The Importance Of Scholarly Research Learning

A case study is defined as “a report of case materials obtained while working with an individual, a group, a community, or an organization. Case Studies illustrate a problem; indicate a means for solving a problem; and/or shed light on needed research, clinical applications, or theoretical materials” (APA, 2010, p. 11). The goal of this paper is for me to conduct a case study on myself and explain what I have learned about research at an introductory level, and how I evaluate or critique it from a biblical, Christian perspective.

There are many misconceptions regarding Islam and Muslims. In reality most Muslims are non-Arabs and most live outside the Middle East. There are five million Muslims in the United States. There are an estimated 10,000-15,000 Muslims in the area.

The Middle East is a region centered on Western Asia and Egypt the region has generally been a major center of world affairs as the major religions of Islam and Christianity and Judaism were also established within the region. The region is made up of 18 countries and has vast reserves of crude oil. In modern times the Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally and religiously sensitive region.

During the years of post-9/11, Americans have started to become wary of non-Americans in their home land of the fear of another terrorist attacks. The 9/11 attacks have changed American views on the muslims and on the Middle East. It also had made security regulation more strict and discriminatory. Since post-9/11, Americans the wrong impression of the Middle East and have negative views of it and also have stereotype of it as well.

In recent years we have seen drastic changes occur in our country. Since the terrorist attack on the twin towers we have seen many changes take place in everyday situations. Homeland Security was established. There are security checks at airports; a tedious procedure ensuring everyone’s safety at airports and safety during traveling. The minds of American citizens have turned a cold shoulder to Muslims or anyone who bears a turban. Fear, prejudice and intolerance has spread through our country since the 9/11 attacks. Wars spread like wild fire in the Middle East, the United States entered a war on terror. The budget on defense spending has risen immensely and some economists debate that this large spending had some effect on the recent recession America has faced. Citizens also feel the effects of the Patriot Act and other legislation that allow government intrusions, reducing our civil rights and such ideals as “a personal life”. As citizens and even the government blame Muslims for the attack and the Middle East in general. However, what has America or even the West done that has influenced the Middle East? Present news is surrounded, engulfed in issues of the Middle East and how it affects the Western part of the world—nations like the United States of America, France and the United Kingdom. It is pretty obvious when we live it, how much we are influenced by the events of the “Middle East” or what we define as the Middle East.

Arab/Middle Eastern Americans represent the individuals who immigrated from the Middle East to the United States or those who were born in the United States and are of Middle Eastern descent (El-Aswad, 2010). According to El-Aswad, Arab Americans are immigrants to America, family oriented, religious, and Arabic speaking people who originated from 22 different Arab countries (2010). Arab immigrants, similar to other foreigners, leave their native land to live in the United States for various reasons. Some people dream of having a better education/job, starting a new lifestyle, and/or live in freedom in pursuit of hopes and dreams. In recent years, following 9/11 and the attack on the New York Twin Towers, the Middle Eastern Americans have been the center of negative attention by media (El-Aswad, 2010).

Throughout this course I have learned many things about research at an introductory level. Research is a critical part of all of our lives in many ways. God blesses each of us with a degree of common sense and we all learn from observing others even as babies, we learned behaviors and skills by observing our parents. Walking through experiences throughout life teach us a lot we need to know as well but sometimes we have to take a better approach when we need to learn about certain things. Many of us know that what works in some situations or with certain individuals doesn’t always work or is the safest option for another situation. Controlled and precisely organized study allows scientists to compare and examine contrasting methods and concepts, also helps them to discover various approaches and be able to learn from individual’s behaviors and experiences. I will act as the case study throughout this paper in order to observe what I have learned about.

In 1900, the world was made up of 12.3 % Muslims. In 2010, The number rose to 22.5% making Islam the fastest growing religion in the entire world, exceeding even the growth rate of Christianity. The American Muslim Council has estimated that there are 2,000 mosques and Islamic community centers in the United States. More than 80% percent have been built in the past 12 years.

To even begin to delve into our topic, we must first define the following terms: Arab, Muslim and Middle East. Millions of the people that fall into these categories live in the United States, yet we hardly take the time to learn to differentiate between them thanks to the negative connotations that are associated with each of these terms (Chin, 2009).

Historians, specifically American historians of the 21st century have demonstrated an interest in the Middle East in Islam, due to Americans frequent contact with the Middle East in the early 1960s. Islam and the Middle East have played a remarkable role in Americans discussion and reaction to the events that took place on September 11th, 2001. During this time Americans were beginning to regard the Middle East, Muslims, and Islam as one entity. Americans and the world regarded the Middle East as Islam and Islam as the Middle East. Thus, this correlation between the two made Muslims say Muslim Americans and Muslims in America as less western and more of another, but they were also seen as untrustworthy individuals. Additionally, prior to the September 11th, attacks and an after effect of September 11, was that Muslim men were violent and Muslim women as oppressed individuals. Thus, the perception of Islamophobia and the threat it brings to western society has impacted the discussion of Islamophobia in America.

Another source of conflict as reported by Sørli et. al stems from the religious differences. As a whole, the Middle East is comprised of followers of Islam. But within the Islamic religion are the Sunni (which account for the majority), and the Shia. Tension lies between the two sects, especially given the fact that the Shia often hold the positions of power (Sørli, 147). Another major

Western societies have fallen victim to the media and have been lead to misconceptions about the Middle East (due to lack of awareness). As defined by Merriam-Webster, a stereotype is “to believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same”. Some would say that it is merely human nature to have preconceived ideas, but it this case these ideas are being driven and encouraged by the media. The danger with the media is that it plays a significant role in shaping public opinion and when issues are addressed incorrectly or entire regions are portrayed in a way that they are not, then negative, and not to mention, false stereotypes go flying in all directions. The media has kept the world from seeing anything

A current cultural conflict taking place in America today is religious. Many Americans discriminate against the Islamic faith and there have been countless acts of mistreatment of Muslims in the work place, at school, in public, and in the media. Negative feelings and acts toward Muslims have become so prevalent that in 1991 the Runnymede Trust Report coined a term for it. The report defined the “unfounded hostility toward Muslims, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims” as “Islamophobia” (Defining “Islamophobia”). There has always been some religious cultural conflict with Muslims in the United States, but since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, conflict has escalated significantly.

The babies that do survive, however will most likely be taken or given away from their parents/ relatives between the ages of five and fifteen and are forced to go into child trafficking and forced labor (Fistula Hospital, 2005).

This proposed research work was a qualitative research in its very nature of data collection and analysis. It has covered the empirical type of research methodology as for data collection the researcher had to visit the spot and talk to the stakeholders directly. Besides, from the point of authenticity and nature of data collection it can be categorized as the ethnographic research, as well.