Muslim Psychiatrists in Training Address Islamophobia in Clinical Experiences

Abstract

The lives of Muslims in North America have been arguably forever changed by the events of September 11, 2001. Muslims have watched Western media and political influences essentially claim ownership over their narrative, such as completely redefining the word 'Islamist' to refer almost exclusively to militants overseas claiming to be Muslim. Instead, Muslims in the Western world are constantly expected to condemn acts of terrorism occurring across the globe that they took no part in, and a refusal to participate in this dialogue often leads to accusations of condoning these acts. This climate shift must be acknowledged and explored in order to garner an understanding of how Islamophobia has affected Muslims working in mental health and our Muslim patients. This chapter defines Islamophobia and attempts to understand the fear and other emotions that underlie it. It presents case examples of clinical encounters where prejudice is expressed overtly and is an issue in the relationship that must be addressed. The authors hope to have provided an overview of how Islamophobia has become the force it is today in North America, demonstrating its impact on Muslims at large and specifically upon Muslim clinicians. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)