Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T20:39:39.105Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Contesting Islamophobia and Securing Collective Rights: Muslim American Advocacy in the 2016 Elections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2018

Emily Cury
Emily Cury*
Affiliation:
Northeastern University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Emily Cury, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 201 RP, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper examines how Muslim American advocacy organizations have responded to recent spikes in anti-Muslim discrimination, particularly in the context of the 2016 elections. It asks how Muslim American interest groups have helped frame and communicate the policy interests of U.S. Muslims and, consequently, the collective claims of the group on whose behalf they claim to speak. Relying on political ethnography as the main method of inquiry, I conduct in-depth participant observation, qualitative interviews with Muslim American leaders, and an analysis of primary documents and social media communication produced by Muslim American organizations. This data was collected between June 2016 and July 2017, and transcribed and coded using Nvivo. Through this analysis, I find that being targeted as “other” has driven Muslim advocacy organizations to rely on constituent empowerment strategies, mobilize in demand of Muslim American group rights, defend their constitutional rights, and claim their place as an American minority.

Type
Symposium: Dialogue on Muslim American Sociopolitical Life
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 2019 , pp. 710 - 735
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abu-Ras, Wahiba M., and Suarez, Zulema E.. 2009. “Muslim Men and Women's Perception of Discrimination, Hate Crimes, and PTSD Symptoms Post 9/11.” Traumatology 15(3):48–63.Google Scholar
Ayers, John W., and Hofstetter, Richard, 2008. “American Muslim Political Participation Following 9/11: Religious Belief, Political Resources, Social Structures, and Political Awareness.” Politics and Religion 1(1):3–26.Google Scholar
Aziz, Sahar. 2011. “Caught in a Preventive Dragnet: Selective Counterterrorism in a Post 9/11 America.” Gonzaga Law Review 47(2):429–492.Google Scholar
Aziz, Sahar. 2012. “From the Oppressed to the Terrorist: Muslim American Women in the Crosshairs of Intersectionality.” Hastings Race and Poverty Law Review 9:191–264.Google Scholar
Bakalian, Anny, and Bozorgmehr, Mehdi. 2009. Backlash 9/11: Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans Respond. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Barreto, Matt A. 2010. Ethnic Cues: The Role of Shared Ethnicity in Latino Political Participation. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Barreto, Matt A., and Dino, Bozonelos. 2009. “Democrats, Republicans or None of the Above? The Role of Religiosity in Muslim American Party Identification.” Politics and Religion 2(2):200–229.Google Scholar
Barreto, Matt, Segura, Garrt, and Woods, Nathan. 2004. “The Mobilizing Effect of Majority–Minority Districts on Latino Turnout.” American Political Science Review 98(1):65–75.Google Scholar
Barreto, Matt, Masuoka, Natalie, and Sanchez, Gabriel. 2008. ““Religiosity, Discrimination and Group Identity among Muslim Americans.” Paper Presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual Conference, San Diego, California.Google Scholar
Baumgartner, Frank R., and Mahoney, Christine. 2008. “Forum Section: The two Faces of Framing: Individual-Level Framing and Collective Issue Definition in the European Union.” European Union Politics 9(3):435–449.Google Scholar
Benford, Robert, and Snow, David. 2000. “Framing Processes and Social Movements: An Overview and Assessment.” Annual Review of Sociology 26(1):611–639.Google Scholar
Bilici, Mucahit. 2012. Finding Mecca in America: How Islam is Becoming an American Religion. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Braun, Virginia, and Clarke, Victoria. 2006. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2):77–101.Google Scholar
Cainkar, Louise. 2004. “Post 9/11 Domestic Policies Affecting US Arabs and Muslims: A Brief Review.” Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 24(1):245–248.Google Scholar
Calfano, Brian R., Lajevardi, Nazita, and Michelson, Melissa R.. 2017. “Trumped Up Challenges: Limitations, Opportunities and the Future of Political Research on Muslim Americans.” Politics, Groups and Identities 1–11.Google Scholar
Cho, Wendy K. Tam. 1999. “Naturalization, Socialization, Participation: Immigrants and (non-) Voting.” The Journal of Politics 61(4):1140–1155.Google Scholar
Chong, Dennis, and Rogers, Reuel. 2005. “Racial Solidarity and Political Participation.” Political Behavior 27(4):347–374.Google Scholar
Council on American-Islamic Relations. 2015a. “Number of U.S. Muslims Depends on Who's Counting.” https://www.cair.com/press-center/cair-in-the-news/6200-number-of-u-s-muslims-depends-on-who-s-counting.html (Accessed September 2, 2017).Google Scholar
Council on American-Islamic Relations. 2015b. CAIR Files Supreme Court Brief in GPS Monitoring Case. https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/3637-cair-files-supreme-court-brief-in-gps-monitoring-case.html (Accessed February 2, 2016).Google Scholar
