Muslim Women

When I chose the topic of Americanization of immigrant Muslim women, I think I expected a straightforward, easy to categorize, research project. On the contrary, what I found was surprisingly different. While I think of myself as a liberal, open-minded female, this project gave me a very new perspective on myself and many of my views as well. Muslim women living in the United States are quite honestly more diverse, more complex, more structured, more contemplative, and more culturally intuitive than I could have ever imagined in my limited experience and knowledge of them. The 'Americanization' I sought to illustrate turned out to resemble something closer to a religio-cultural tug-of-war than the predicted homogeneous transformation, or adaptation, to our Western society and religious orientation.

The women whose lives I read about (individually as well as in group studies) seemed without exception to be in a constant state of tension from numerous external and internal sources. The many token examples of varying degrees of Americanization- or in some cases, resistance to this phenomenon- included, but were not limited to, wanting to uphold traditional homeland customs and practices; asserting new freedoms to take on more responsibility in religious and political arenas; working to improve traditional inadequacies of U.S. mosques to better accommodate women of faith; the dilemma of appropriate dressing for religious and professional communities; challenging traditional and current marriage practices and the difficulties associated with them; and maybe most significantly, combating the general naivetй, or even outright discriminatory ignorance of Americans about Islam. Considering the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world (between new births and the increasing number of conversions), and the United States is arguably the most influential and powerful country in the world, the last of these examples must, and will, be given some extra attention at the end of this paper.

Finding Balance Between Islamic Tradition and U.S. Culture

Although almost every source I consulted stressed the progressive nature of the Quran and its ability to adapt to changing society, I found that a main thrust of the American Muslim communities was best exemplified in a quote from Carol L. Anway, that women strive toward "being in the world but not of the world."1 These women, particularly first generation Muslim immigrants, tend to find solace in continued rigorous practice of the more fundamentalist type of customs such as gender segregation, feminine modesty, specific gender roles and responsibilities, etc. When confronted with the awkwardness of transplantation from Middle Eastern to American culture, the women of small Muslim communities and regions are often comforted by the feeling of solidarity generated in the sharing of communal values of their homelands.2 The problems, however, that arise within these communities because of more orthodox belief and practice are numerous.

The continued promotion of an orthodox value system seems to be the root of the thwarted prosperity of these small Muslim communities. Men, traditionally the providers, have taken the majority seat of auto factory jobs in Dearborn, MI, but are therefore at the whim of the plant (Ford Motor, in this particular case). When it moves, the whole Muslim community must move with it to ensure future employment. Women are often not allowed to work outside of the home, and in times of recession, money is scarce, and usually welfare is the only answer. The issue of discrimination against Muslim welfare recipients by U.S. social workers is a topic that could probably take the rest of this paper, so I will limit my comments. The main point I want to stress on this issue is that the tension produced by the commitment to even this one Muslim fundamentalist practice is noteworthy. Women in these situations can be emotionally torn over the decision whether to follow their orthodox customs and struggle, or risk the possible dishonor by choosing to leave their homes without male accompaniment, to work to help provide for their families. I think the choice here is more difficult than I can imagine: the tribal solidarity and commitment to faith, or the acceptance of Western influence and loss of a big part of their only inherent identities?

This struggle to find a balance will be a recurring theme in this paper.

Exposure to New Freedoms and Possibilities

"American Muslims- both men and women- are a highly educated class of people, probably the most educated among the Muslims of the world."3 While I agree with the second half of this statement from Ausaf Ali, the first half is somewhat more problematic. Although Muslims in America are required to attend school from the primary level through high school, as are all Americans, and most single immigrants of the late teens- early twenties ages come to the U.S. primarily to attain higher education at American colleges, universities and technical institutes,4 many of the more traditional Muslim communities still do not encourage or allow women to endeavor toward higher education, or even extensive education regarding the Quran. Options for these women are very limited, and many of them never get the opportunity to explore careers opportunities, community involvement (outside of the mosque activities or the Islamic centers), political choices and affiliations, or even alternative mosque preference. Careers can be eliminated as an option (as talked about above), women may find that they are not "allowed" to socialize with other women outside their own religion (or may personally choose not to), and more importantly, women may be denied the access to basic information about their civil rights as American citizens. At bear minimum, these women from whom this basic education of the laws in the U.S. is withheld, are denied the ability to lend their voices to the choosing of the leaders of the country in which they live, as well as the laws by which they must abide. This fundamental education is necessary for them to be able to fully function as U.S. citizens, and although some Muslim women voluntarily forego their political rights in the name of traditional Islam, those women who feel oppressed or stagnated in their current situations, may not have the necessary education to facilitate their personal, spiritual or political growth, or even protect themselves against unnecessary or illegal oppression and/or abuse. The opportunities open to educated women in the U.S. are far greater in scope than many women can imagine, or may even wish to if they are content in their religious communities, but they are opportunities for all Americans nonetheless,