CULTURAL IMMERSION PROJECT
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Cultural Immersion Project
Miranda Roth
Department of School Counseling, Liberty University
COUC504: Multicultural Counseling
Dr. Rachael Stark
December 5, 2021
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Abstract
The Muslim community is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. Due to their rising
numbers, it’s important for counselors to be competent in supporting this community. Being
knowledgeable about their beliefs, values, practices, and persecution, and oppression against
Muslims is crucial to knowing which type of counseling theory is best effective. My research
about this group will be presented throughout this paper and will focus on their culture so that I
can become more multiculturally competent in my counseling. Additionally, I will look at where
this religion first originated and how and where it migrated to make sure that I am doing my duty
in supporting them correctly and to the best of my ability.
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Key Elements
During my scholarly research, I focused on four different key elements of the Muslim
culture. The first key element was common attitudes, beliefs, and values. The Muslim culture
comes from the Islam religious group. “Islam is not so much as a belief system as a way of life
that unifies metaphysical and materialistic dimensions.” (Izetbegovic, 1993) While they have
many different beliefs in traditions, they only believe in one God, Allah, and believe that he
“created the world and everything in it” (Muslim Beliefs and Attitudes, n.d.), and also believe
that they must completely submit to him and his teachings. Muslims believe in Judgement Day,
Heaven, and Hell and believe that they will be judged on whether or not and how well they have
followed Allah’s instructions. Muslims follow Quaran which is “understood to be the Word of
God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, the “Messanger of God,” the honored founder of Islam,
and is believed to be God’s revelation to humankind.” (Hodge, 2005, 163) The Five Pillars are
the practices and core believes of Islam. These five pillars include the profession of faith
(shahada), prayer (salat), alms (zakat), fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage (hajj). “It is generally
agreed that these practices, and the beliefs that underlie them, constitute a common core of a
wider reality.” (Exposito, 1988)
The second key element that I chose to research was prominent customs, practices, and
behaviors. One common custom among many Muslim women is that they wear a hijab. This is a
type of covering that allows Muslim women to cover their neck, hair, and shoulders and
represents privacy, modesty, and morality. Another common practice is that many Muslims
participate in Ramadan. This is described as, “during the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth
month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and
drink” (The Five Pillars of Islam | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000) for the purpose of
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“feeling closer to God and strengthening their spiritual health and self-discipline.” (Parkar, 2021)
Another custom or behavior that Muslims feel strongly about is performing Ibadah, to serve
others. They believe that this is a form of worship and “the more acts of worship one performs
through living a long life, the greater will be the reward, the purer and clearer the soul, and the
stronger and more deeply-rooted the good traits of characters.” (Embong et al., 2017, 101)
Key historical events and figures impacting the cultural and societal perceptions of
Muslims was the third key element that I chose to research. There are many historical figures
that represent the Muslim culture, however, other than Muhammad, Malcolm X was extremely
important in spreading the culture. Malcolm X was born in 1925 and died in 1965. He was “an
African-American Muslim Minister, who was an influential figure in the Nation of Islam and
later is own Organization of Afro-American Unity.” (Famous Muslims, 2017) One of the most
important events in Muslim history is when Muhammad, as mentioned above to be a Prophet of
Allah, migrated to Medina, where he fought and won three battles, conquered Mecca, and
forgave all of his enemies. The city of Medina is where the foundations of the Muslim
civilization are laid.
The last key element that I will discuss is the history of immigration of Muslims to the
United States. Some of the “earliest Muslim immigrants came as slaves from Africa beginning in
perhaps as early as 1501” (Durán & Pipes, 2002) and have many different reasons for
immigrating. One reason was to gain refuge from ethnic and religious persecution, Islamism,
Angi-Islamism, civil wars, and international wars. Another reason was for better education. Over
500,000 foreign students were enrolled in colleges and universities by 1990. Most of those
students ended up staying in the United States “where facilities for their profession are superior,
political freedoms wider, and economic rewards greater.” (Durán & Pipes, 2002) The third
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reason was for Islamist ambitions. This category of immigrants is smaller but is still valuable to
the Muslim community because they want to change the world order by conquering America.
