ISLAM:
PROBLEM IN
THE MILITARY
SAMIRA MOHAMED
Attitudes Towards Muslims
and Perceived Muslims Post
9/11
• The FBI reported a 1,700%
increase of hate crimes against
Muslim Americans from 2000 to
2001.
• An increase in negative
stereotypes and labels towards
individuals who were perceived
as being Middle Eastern.
• terrorists, Hajjis, violent,
unsympathetic, rude, overly
religious, murderers
• War on Terror became a War on
Islam
Psychological Effects Post 9/11
on Muslims and Perceived
Muslims
• Despite negative stereotypes of Muslims reported in the
media, little psychological research has been conducted
to establish the psychological effects of 9/11 on Muslims.
• In interviews the family of Nidal Malik Hasan (The Fort
Hood Shootings) suggested that Nidal was complaining
about harassment in the military about his religion and
that he was trying to find a way out.
→ Extreme case used as a generalization of ALL
Muslims
Effects of 9/11 in the Military
for a Perceived Muslim
•
Naida Hosan (Nadia Christian Nova)
•
Sgt. 1st Class: Muslim-sounding name made
her a target for harassment in US Army.
•
Decided to change her name after her fellow
soldiers kept referring to her as “Sgt.
Hussein”
•
“Before 9/11, my last name never raised an
eyebrow, but after 9/11 I felt compelled to tell
people I am a Christian and felt I had to
prove I was loyal to the United States.”
•
Mikey Weinstein, a former U.S. Air Force
officer who founded Military Religious
Freedom Foundation, said Nova’s
experience is not uncommon. Military
personnel who are Muslim or perceived to
be of Middle Eastern descent are often
targets for discrimination.
Effects of 9/11 in the
Military for a Muslim
• Army Spc. Zachari Klawonn
• Kansas-born father and Moroccan
mother, raised as a Muslim, and able to
speak Arabic.
• Earned praise for his ability, but also
has received an excessive amount of
abuse from both his peers and officers.
• In the final exercise of basic training, he
was picked out of all the soldiers to play
the role of a terrorist.
• After the Fort Hood shooting by Nidal
Hasan, Klawonn said, “I knew people
were going to immediately and
automatically draw a comparison
between us, just due to the fact that we
were both Muslims.”
Labeling Associated with
Soldiers and Muslims
Soldiers
Muslims
Protector
Aggressor
Emotionally Tough
Unemotional
Super citizens
Non-Citizens
• Labeling Theory: “The theory of how the self-identity and
behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced
by the terms used to describe or classify them.”
→The labels attached to both soldiers and Muslims are
able to perpetuate stereotypes and alter their
perception
of themselves in either a superior light for
the soldiers and
an inferior light for Muslims.
An Individual Does Not
Represent the Group
• All military personnel do not believe that all Muslims are a
evil group of individuals
• “What would you do?”: Portrayal of a young man
harassing a Muslim American store owner, and an
unsuspecting soldier walks in and says:
“We live in America, he (Muslim storeowner) can have
whatever religion he wants. That’s the reason I wear the
uniform-so anyone can live free in this country.”
Final Thoughts
• Most important aspect: Islam is a faith that any individual
can choose to practice and it does not make them less of
an American.
• Question: In looking and analyzing all of the negative
aspects of being a Muslim or being perceived as a Muslim
in the Military, is there a positive aspect to any of it?
References
Abu-Ras, W. M., & Suarez, Z. E. (2009). Muslim men and women’s perception of
discrimination, hate crimes, and PTSD symptoms post 9/11. Traumatology, 15, 48–63.
"A Practicing Muslim Soldier Cannot Swear Allegiance to the U.S. Constitution | RSN
Pick of the Day | Editorial - Right Side News." The Right Conservative News Site. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Blackburn, Bradley, and Margaret Aro. "Muslim-American Soldier Claims Harassment in
the Army." ABC News. ABC News Network, 14 Apr. 2010. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Coming to Terms with a Muslim Identity in the U.S. Army. Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
How The 'War On Terror' Became A War On 'Tribal Islam NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 06 Apr.
2014.
Journal Of Muslim Mental Health." Attitudes Toward Muslim Americans Post-9/11. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Nyang, S. S. (1999). Islam in the United States of America. Chicago: ABC International
Group, Inc.