مسلمانان آمریکایی‌: میراث هویت مسلمانی در توسعۀ تمدن قارۀ آمریکا

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسنده

مطالعات آمریکای لاتین،

چکیده

واقعۀ یازدهم سپتامبر سبب شد تا مسلمانان در قارۀ آمریکا حاملان دینی شرقی و تهدیدی خارجی برای فرهنگ دنیای مسیحی به نظر بیایند. این تفکر اسلام‌هراسانه تبدیل به اسلام‌ستیزی شد و تا منع ورود مسلمانان به کشور آمریکا هم پیش رفت. سایر مسلمانان در شرق هم هویت مسلمانی در آن سرزمین را خارج از جریان فکری و پژوهشی اسلام می‌بینند. پژوهش حاضر بر آن است تا این دیدگاه‌ها را به چالش بکشد؛ به عبارت بهتر می‌خواهیم بدانیم چرا هر دو هویت آمریکایی و اسلامی مسلمانان این خطه در هاله‌ای از ابهام قرار دارد.
روش پژوهش توصیفی‌تحلیلی بر پایۀ نظریه‌های هویت و پژوهش‌های مکتوب در این خصوص بوده است. بررسی‌ها نشان داد که حضور مسلمانان، به اجبار یا اختیار، هم‌زمان با مسیحیت در قارۀ آمریکا اتفاق افتاده است. حضور تاریخی و کنشگری در ساختن تمدن سرزمین جدید هویت آمریکایی مسلمانان ساکن را تثبیت کرده است. همچنین علی‌رغم تأثیرهای محیطی، وابستگی فرهنگی مسلمانان آمریکایی به جریان اصلی امت اسلامی در هویت و لایه‌های آشکار و پنهان زندگی آن‌ها وجود دارد و ازاین‌رو عضوی از پیکر امت اسلام محسوب می‌شوند. این پژوهش زمینه را برای جامعیت بیشتر مطالعات اسلامی ازطریق کشف و مطالعۀ جوامع متکثر مسلمان آمریکایی فراهم می‌کند؛ زیرا تجربیات و توانمندی‌هایی که مسلمانان آمریکایی در دوران توسعه و مدرنیسم به دست آورده‌اند، می‌تواند به غنای مطالعات تمدن اسلامی بیفزاید.
 
 
 
 

کلیدواژه‌ها

موضوعات


عنوان مقاله [English]

merican Muslim: The Heritage of Muslim Identity in Shaping the Americas’ Civilization

نویسنده [English]

  • Monir Sadat Madarshahi
Department of Latin American
چکیده [English]

Purpose: The September 11 attacks contributed to the perception of Muslims in the Americas as foreign adherents of Eastern religions and as a threat to Christian culture. This Islamophobic sentiment has led to policies that bar Muslims from entering the United States. At the same time, many Muslims in the East perceive the Muslim identity in the Americas as being outside of mainstream Islamic thought. This study aims to challenge these perspectives and clarify the complexities surrounding the American and Islamic identities of Muslims in the Americas.
Methodology: This research employs a descriptive-analytical method grounded in identity theories and historical analyses. It is classified as a scientific study of the history of Muslim civilization in the Americas. The study emphasizes Muslims as a cultural group rather than Islam as a religion, thereby excluding topics related to beliefs or religious rituals.
Findings: Historical evidence indicates that Muslims, whether by force or by choice, arrived in the Americas alongside Catholic Christians. Their contributions to the development of American civilization have significantly influenced the American aspect of their Muslim identity, allowing them to transfer elements of their Islamic cultural heritage to this new land. Despite external environmental influences, the profound cultural attachment of American Muslims to Islam remains intact, reinforcing their identity as part of the global Ummah.
Conclusion: The Americas are as much a homeland for Muslims as they are for Christians, and their minority status does not negate this fact. Acknowledging the American identity of Muslims in the Americas is essential for three reasons:
1. It fosters a nuanced understanding of the interplay between Islamic identity and American sociocultural dynamics.
2. It restricts the imposition of external standards for evaluating American Muslims, particularly in the development of Da’wah programs.
3. It encourages researchers to adopt a new approach that accommodates the diversity of Muslim experiences worldwide.
As Diouf’s research highlights, African Muslims in the Americas have successfully maintained their beliefs and practices while promoting Islamic values through unique cultural names and forms. The diversity and multiplicity of American Muslim communities are so extensive that achieving convergence through the unification of beliefs and rituals seems unrealistic. Scholars should broaden the scope of Islamic studies, as Talal Asad suggests, by reaching a consensus on foundational Islamic principles that reflect the lived experiences of American Muslims. Furthermore, American Muslims are uniquely positioned, possessing firsthand experience with modernity, nation-state governance, and democracy. These experiences offer critical insights that can enhance the study of Islamic civilization and address developmental challenges. Continued neglect of their contributions deprives the Ummah of valuable lessons from this successful segment of the global Muslim community.
 
 

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Islamic Identity
  • Ummah
  • The Americas
  • Muslims
  • Islam
  • American Identity
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