The Muslims in this category want to change the US into a majority Muslim country by
spreading their religion and can do this nonviolently and violently.
Historical and Current Oppression
The Muslim community has faced oppression and persecution throughout history but
especially in post-9/11 America. “Americans have consumed media headlines about the Patriotic
Act, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, violet extremist organization, and the Muslim ban, all
perpetuating an association between Muslims and terrorism.” (Ramadan, 2021, 2) The term
Islamophobia is a term that has been circulating since the late 1990s and is used when expressing
prejudice against Muslims or Islam. “Most American adults (82%) say Muslims are subject to at
least some discrimination in the U.S. today, including a majority (56%) who say Muslims are
discriminated against a lot.” (Masci, 2019) Many believe that this oppression has gained fuel
since the 9/11 attacks. However, few people understand the psychological impact that this has on
Muslim’s including depression and anxiety. Due to the strong faith of the Muslim practice, this
oppression has caused them to increase their religious practices. They can do this by fasting,
praying, reading the Quran, or attending a mosque. Reaching out to others who felt this
persecution was also important. Unfortunately, oppression against the Muslim culture continues
to rise and branch out into the young Muslims that are between 12-18 years old. Although many
were born in the United States, 84% of Muslim Americans in this 12-18-year-old category
“reveal they have faced at least one act of discrimination in the previous year.” (Clay, 2011, 72)
The Declaration of Human Rights determines that all individuals deserve freedom and equal
respect. If freedom and equal respect are neglected, Islamophobia on online platforms and
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in-person will continue to rise. “As a global hegemon, the U.S. is concerningly setting precedent
for the mistreatment of Muslim minorities across developed and developing nations.” (Ramadan,
2021, 17)
Events
During my research on the Muslim culture, I was able to attend two events. When I
taught fourth grade at my local public school, I had a Muslim colleague. It has been a few years
since I have seen her, but I reached out to her to gain more information. She graciously invited
me to attend a Mosque on Friday with her and her family. I learned that as a Christian church, a
Mosque is a place where Muslims go for worship but is also used for learning and community. I
dressed in loose fitting clothing and brought a scarf just in case. I did wear it once I got there to
get the full experience. I wasn’t expected to wash my face, arms, and feet however, this was a
custom that all practicing Muslim attendees participated in. Once inside the Mosque, I removed
my shoes and silenced my phone. The women entered on one side of the prayer room, which was
partitioned off from the men’s side, and sat down on a rug. My friend made me aware that I did
not have to participate in all of the different customs of standing, bowing, and sitting at different
times, that I could just quietly observe. The prayer and service took about 45 minutes. Another
event that I was able to attend was a webinar titled “Muslim Women Creating New Futures: The
Campaign for Justice in Muslim Family Laws.” This webinar discussed the discriminatory laws
that affect Muslim women in politics and history, it explored issues and challenges on Muslim
women advocacy, and it was meant to inspire all Muslim women to work together in order to
achieve equality.
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Participation
My participation in these events influenced me emotionally in many different ways. As a
faithful practicing Christian, I was a bit close-minded to not learn more about this religion, but to
actually take part in practicing with it. I had an open conversation with my pastor that fully
supported me in these events. At first, I was worried that I wasn’t doing the right thing for my
God, then I was anxious that I would be accepted or that I would be discriminated against as a
visitor at these events. Those emotions quickly faded away and turned to awed, intrigued, and
inspired as soon as I stepped foot in the Mosque. The purity that I felt when I was there was
indescribable. Not to mention how absolutely beautiful the inside was. The fact that I was more
than welcomed and genuinely invited back by both men and women made me feel special.
Afterward, I was invited back to my former colleague’s home for dinner where we indulged in
traditional Muslim food such as bheja fry, chicken biryani, and victoria sponge cake. Once I was
on my way home and truly had time to reflect on my day, anger hit. Anger for these people who
are discriminated against because of extreme terrorist groups who take advantage of Islam and
the Muslim community has to endure the repercussions. Anger that these people have faced
oppression and persecution for many years, but still stand firm on their faith that their good
deeds will lead to forever with Allah.
