1. Research as Advocacy: Strategies for engaging Muslim American community in research
Lamise Shawahin, PhD
Zahra Hosseinian, MA
Kameelah Mu’ Min Rashad, MS
Ayse Ikizler, PhD

2. Road Map Introductions Conducting research with Muslims
Recruiting Muslim Professionals
Recruiting LGBT Muslims
Recruiting Black Muslims
Research Scenarios
Discussion

3. Before we get started… A Quiz!
Where do most Muslims go for psychological help?
Where is the best place to collect data from Muslims?
What are some difficult to reach populations within the Muslim community?
What do you think the biggest issues facing Muslims are today?

5. Muslims in the United States

6. Conducting Research with Muslims
Existing body of literature on Muslims is limited
Gives a false portrayal of homogeneity
Often does not account for diversity dimensions
Requires creative strategies to reach populations
steadily increasing since the September 11th 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon (Amer & Bagarsa, 2013). Engaging Muslim American populations in research can be challenging due to the unique forms of discrimination faced by this population (e.g., government surveillance, political repression). Given the increasing political focus on and violence toward (Pew, 2017) Muslim Americans it is critical to make efforts to better understand this population and their psychological needs. At the same time, there has been increasing focus on conducting research with minority populations which centers the experiences of individuals at the intersection of multiple identifies. It has been difficult to apply theories of intersectionality to research focused on Muslim Americans given the already small body of literature. The limited literature focused on Muslim Americans population often portrays the population as a homogenous group. That is, often times, the research does not account for diversity dimensions including race/ethnicity, religiosity, religious sect, and sexual orientation. This skill-building session will be facilitated by researchers who have had success in engaging Muslim Americans in research and will focus on teaching direct skills pertaining to this area. Presenters will highlight the strengths and limitations of traditional online and face-to-face recruitment strategies, and will introduce more innovative strategies aimed at recruiting Muslim Americans for research. Each presenter will emphasize specific strategies that have been effective in one of the following areas: engaging marginalized sub populations including Black Muslims and LGBT Muslims, and engaging Muslim Americans in research around stigmatized topics such as infertility and domestic violence. Finally, the presenters will engage session participants by applying the strategies discussed to the development of individualized recruitment plans for research they are currently conducting or planning to conduct in the future with Muslim Americans.    

8. Conducting Research with Muslim Professionals
Muslim professionals can help a researcher access a population
Connecting with organizations like Muslim Wellness Foundation or other professional organizations for Muslims is helpful
Organizing events for Muslim professionals (e.g., luncheon) can aid with recruitment
A significant challenge in conducting research with Muslim Americans is recruiting and retaining participants (Amer, et al., 2013) and collecting data the represents the rich diversity in the Muslim American community. These challenges could be related to a number of factors including limited cultural sensitivity when approaching the community, mental health stigma, suspicion or hesitation from community members if the researcher is not known to the community.  The presenters will review recruitment methods with which they have had success in recruiting large and diverse samples of Muslim Americans including partnering with community leaders, attending community events, engaging with large organizations, and creative social media recruitment. Partnering with community leaders is critical to the development of trust between researchers and potential participants. Meeting with community leaders throughout the research process will be critical to recruiting participants and asking research questions that are relevant to the community. Large community events (e.g., social events, religious events) are effective places for recruitment as well, and attendance at such events should be arranged in advance. The presenters have experience organizing a luncheon summit and inviting Muslim leaders to review the project and encourage research participation.  It is critical for researchers committed to working with the Muslim American population to be involved in national Muslim organizations such as the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) or the Council on American-Islamic relations (CAIR). Such organizations have a broad reach and have been supportive of recruitment efforts for psychological research. Additionally, the presenters are involved in a new mental health working group through ISNA which can lead to an even broader reach with regard to recruitment efforts. Finally, social media videos and internet recruitment can aid in reaching low-practicing Muslims who may not be engaged in traditional organizations such as mosques or Muslim Student Associations.

9. Conducting Research with LGBTQ Muslims
A Pew survey (N = 115) found that Muslims seem to be more in favor of gay marriage than their Christian counterparts
At the same time, LGBTQ Muslims may be marginalized from both Muslim and LGBTQ spaces
Connecting with organizations geared toward serving LGBTQ Muslim Americans (e.g., Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Masjid al Rabia, Tarab)
Include sexual orientation in larger data sets, utilize paper and pencil surveys and snowball sampling
LGBTQ Muslim Americans appear to be particularly difficult to reach and have been largely overlooked in the literature. In fact, as of 2012, the current author was only able to locate one published study about Western LGBTQ Muslims (which had an extremely small sample of six men in North America (Minwalla et al., 2005). Many individuals raised in Muslim households find themselves moving away from their religion. Whether they are low in religiosity or otherwise less engaged in the Muslim community seems to be associated with their sexual identity development. Although being Muslim and queer are not mutually exclusive, many pressures for both communities may send those types of messages, thereby leading individuals to bury or hide one in favor of more freely expressing the other. These crossroads create both the additional needs and challenges for research on this population. If LGBTQ Muslims are failing to show up in Muslim communities and in LGBTQ spaces in systematic ways, how can we reach and recruit these folks at the margins?
The speaker will discuss organizations geared towards serving LGBTQ Muslim Americans specifically (e.g., Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Masjid al Rabia, Tarab). She will also explain the value in and strategies for reaching individuals who are less involved in one of those communities—whether they’ve been deterred from particular identity-based spaces or haven’t found them—in order to obtain more representative samples. As a researcher interested in experiences of marginalization, it’s especially critical to reach those who have not had a voice or a community where they feel safe enough to be themselves. As such, alternative recruitment and data collection strategies addressing specific challenges for reaching this population (e.g., the inclusion of sexual orientation data in larger data sets, paper-and-pencil surveys, and snowball sampling) will also be discussed.

