Raising Confident Children in a Time of Microagressions and Islamophobia

[CopyBoy]

By Lucy El-Sherif

Parents today are justifiably concerned about raising their kids in the Islamophobic and anti-Arab climate that seems to prevail in much of the Western world. Now is a good time to look at the potential silver linings and strategies we can use to make our children and youth stronger from this experience.

Since the rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment, many of us have become more aware, more organized, and more vocal than we had been pre-9/11. (I’m referring here largely to the professional class of Arabs/Muslims in America who had the luxury of living lives in which they didn’t face discrimination prior to 9/11. Black and working class Arabs and Muslims, however, have always dealt with racism.) Even if you are not a visible Arab/Muslim or do not identify with either of these identities, you might still face these negative stereotypes.

And, I am not talking about explicit racism here. I am talking about the passing comments or quick jokes of a classmate, a coworker or even a friend that imply that Muslims and Arabs are inherently violent and irrational. These microagressions leave one wondering if these snubs are real or imagined, unintentional or deliberate. These messages are difficult to challenge precisely because they may be cloaked in a light-hearted tone, yet happen often enough that they form an insidious pattern, penetrating our psyche and redefining out sense of self.

patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2016/02/raising-confident-children-in-a-time-of-microagressions-and-islamophobia/?repeat=w3tc