25 ISLAMOPHOBIA

Behavior Analysis and Islamophobia: A Behaviorist Point of View

Abstract

In recent years, anti-Muslim rhetoric has been increasing, especially in Western societies, causing fear, hate crimes, and cultural racism towards people who identify or perceive as Muslims (Gottschalk & Greenberg, 2018; Sirin & Balsano, 2007). These anti-Islam and Muslim behaviors are often referred to as “Islamophobia” a complex social phenomenon often experienced by Muslim minorities. With the increasing numbers of behavior analysts who identify with ethnic and religious minorities, as well as behavior analysts who work with these minorities, it is important to understand Islamophobia and the many ways it can be present at workplaces. This chapter provides an initial behavioral understanding of Islamophobia, analyzing the environmental factors that maintain it, explaining how it can impact health and workplace productivity, and offering practical ways for behavior analysts to navigate this issue as an active part of the solution

Keywords

islamophobia

anti-Muslim

anti-Islam

microaggressions

closed view

Muslim mapping

Muslim ban

religion

white savior

open view

cultural competency

media

arabic

middle eastern

About

Wafa Aljohani

Wafa Attallah Aljohani

PhD., BCBA

Wafa Attallah Aljohani is a doctorate-level behavior analyst and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She received her bachelor’s in special education with an emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) from Dar AlHekma University. In 2009, Wafa was elected to be the Saudi woman Youth Ambassador for The Arab Thought Foundation. She worked alongside 22 young Arab professionals to promote and empower youth to engage in cultural and educational initiatives in their communities. She provided behavior analytic services at different levels and countries.  She holds a doctorate in the philosophy of behavior analysis from Endicott College and under Dr. Justin B. Leaf’s supervision.  Her main interests are disseminating the science of behavior analysis to improve clinical practices and analyzing social phenomena from a behavioral analytic lens.