Council on American-Islamic Relations. 2016. “For the Record: CAIR Releases Results of Presidential Election Exit Poll.” https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/13909-for-the-record-cair-releases-results-of-presidential-election-exit-poll.html (Accessed November 30, 2016).Google Scholar
Council on American-Islamic Relations. 2017. “CAIR Responds to Bill Clinton's DNC Comments on American Muslims.” https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/13679-cair-responds-to-bill-clinton-s-dnc-comments-on-american-muslims.html (Accessed August 1, 2016).Google Scholar
Curry, Colleen. 2012. “Hate Groups Grow as Racial Tipping Point Changes Demographics.” ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/US/militias-hate-groups-grow-response-minority-population-boom/story?id=16370136 (Accessed September 1, 2017).Google Scholar
Curtis, Edward E. 2002. Islam in Black America: Identity, Liberation, and Difference in African-American Islamic Thought. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.Google Scholar
Cury, Emily. 2017. “Muslim American Policy Advocacy and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Claims-Making and the Pursuit of Group Rights.” Politics and Religion 10(2):417–439.Google Scholar
Dana, Karam, Bryan, Wilcox-Archuleta and Barreto, Matt. 2017. “The Political Incorporation of Muslims in the United States: The Mobilizing Role of Religiosity in Islam.” Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics 2(2):170–200.Google Scholar
Danigelis, Nicholas L. 1982. “Race, Class, and Political Involvement in the US.” Social Forces 61(2):532–550.Google Scholar
Dawson, Michael C. 1995. “Behind the Mule: Race and Class in African American Politics.” Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Dawson, Michael C., Brown, Ronald E., and Allen, Richard L.. 1990. “Racial Belief Systems, Religious Guidance, and African-American Political Participation.” National Political Science Review 2(1):22–44.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., Lewis, Andrew R., and Jelen, Ted G.. 2016. “Rights, Reflection, and Reciprocity: Implications of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate for Tolerance and the Political Process.” Politics and Religion 9:630–648.Google Scholar
Djupe, Paul A., Lewis, Andrew R., Jelen, Ted G., and Dahan, Charles D.. 2014. “Rights Talk: The Opinion Dynamics of Rights Framing.” Social Science Quarterly 95:652–668.Google Scholar
Domke, David, Shah, Dhavon, and Wackman, Daniel. 2000. “Rights and Morals, Issues, and Candidate Integrity: Insights into the Role of the News Media.” Political Psychology, 21(4): 641–665.Google Scholar
Gallup Research Center. 2011. “Muslim Americans: No Signs in Growth of Alienation or Support for Extremism.” http://www.people-press.org/files/2011/08/muslim-american-report.pdf (Accessed September 8, 2017).Google Scholar
GhaneaBassiri, Kambiz. 2010. A History of Islam in America. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hero, Rodney E., and Tolbert, Caroline. 1996. “A Racial/Ethnic Diversity Interpretation of Politics and Policy in the States of the US.” American Journal of Political Science 1:851–871.Google Scholar
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. 2016. “American Muslims in the 2016 Elections and Beyond: Principles and Strategies for Greater Political Engagement.” https://www.ispu.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ame2016-1.pdf (Accessed March 2, 2016).Google Scholar
Jamal, Amaney. 2005. “The Political Participation and Engagement of Muslim Americans: Mosque Involvement and Group Consciousness.” American Politics Research 33(4):521–544.Google Scholar
Jamal, Amaney, and Albana, Liali. 2013. “Demographics, Political Participation and Representation.” In The Cambridge Companion to American Islam, eds Hammer, Juliane and Safi, Omid. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 100–118.Google Scholar
Jamal, Amaney A., and Naber, Nadine Christine 2008. Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.Google Scholar
Jetten, Jolanda, Branscombe, Nyla, Michael, Schmitt and Spears, Russell. 2001. Rebels with a Cause: Group Identification as a Response to Perceived Discrimination from the Mainstream.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.” 27(9):1204–1213.Google Scholar
Jones, Robert P., and Cox, Daniel. 2015. “Nearly Half of Americans Worried that They or Their Family Will Be a Victim of Terrorism.” Public Religion Research Institute. http://www.prri.org/research/survey-nearly-half-of-americans-worried-that-they-or-their-family-will-be-a-victim-of-terrorism/ (Accessed February 2, 2017)Google Scholar
Kalkan, Kerem Ozan, Layman, Geoffrey C., and Uslaner, Eric M.. 2009. “Bands of Others”? Attitudes Toward Muslims in Contemporary American Society.” The Journal of Politics 71(3):847–862.Google Scholar
Khan, Mussarat, and Ecklund, Kathryn. 2013. “Attitudes Toward Muslim Americans Post-9/11.” Journal of Muslim Mental Health 7(1):1–16.Google Scholar
Koopmans, Ruud, Statham, Paul, Giugni, Marco, and Passy, Florence. 2005. Contested Citizenship: Immigration and Cultural Diversity in Europe. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Leighley, Jan E., and Vedlitz, Arnold. 1999. “Race, Ethnicity, and Political Participation: Competing Models and Contrasting Explanations.” The Journal of Politics 61(4):1092–1114.Google Scholar
