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Thoughts on Being a Scholar of Islam and a Muslim in America Post-9/11

by Amir Hussain

This chapter examines what it has meant to be both a Muslim and a scholar of Islam in America in the years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. It begins with a discussion of events in the year immediately after 9/11, and includes a section on Muslim concerns in North America. The chapter then moves on to more recent developments. It includes material on how the teaching of Islam has been changed, including curriculum changes and changing roles (as public intellectuals, media spokespersons, etc.) of instructors. Special attention is given to the work of the study of Islam section of the American Academy of Religion. The chapter also mentions issues with regard to government monitoring of Middle East studies, as well as the governmental exclusions of both Tariq Ramadan and Yusuf Islam from the USA in 2004. The chapter ends with a discussion of the roles of Muslims and Muslim academics in the USA.