Trauma Among Muslims in America

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 catalyzed a wave of research on the traumatic effects of the tragedy on residents across the US. However, according to research in a recent issue of the Journal of Muslim Mental Health (Volume 3, Number 2, 2008), Arab and Muslim Americans were largely ignored from these studies, revealing the lack of sufficient support for this community from Western mental health services and professionals.

The papers presented capture the perspectives of immigrants, second and later generation individuals, refugees, imams (Muslim religious leaders), and mental health providers. Articles include:

• An examination of the role of imams in Muslim mental health promotion in the wake of September 11, 2001, focusing on twenty-two mosques in New York City
• A study of the impact of media upon Iraqi refugees in the US, which finds that refugees’ exposure to coverage of the war in Iraq bears physical and mental effects comparable to war-related death or injury of family and friends
• An exploratory study of the effects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Arab American community of New York City, in which participants discuss fear of hate crimes, stigmatization, and isolation; concerns that are compounded by barriers to social and mental health services.
• A groundbreaking empirical study based on interviews of fifty social work practitioners servicing Muslim clients residing in Canada