Download Effects of Terrorism Part III: The Rise in Prejudice Against Muslims

World Geography
Effects of Terrorism Part III:
The Rise in Prejudice Against Muslims
Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, the United States has been changed in countless
ways. The U.S. Government has made counter-terrorism one of its top priorities. To help make the
nation more secure the government has enacted laws such as the Patriot Act. In October 2001, the
U.S. began a military campaign in Afghanistan which is still going on today. One unexpected effect
of the September 11th attacks was a sharp increase in the amount of prejudice directed at MuslimAmericans. In the days immediately following the attacks, there were many reports of MuslimAmericans being physically & verbally assaulted. A recent Gallup Poll (January 2010) revealed that
Americans still harbor a lot of prejudice towards Muslims. More than 4 in 10 Americans (43%)
admit to feeling at least "a little" prejudice toward Muslims -- more than twice the number who say
the same about Christians (18%), Jews (15%) and Buddhists (14%). Nearly one-third of Americans
polled (31%) say they have an unfavorable view of Islam.
The Roots of Anti-Muslim Sentiment…
These findings have led experts to question why there has been such a sharp increase in the
amount of prejudice directed at Muslim-Americans. Most scholars agree that the media has fueled
anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States. When Muslims are featured on news stories, it is usually
in a negative light (i.e. the recent failed terror plot in Times Square, New York). In popular media
(movies, television shows), Muslim characters are often portrayed as the villains in shows like 24 and
films like Iron Man. Given that the only images that most Americans have of Muslims come from
the media, it’s not surprising that most Americans assume that most Muslims are connected to
terrorism in some way.
Another explanation for this prejudice can be found in our census data. A vast majority of
Americans identify themselves as Christians (roughly 79%). As a result, most Americans have a good
understanding of Christianity, even if they do not practice the religion themselves. When people
claiming to be Christians commit horrible acts against other Americans, people do not assume that all
Christians are prone to violence. In 1995 Michigan-native Timothy McVeigh, a Christian, detonated a
bomb in a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. After this terrorist attack,
Americans did not think that all Christians were terrorists like McVeigh. They understood that
McVeigh represented a very small minority of Christians. In fact, most Christians reject the notion
that he was a member of their religion.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States, but Muslims still only make up a very
small fraction of the population (about 1%). As a result, most Americans do not know much about
the religion or the people who practice it. Most of America’s understanding of Islam comes from the
media, which tends to feature stories about Muslim extremists. Osama bin Laden and his followers
practice a type of Islam called Wahhabism. Followers of Wahhabism believe that violence should be
used as a means of spreading their religion. However, very few Muslims practice Wahhabism. A vast
majority of Muslims condemn Wahhabists and believe that their actions are out of sync with the
Islamic faith.
Name:
Date:
Core:
World Geography
Prejudice Against Muslims in America:
Fact Check
Directions: Use the reading from today’s class (Effects of Terrorism Part III: The Rise of Prejudice
Against Muslims) to answer the following questions.
1. Americans still harbor much resentment and prejudice towards Muslims since the September
11th attacks. Identify two statistics from the reading which support this statement.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
2. Briefly explain how the media has led to a rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States.
Identify a specific example from your own life that supports your response (shows you have
seen on TV, movies, etc…)
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3. What percentage of Americans identify as Christians? _________________________
4. What percentage of Americans identify as Muslims? __________________________
5. What is Wahhabism? ____________________________________________________________
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6. True or False. Most Muslims practice a type of Islam called Wahabism.