steps achieved in the creation of social justice in the community

(Tope and Daniel, 160). This Act prohibits mistreatment of people with disabilities and requires

equal treatment and opportunities given to them just like other members in the community.

According to Nelson and Dorothea (68), they argue that theories of the democratic

political system may create a chance for the exploitation of the minority groups in the

community. The voting procedure can be done in favor of majority groups and underrate the
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needs of the minority groups. The system should, therefore, be modified to create representation

positions for minority groups in society. Moreover, multiculturalism provides a solution to the

issue of Othering and provides an environment for the tolerance of individual values and

diversities.

In conclusion, radicalization dynamics in political and social organizations have a

significant influence on both Othering and inclusion. Institutionalizing and structuring of social

differences can promote belonging and help in recognizing and accommodating each other’s

differences. This research aimed to establish ways through which Muslims in America are seen

as outsiders to the dominant American social values. This essay acknowledges that though

terrorism is associated with Islam, not all Muslims are terrorists and should be given an equal

chance in the communities.

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Works cited

Berrey, Stephen A. The Jim Crow Routine: Everyday Performances of Race, Civil Rights, and

Segregation in Mississippi. UNC Press Books, 2015.

Husain, Altaf, and Stephenie Howard. "Religious Microaggressions: A Case Study of Muslim

Americans." Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work 26.1-2, 2017, 139-

152.

Nelson, Dorothea, and Gale Parchoma. "Toward Theorizing Spatial-Cultural ‘Othering ’In

Networked Learning And Teaching Practices." Proceedings of the 10th International

Conference on Networked Learning. 2018.

Saleem, Muniba, and Srividya Ramasubramanian. "Muslim Americans’ Responses to Social

Identity Threats: Effects of Media Representations and Experiences of

Discrimination." Media Psychology 22.3, 2019, 373-393

Statham, Paul, and Jean Tillie. "Muslims in Their European Societies of Settlement: A

Comparative Agenda for Empirical Research on Socio-Cultural Integration across

Countries and Groups." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 42.2, 2016, pp 177-196.

Tope, Daniel, et al. "Religion, Race, and Othering Barack Obama." Social Currents 4.1, 2017,

51-70.