Muslim Culture Research Part 1: Muslims

The culture that I have limited knowledge, preconceptions, or stereotypes is the
Muslim culture. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world (Lipka, 2017). This figure
represents almost a quarter of the world’s population. Only Christianity has more followers
than Islam. Around half of Muslims are found in South, South East Asia and the Middle East
(Lipka, 2017). The remaining half resides in the remaining continents. Despite their large
numbers and presence in almost all places of the world, there are still many misconceptions
about Islam and Muslims.

Part 2: Reflection on Research Topic

Stereotypes I held about Muslims
There are many stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims that I had before I did
research on their demographics, culture, and religious beliefs. First, I have always associated
Islam with Arabs alone. However, in my research, I found that more than 80% of Muslims
are actually not Arabs (Lipka, 2017). Majority of Muslims are actually found in South and
South East Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
Another stereotype that I held about Muslims is that their culture is oppressive to
women. Media coverage of the position of women in some Muslim-majority countries, such
as Saudi Arabia has largely contributed to the development of this stereotype. However, my
research about Muslim culture has shown that this is not the case. While it is true that women
enjoy few rights in many Muslim-majority countries, I realized that the restriction on
women’s rights in many of these countries has more to do with local traditions and cultures
rather than commands from the Quran (Elmi, 2019). Even with relatively oppressive

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traditions in place, many Muslim-majority countries have actually had women leaders. Such
countries include Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Lastly, I have always perceived Muslims to be radical, religious fanatics, and violent.
Even though most of the major terrorist acts in recent years have been carried out by Muslims
and often in the name of Islam, I have realized that the vast majority of Muslims place a high
premium on peace and the terrorists are a small radical group among Muslims rather than a
representative of all Muslims (Von Sikorski et al., 2017). Just the same way the Ku Klux
Klan do not represent white people the world over, radical terrorists do not represent
Muslims.
What is important to consider when working with Muslims
The important thing to consider when working with Muslims is to respect their
culture, value systems and religious practices. Such respect increases mutual respect and
helps to prevent unnecessary conflicts.
How to modify my service approach to meet needs of Muslims
Muslim needs revolve around diet, scheduling, dress code, and interaction between
people of different sexes. With regards to diet, Muslims do not eat pork or products made
from pork. Thus, when with a Muslim, I will ensure that I do not serve any pork to them. As
for scheduling, Muslims pray five times each day (Sekerka & Yacobian, 2018). When
working with a Muslim, I will find ways of accommodating their prayer schedule so that they
have enough time for prayers during the day. On dress code, my research has shown that
pieces of clothing such as burqa are not a symbol of women oppression as I have long
believed. Rather, Muslim women put them on as a sign of modesty (Sekerka & Yacobian,
2018). Thus, instead of encouraging them to put on more western women dresses, I will
always respect their dress choices. Lastly, when interacting with Muslims of opposite gender,

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I will respect gender boundaries by avoiding bodily contact, such as shaking hands, and
hugging. Out of respect, Muslims often avoid having bodily contact with persons of the
opposite gender who they do not have close relations with (Sekerka & Yacobian, 2018).

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References

Elmi, N. (2019). Does the Qur’an (Koran) Really Say That? Truths and Misconceptions
About Islam. Archway Publishing.
Lipka, M. (2017). Muslims and Islam: Key findings in the US and around the world. Pew
Research Center, 9.
Sekerka, L. E., & Yacobian, M. M. (2018). Fostering workplace respect in an era of anti-
Muslimism and Islamophobia. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International
Journal.
Von Sikorski, C., Schmuck, D., Matthes, J., & Binder, A. (2017). “Muslims are not
terrorists”: Islamic State coverage, journalistic differentiation between terrorism and
Islam, fear reactions, and attitudes toward Muslims. Mass Communication and
Society, 20(6), 825-848.