Levin, Brian. 2016. “Special Status Report: Hate Crimes in the United States.” Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University, San Bernardino.Google Scholar
Levin, Brian. 2017. “Explaining the Rise in Hate Crimes against Muslims in the US,” The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/explaining-the-rise-in-hate-crimes-against-muslims-in-the-us-80304 (Accessed on August 1, 2017).Google Scholar
Lien, Pei-te. 2004. “Asian Americans and Voting Participation: Comparing Racial and Ethnic Differences in Recent US Elections.” International Migration Review 38(2):493–517.Google Scholar
McAdam, Doug, Tarrow, Sidney, and Tilly, Charles. 2003. “Dynamics of Contention.” Social Movement Studies 2(1):99–102.Google Scholar
Mogahed, Dalia. 2013. “Islamophobia is Made Up.” The Islamic Monthly. https://www.theislamicmonthly.com/islamophobia-is-made-up/ (Accessed on March 16, 2016).Google Scholar
O'Connor, Alexander, and Jahan, Farhana. 2014. “Under Surveillance and Overwrought: American Muslims’ Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Government Surveillance.” Journal of Muslim Mental Health 8(1):95–106.Google Scholar
Oskooii, Kassra A. 2016. “How Discrimination Impacts Sociopolitical Behavior: A Multidimensional Perspective.” Political Psychology 37(5):613–640.Google Scholar
Pantoja, Adrian D., and Segura, Garry. 2003a. “Does Ethnicity Matter? Descriptive Representation in Legislatures and Political Alienation among Latinos.” Social Science Quarterly 84(2):441–460.Google Scholar
Pantoja, Adrian D., and Segura, Garry. 2003b. “Fear and Loathing in California: Contextual Threat and Political Sophistication among Latino Voters.” Political Behavior 25(3):265–286.Google Scholar
Patel, Faiza and Levinson-Waldman, Rachel. 2017. “The Islamophobic Administration.” Brennan Center for Justice, New York University https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/BCJ_Islamophobic_Administration.pdf (Accessed on November 15, 2017).Google Scholar
Pew Research Center. 2015. “Future Immigration will Change the Face of America by 2065.” http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/05/future-immigration-will-change-the-face-of-america-by-2065/ (Accessed on December 2, 2016).Google Scholar
Pew Research Center. 2016. “A New Estimate of the U.S. Muslim Population.” http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/06/a-new-estimate-of-the-u-s-muslim-population/ (Accessed on August 2, 2017).Google Scholar
Pew Research Center. 2017. “U.S. Muslims Concerned about their Place in Society but Continue to Believe in the American Dream.” http://www.pewforum.org/2017/07/26/findings-from-pew-research-centers-2017-survey-of-us-muslims/ (Accessed August 1, 2017).Google Scholar
Radcliff, Benjamin, and Saiz, Martin. 1995. “Race, Turnout, and Public Policy in the American States.” Political Research Quarterly 48(4):775–794.Google Scholar
Ramírez, Ricardo. 2013. Mobilizing Opportunities: The Evolving Latino Electorate and the Future of American Politics. Richmond: University of Virginia Press.Google Scholar
Sanchez, Gabriel R. 2006. “The Role of Group Consciousness in Political Participation among Latinos in the United States.” American Politics Research 34(4):427–450.Google Scholar
Sanchez, Gabriel R., and Vargas, Edward D.. 2016. “Taking a Closer Look at Group Identity: The Link Between Theory and Measurement of Group Consciousness and Linked Fate.” Political Research Quarterly 69(1):160–174.Google Scholar
Schwartz-Shea, Peregrine, and Majic, Samantha. 2017. ”Ethnography and Participant Observation: Political Science Research in this “Late Methodological Moment.”” PS: Political Science and Politics 50(1): 97–102.Google Scholar
Selod, Saher, and Embrick, David. 2013. “Racialization and Muslims: Situating the Muslim Experience in Race Scholarship.” Sociology Compass 7(8):644–655.Google Scholar
Souther Law Poverty Center, “Fighting Hate Extremist Files Groups: ACT! for America,” available at: https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/act-americaGoogle Scholar
Southern Law Poverty Center. “Anti-Muslim Groups, 2010–2016.” https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/anti-muslim (Accessed September 1, 2017).Google Scholar
Tajfel, Henri, Billig, Michael G., Bundy, Robert P., and Flament, Claude. 1971. “Social Categorization and Intergroup Behavior.” European Journal of Social Psychology 1(2):149–178.Google Scholar
Tajfel, Henry, and Turner, John. 1979. “An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict.” The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations 33(47):74–93.Google Scholar
Turner, John C. 1982. “Towards a Cognitive Redefinition of the Social Group.” Social Identity and Intergroup Relations 1(2):15–40.Google Scholar
United States Census Bureau. “Population Estimates, 2016.” https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216 (Accessed September 8, 2017).Google Scholar
U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations. 2015. “USCMO Announced Campaign to Enhance National Security, Address Rising Islamophobia.” http://www.uscmo.org/new-page/ (Accessed on March 13, 2016).Google Scholar
Wedeen, L. 2010. “Reflections on Ethnographic Work in Political Science.” Annual Review of Political Science 13:255–272.Google Scholar