English 1302
Literature Review: Muslims in the Western Society
Society these days are unaware of how they perceive Islam and Muslims whether it is to be in an educational sense of their teachings, or portraying them in negative roles when they write. This is all similar in the writings of the books and journals that the authors: Chan, Norris and Ronald, Susan and Ross, Muhammad and Zain, and Kassim have presented. They have presented us different viewpoints of how the Western Society views Islam not just in books or video games (Chan, 829), as well as, in teaching us Islamic History (Susan, 54), and how Muslims are taught/not taught Western values in their own Religion Centers (Zain, 394). All these articles hold a small key to finding exactly how Islam is looked at today in the Western Society. The overview of Muslims is looked at greatly in Kassims work where it tends to show how life in different parts of America that is lived by the Muslims (Kassim, 63). It shows how the culture has been adopted in different cities of the United States. The writers claim this as being part of the history of Mankind in adopting cultures of their own in another country (Ross, 68). Writers Norris and Ronald, likewise, agree in their writing of how the Muslim culture has adopted in the U.S overtime and show in their research that most cultures do that when bringing their heritage to a new place (Norris, 235). The Authors of these articles argue together how Muslims have adopted themselves in the U.S to be included in the U.S schools curriculum, but also show how far Western schoolings and culture is of looking at Islamic views in certain situations, for example ‘Sex-Education’ (Zain, 393). This is not to say that the Western Society completely disrespects Islamic outlook in certain beliefs, but rather as both sides not being informed enough of each others point of view because they have not connected themselves with their own second and third generation children (Norris, 240). To believe both the Societies can simply know each other’s views and beliefs without having to sit and discuss about the teachings being taught (Zain, 400), and what separates the views of the Muslim culture of 1970’s to now (Susan, 60) be irrational. Although some readers of these articles can object that if more information were out there than both the societies can better adopt themselves without having negative views of each other, I would answer that as no and this shows in the bias opinions of some Muslim authors that it would take more than just that (Zain, 391-407). The Western Society can sometimes look at ignorant views of Muslims negatively because Muslims do not adapt themselves to what the society is itself (Kassim, 140-145). Wearing ‘Hijabs’ in public when normal clothes can be worn just to stand out ignorantly is why authors of the article that Chan reviews discusses how easily it is to view Muslims negatively in an American Culture (Chan, 834). Chan and Kassim show the different views of Americans attacking Islam and its views within books and media. Chan notes how the authors of the books he reviewed were American bred and show American patriotism while their characters show the opposite. They show the sufferings of Muslims to have bias views on America, yet never show the sufferings that the Europeans and Christians suffer (Chan 830). Chan argues in here that Muslims being heroes’ in the books that were researched by him were a shock and regarded them as above the sacrifices of Christians that were made, because Muslims are not suppose to be patriotic and Heroes of America (Chan 840). Although the research has its negative outlooks of Islam, the articles and the book also show the values of Islam that is still being in strict upon in their own society. Susan and Ross argue how Muslims had a hand in providing the literature that American Schools adapted into their programs to teach about in World History (Susan, 65). Even though, they argue that some of its information did not go into great detail about the Life of Muhammad and other individuals but rather it as a whole (Susan, 70). Similarly, Zain and Muhammad argue how the Sex-education programs are being taught in schools, not just in Western schools, but Islamic schools and how they integrate their programs to match what the Second and Third generation Muslims are being taught in their own schools (Muhammad, 395). Yet, in these articles they show how resilient Muslims are in adapting the ways of Western Society while wanting to stay in the country for either political or economic reasons. Kassim argues the point of how parents of kids that were born and raised in America tried to take them back to their home country to “save themselves from complete Americanization” (Kassim, 45). This goes hand in hand with the point of Muslim parents completely ignoring their children of Sex-Education programs just because they themselves don’t believe the children should be learning about it, while the children grow up in a Society where it is being advertised daily (Zain, 391). It was very interesting to see how different yet similar these articles argued in beliefs of holding the Islamic values and not losing it all while living in the Western Society. It shows how different ways Islam and Muslims integrate with the Western Society yet is clearly a part of them as well. The research the authors provide to back up their date were helpful in looking at how the Second and Third generation Muslims that are being raised in the Western Society and how sometimes it can be overwhelming to the parents/ adults of the old society (Kassim, 45 and Norris, 245). Also, the research the authors provide in knowing how big the Muslim Societies play a hand in making sure the peace between Western Society and themselves exist goes hand in hand (Kassim, 50) with how the educational values (Susan, 70) where both see hand to hand is extremely important.

Bibliography

Chan, Stephen. "The Bitterness Of The Islamic Hero In Three Recent Western Works Of Fiction." Third World Quarterly 31.5 (2010): 829-832. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 June 2012.
Kassim Kone and Ba-Yunus, Ilyas. "The Muslim Activist: Organizing Islam in America. Muslims in the United States. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2006. ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. Web. 3 Jul 2012.
Muhammad M. and Zain Al-Dien "Perceptions Of Sex Education Among Muslim Adolescents In Canada." Journal Of Muslim Minority Affairs 30.3 (2010): 391-407. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 June 2012.
Norris, Pippa, and Ronald F. Inglehart. "Muslim Integration Into Western Cultures: Between Origins And Destinations." Political Studies 60.2 (2012): 228-251. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 June 2012.
Ross E. Dunn and Susan L. Douglass, “Islam: Enduring Myths and Changing Realities.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (Jul., 2003), Vol. 588, pp. 52-72. Web. 20 June 2012