11. Conducting Research with Black Muslims
Who are Black Muslims?
Black / African American Muslims represent 25 – 30% of the American Muslim community (including immigrants from Africa & Caribbean)
1/3 descendant of enslaved African Muslims
63% of US-born Muslim converts to Islam
1 in 4 Black Muslims have experienced racial discrimination within their own faith community
Black/African Americans represent 25-30% of the American Muslim community (Pew Research 2007, 2011) and must navigate the subtle and overt manifestations of marginalization and microaggressions on a daily basis due to their racial and religious identities. In fact, approximately 50% of Black Muslims reported that they had been the target of religious bigotry (Pew Research Center, 2011) and nearly 1 in 4 Black Muslims reported experiencing racial discrimination within their own faith community (ISPU, 2017) . However, the perceived homogenization of American Muslims (Kiely-Froude & Abdul-Karim, 2009) and phenomenon of intersectional invisibility (Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach, 2008) has resulted in the significant erasure of Black Muslim attitudes, experiences and perspectives as viewed from the lens of psychology, counseling and emotional well-being. Consequently, the mental health research currently available that specifically centers the unique challenges and strengths of Black Muslim is glaringly sparse. This presenter is the founder of the annual Black Muslim Psychology conference and is currently conducting research on identity, psychological well-being and Black Muslim emerging adults. She will provide an overview of the Black Muslim community, stressors and strengths, and strategies to engage this population in research and clinical practice.

12. Conducting Research with Black Muslims
⅓ of Black Muslims have experienced racial discrimination within their own faith community
Black/African Americans represent 25-30% of the American Muslim community (Pew Research 2007, 2011) and must navigate the subtle and overt manifestations of marginalization and microaggressions on a daily basis due to their racial and religious identities. In fact, approximately 50% of Black Muslims reported that they had been the target of religious bigotry (Pew Research Center, 2011) and nearly 1 in 4 Black Muslims reported experiencing racial discrimination within their own faith community (ISPU, 2017) . However, the perceived homogenization of American Muslims (Kiely-Froude & Abdul-Karim, 2009) and phenomenon of intersectional invisibility (Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach, 2008) has resulted in the significant erasure of Black Muslim attitudes, experiences and perspectives as viewed from the lens of psychology, counseling and emotional well-being. Consequently, the mental health research currently available that specifically centers the unique challenges and strengths of Black Muslim is glaringly sparse. This presenter is the founder of the annual Black Muslim Psychology conference and is currently conducting research on identity, psychological well-being and Black Muslim emerging adults. She will provide an overview of the Black Muslim community, stressors and strengths, and strategies to engage this population in research and clinical practice.

13. Conducting Research with Black Muslims
Black Muslim Intersectional Invisibility
Black/African Americans represent 25-30% of the American Muslim community (Pew Research 2007, 2011) and must navigate the subtle and overt manifestations of marginalization and microaggressions on a daily basis due to their racial and religious identities. In fact, approximately 50% of Black Muslims reported that they had been the target of religious bigotry (Pew Research Center, 2011) and nearly 1 in 4 Black Muslims reported experiencing racial discrimination within their own faith community (ISPU, 2017) . However, the perceived homogenization of American Muslims (Kiely-Froude & Abdul-Karim, 2009) and phenomenon of intersectional invisibility (Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach, 2008) has resulted in the significant erasure of Black Muslim attitudes, experiences and perspectives as viewed from the lens of psychology, counseling and emotional well-being. Consequently, the mental health research currently available that specifically centers the unique challenges and strengths of Black Muslim is glaringly sparse. This presenter is the founder of the annual Black Muslim Psychology conference and is currently conducting research on identity, psychological well-being and Black Muslim emerging adults. She will provide an overview of the Black Muslim community, stressors and strengths, and strategies to engage this population in research and clinical practice.

14. Muslim Organizations Muslim Wellness Foundation
Institute of Muslim Mental Health
American Muslim Health Professionals
Family and Youth Institute
Key points to emphasize
Building trust
No helecopter research
Asking questions community is interested in
Giving back to community