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Why Are You “Active”? - Voices of Young Muslim Women Post-9/11

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Why Are You “Active”? - Voices of Young Muslim Women Post-9/11 WHY ARE YOU “ACTIVE”? - VOICES OF YOUNG MUSLIM WOMEN POST-9/11 by Jabeen Aslam A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts Graduate Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Jabeen Aslam (2011) WHY ARE YOU “ACTIVE”? - VOICES OF YOUNG MUSLIM WOMEN POST-9/11 Master of Arts 2011 Jabeen Aslam Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education University of Toronto Abstract Contributing to the literature on the Muslim experience post-9/11, the purpose of this study was to engage with a group that is often talked about, but not with: Muslim youth. Using an integrative anti-racist and anti-colonial approach with an emphasis on a spiritual way of knowing, this study gives voice to young Muslim activists in Toronto who have made the choice to “do something”. The study aims to understand what motivates these young activists, particularly in the context of post-9/11 Islamophobia, with the goal being to challenge stereotypical perceptions of Muslims, while contributing to the body of knowledge that aims to disrupt dominant notions of what “Canadian” identity is. The following analysis helps answer this question, which includes the role of spirituality, the attachment to Canadian identity and the desire to educate. Key challenges and what these youth prescribe for Canada’s future are also discussed. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the numerous individuals who have been instrumental in completing this project. First, to the seven young women interviewed in this paper – for your willingness to participate I am forever grateful. Your passion for social-justice activism in a landscape of fear and frustration is honourable and inspiring. To my supervisors Dr. Njoki Wane and Dr. Jasmin Zine – your support has been invaluable. I am blessed to have had such great minds teach me. To my colleague and friend, Krista Riley – thank you for ‘navigating academia spiritually with me’, your ongoing support, and cheerleading. Your dedication to this work inspired mine, thank you. To my husband Umair, our parents (Safia and Muhammad Aslam, and Tauheed and Zubair Khan), and sisters (Huma, Henna, Sehar, Afsheen, Seemab and Sara) – your encouragement to persevere through life’s unexpected challenges and unbelievable faith in me is why this work is finally complete. Alhamdulillah. Above all, I thank God. Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem. I begin in the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent... Haven't We Expanded your chest for you, and removed your burden from you, which weighed heavily on your back, and raised your repute for you? So with distress there is relief. Indeed, relief comes with distress. So when you are done, still be prepared: and direct your request to your Lord. Holy Qur’an, 94 iii This Surah (verse) from the Holy Qur’an, entitled “The Expansion,” or also translated as “Solace, Consolation, Relief” in English, refers to a conversation Allah (God) had with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when the he was experiencing a time of distress. My understanding of this Surah is that Allah reminds us that despite the challenges and difficulties in life, we must appreciate the blessings (Haven’t We expanded your chest for you, and removed your burden from you?), and know that with distress there is relief. As academics, as social justice activists, this beautiful and simple Surah can remind us that there will be challenges, there will be obstacles, and there will be times when we feel we are up against something greater, something that will not change. In these times Allah asks us to have faith, resist the difficulty, and keep trying; for there will be relief after the pain. My gratitude, my prayer I thank Allah for allowing the participants of this research study, these young Muslim activists, to cross my path. May Allah bless them for the work that they do. May Allah help them as this work is often painful. May Allah make this journey easy for them and reward them for their efforts to create positive change in these challenging times. Ameen. Jabeen Aslam September 2011 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii "first writing since" by Suheir Hammad .......................................................................... viii Chapter ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Background: Post-9/11 Islamophobia in Canada ............................................................ 1 Goals of the Research: Giving Voice to Young Muslims ............................................... 5 Reconfiguration of Identity for Muslim and Non-Muslim Canadians Post-9/11 ............ 6 Definition of Activism .................................................................................................... 9 Overview of Thesis ....................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 12 Muslim Activism ........................................................................................................... 13 Female Muslim Activism .............................................................................................. 18 Muslim Youth – Identities, Experience and Activism .................................................. 21 Articulating Muslimness within the Confines of a Nation-State .................................. 28 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................. 34 Integrative Anti-Racism Theory and Research Using Interventive In-depth Interviewing ...................................................................................................................... 34 Spirituality as Part of the Anti-Colonial Discourse ....................................................... 37 A Spiritualized Anti-racist, Anti-oppressive Framework ............................................. 40 Understanding the Participants ...................................................................................... 43 Chapter FOUR: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 45 Description of Subjects ................................................................................................. 47 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria ................................................................................... 47 Recruitment of Participants ........................................................................................... 48 Researcher Ethics .......................................................................................................... 49 v Additional Considerations on the Role of the Researcher ............................................ 50 Interview Setting ........................................................................................................... 51 Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 52 Method of Analysis ....................................................................................................... 53 Verification .................................................................................................................... 53 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER FIVE: INTRODUCTION OF PARTICIPANTS AND ANALYSIS ............ 59 Aiesha’s Story ............................................................................................................ 59 Sabeen’s Story ........................................................................................................... 63 Sara’s Story ................................................................................................................ 66 Nur’s Story ................................................................................................................ 68 Laila’s Story .............................................................................................................. 69 Melissa’s Story .......................................................................................................... 71 Yasmin’s Story .......................................................................................................... 73 Analysis of Findings ...................................................................................................... 76 Spirituality: The Cornerstone of Muslim Youth Activism ........................................ 77 Attachment to Canadian Identity and Canadian Community at Large ...................... 83 Dawah: The Desire to Educate and Correct Misrepresentations ............................... 87 Community and Belonging ........................................................................................ 93 On Being Female ....................................................................................................... 94 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK ............................................ 100 Role of Institutions ...................................................................................................... 102 Importance of Education ............................................................................................
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