After the webinar, I gained inspiration from the Muslim women coming together to create
equality and unity within, not just their community, but around the world. They believe that
“empowered women empower women” and if we could connect on our common ground, world
change could be made. The Muslim women are a force to be reckoned with. Their voices are
loud, their beliefs are strong, and their faith is rooted. As a young Christian woman, I can only
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hope that my voice is just as loud, my beliefs are just as strong, and my faith is just as rooted in
my love for Jesus Christ.
Key Take-Aways
There were several things that I learned about the Muslim culture that I did not read about
in my research. First, was their openness and kindness to visitors within their Mosque. As
someone who attends church frequently, I am always hoping that we have new visitors.
However, I don’t think that I’ve ever focused on having visitors from a different religion. I pray
that when that day comes, I will be just as open and kind and they were to me. They were
tolerant of my many questions before and after the service, graciously excused my inexperience
of their customs and practices, and invited me and my family to come back. The second
takeaway was how pure the service actually was. Compared to my church, where it is loud and
sometimes distracting, this service was prayerfully quiet and peaceful. The ambiance of the
Mosque was breathtaking. Inside the prayer room was a Mihrab, which is a recess in the wall
indicating the direction of Mecca. This is the direction that Muslims face when they are praying.
Other than the Mihrab and the prayer room, the dome, minaret, and ablutions area is equally
important. The dome represents the vaults of heaven and the sky. The minaret is the tallest part
of the mosque and means “beacon” in Arabic. The ablutions area is the place where Muslims
wash their face, arms, and feet before entering the prayer room. These five pieces are essential to
the building of a Mosque and are essential to the Muslim faith. The third takeaway that I did not
read about in my research is that Muslims should pray five times a day. Each of these prayers has
a different significance and is an obligation every Muslim should do. Fajr is the name for the first
prayer. This prayer starts at dawn and ends at sunrise. The second prayer is called dhuhr and
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starts at noon. Asr, the third prayer, is in the afternoon followed by maghrib at sunset and isha in
the evening. These five prayers fall under salah which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Counseling Theories
There are a few different counseling theories that have been empirically validated as
effective with the Muslim community. By the year 2030, the Muslim population is going to
exceed 2.2 billion which means that the need to narrow down effective counseling strategies is
crucial. One therapy that has been used is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
“Developed within a coherent theoretical and philosophical framework, ACT is a unique and
empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies,
together with commitment and behavior change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility.”
(Hayes, 2021) This type of therapy is believed to help the Muslim community deal with
psychosocial pressures, discrimination, attitudes, and physical and verbal attacks due to
oppression and persecution. Additionally, taking into account the deep Muslim faith, this therapy
stresses spirituality and focuses on bringing positive activities that will in turn create a more
positive perspective.
The second type of counseling theory that has been effective in the Muslim community is
the Ecological Systems Theory (EST). “This theory suggests that an individual’s environment,
meaning context, is comprised of four systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and
macrosystem.” (Tanhan, 2019, 198-199) Usually, EST is used in conjunction with ACT to make
this a more rigorous approach that focuses on many different contextual factors. Individual type
approaches like EST will help in measuring specific needs.
“The Muslim population is increasing worldwide faster than any other spiritual/religious
groups, and especially so in western countries including the U.S., yet this is a minority group
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facing many issues at various levels while being underserved and also understudied.” (Tanhan,
2019, 211) Using both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the Ecological Systems
Theory together when counseling Muslims will create a model that is positive and puts
perspectives into a more contextual way.
Conclusion
Being able to research the Muslim community as well as attend events that were focused
on their beliefs was eye-opening. It allowed me to leave my Christian box and gain a new
perspective on a different religious group. While I am respectful of all religions, Muslims were
one group that I had little knowledge about and only knew what the media perceived them as.
Finding out for myself that the stereotypes involving this group were completely false allowed
me to have more respect for this group. I love that the faith is so deeply rooted and that it doesn’t
waver. I am looking forward to learning more about the Muslim culture in the future and
returning to a Mosque with my family.
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