Microaggressions and Islamophobia: Experiences of Muslims Across the United States and Clinical Implications

Abstract

This mixed methods exploratory study illustrates the influence of pervasive misconceptions about Islam on the experiences of 314 adult Muslims across the United States. Quantitative results suggest that Muslim stress levels are comparable to the stress levels of other marginalized groups in the United States. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes that highlight the challenges faced by Muslims as well as their resiliency in the face of microaggressions and marginalization. Family therapists may utilize these personal accounts to expand their understanding of Muslim experiences, and to reflect on their own implicit biases toward Muslims in order to reduce chances of premature termination. Clinical implications include using resiliency-based models and creating collaborative partnerships with community leaders when working with this religious minority group.

Detecting weak and strong Islamophobic hate speech on social media

“…Recent interventions in social psychology point to the multifaceted nature of prejudice; from behaviors which are explicit, overt and direct to those which are implicit, covert and indirect (Nadal, Griffin, Hamit, Leon, & Rivera, 2012;Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995). Thus, in recent times much research has focused on 'everyday' prejudicial and hateful actions (Dunn & Hopkins, 2016;Moosavi, 2015) as well as 'micro-aggressions' (Haque, Tubbs, Kahumoku-Fessler, & Brown, 2018;Husain & Howard, 2017). Little research has explicitly explored these distinctions with regard to hate speech.…”

Terrorist attacks, Islamophobia and newborns’ health

“…The usual target of this increased rejection are Muslim individuals, usually living in affected places. There are some papers that have found a link between Islamophobia and stress (Haque et al, 2019;Samari et al, 2018), which is particularly important for pregnant Muslim women as the evidence suggests that intra-uterine exposure to stress leads to detrimental health outcomes at birth.…”

“…Islamophobia, with its discrimination and stigma, may be a source of stress that can negatively affect health (Samari, 2016). In fact, several studies have found a relation between Islamophobia and increased levels of stress (Haque, Tubbs, Kahumoku-Fessler, & Brown, 2019;Samari, Alcalá, & Sharif, 2018). This exposure to stress is particularly problematic for pregnant Muslim women who, in addition, are more easily identified as Muslims.…”

“Yes We Can!” The Mental Health Significance for U.S. Black Adults of Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Election

“…Moreover, simultaneous to shifts and activism promoting social justice, there are moments that entrench inequality of various forms. For example, Islamophobia thrived in the immediate post-9/11 United States (Haque et al 2019). As another example, reported hate crimes against LGBT individuals surpassed previous high marks in recent years (Dashow 2017).…”