By Jamshed Bokhari - Journalist - U.S.
You are walking down a crowded sidewalk in urban America. As you go about your daily activities; shopping, working or just getting your coffee, you see a group of young people walking towards you.
At first, nothing seems unusual about them, but as they come closer, you see what becomes obvious: shaved haircuts, goatees, ski hoods, and baggy pants as they bump, hug and occasionally spurt out "That‘s phat."
You think to yourself "Another bunch of criminals. What a disgrace. Look at those clowns. If they have not done anything yet, they will soon” as you clutch your jewelry, purse, wallet or briefcase as they approach. However they just walk by and nothing happens.
Yet as they pass, something does not look quite right about these "American" kids. Surely, they all may have one skin colour; white, black, brown, yellow, or a mixture of any or all of them, however that is not it. Maybe it was that one or two of them reminded you of someone you might know, maybe it is someone you actually do know, however that is not it; or maybe they just look exactly like you did when you were younger, yet that is not it. Or maybe it’s the Ayat Al-Kursi chain dangling from their necks. That is it!
For some American Muslims, this scene is no longer rare or shocking. Sadly, however it has become a common one. Yes, Muslims in the US who have not experienced this phenomenon may not be aware that some American Muslim young adults participate in such activities; however this lack of awareness is shrinking.
The critical question here becomes, "How could a young person raised as a Muslim behave in such a manner?"
Yes, it may seem a naïve question, for we cannot deny that there are criminals amongst us who call themselves Muslims, but one must start somewhere. From here we can try to briefly initiate some sort of analysis of what might actually be occurring and why.
Why Is This Happening?
An answer to this question could be; that we have a choice of two main possibilities that may be acting exclusively alone or in conjunction with one another. I think that they can act in conjunction. One possibility is the classic pattern of an ethnic/religious group development within new surrounding districts which has occurred with nearly every group that has migrated as a minority to America. The other possible reason is plainly following fashion, or what I consider "wannabe’s", who just want to be a gangster or a rapper etc.
Before starting however, I would like it to be recognized that although I am talking about "ethnic" development patterns, it should be noted that the term "Muslim" cannot be placed into an ethnic group categorization; for Muslims are not ethnic groups. They are believers in Islam, a religion.
However, Muslims comprise a minority, a categorization signifying distinction from the Judeo-Christian culture: in a sense, that they lack numbers, and are underrepresented in American society.
Therefore, in this case, we may put "ethnic" side by side with "minority".
First Possibility, the Classic Pattern Development
Let us first look at patterns of ethnic population development in the United States. Let us begin with the major mass immigration of people from Ireland in the mid-1850s, and continuing with the Italians, Hispanics, and Jews (another religious minority treated as an ethnic minority). These immigrants suffered from a combination of poverty, over-population in urban ghettoes, and a scarcity of job opportunities for the unskilled immigrants in the United States. This has contributed to the continual phenomenon of youth gang activity.
Theses youth gangs have at times developed into organized criminal syndicates. However, this development is neither automatic nor inevitable. Youth gangs are abundant within all ethnic or religious groups, however not all go on to get involved in criminal activity. Within all minority groups, the scarcity of skilled labour, lack of education, and limited occupational opportunities lead to sizeable portions of dissatisfied members of a community who opt to resort to other means in order to survive.
Whether this exact pattern explains what is occurring within the American Muslim community remains to be seen. I do not believe that this adequately explains the emergence of the youth gang phenomenon.
Within the American Muslim community, poverty does exist, but not to the extent as a classical pattern per se. In the past, Irish, Jewish, Italian, Hispanic and African immigrants suffered much harsher economic living conditions than American Muslims today. Most American Muslims do not live in rat-infested and disease ridden ghettos without even basic essentials like running water
To a certain extent, The Muslim group possesses greater occupational skills, personal contacts, and higher education than those of previous groups. The question remains about employment opportunities though.
You are walking down a crowded sidewalk in urban America. As you go about your daily activities; shopping, working or just getting your coffee, you see a group of young people walking towards you.
At first, nothing seems unusual about them, but as they come closer, you see what becomes obvious: shaved haircuts, goatees, ski hoods, and baggy pants as they bump, hug and occasionally spurt out "That‘s phat."
You think to yourself "Another bunch of criminals. What a disgrace. Look at those clowns. If they have not done anything yet, they will soon” as you clutch your jewelry, purse, wallet or briefcase as they approach. However they just walk by and nothing happens.
Yet as they pass, something does not look quite right about these "American" kids. Surely, they all may have one skin colour; white, black, brown, yellow, or a mixture of any or all of them, however that is not it. Maybe it was that one or two of them reminded you of someone you might know, maybe it is someone you actually do know, however that is not it; or maybe they just look exactly like you did when you were younger, yet that is not it. Or maybe it’s the Ayat Al-Kursi chain dangling from their necks. That is it!
For some American Muslims, this scene is no longer rare or shocking. Sadly, however it has become a common one. Yes, Muslims in the US who have not experienced this phenomenon may not be aware that some American Muslim young adults participate in such activities; however this lack of awareness is shrinking.
The critical question here becomes, "How could a young person raised as a Muslim behave in such a manner?"
Yes, it may seem a naïve question, for we cannot deny that there are criminals amongst us who call themselves Muslims, but one must start somewhere. From here we can try to briefly initiate some sort of analysis of what might actually be occurring and why.
Why Is This Happening?
An answer to this question could be; that we have a choice of two main possibilities that may be acting exclusively alone or in conjunction with one another. I think that they can act in conjunction. One possibility is the classic pattern of an ethnic/religious group development within new surrounding districts which has occurred with nearly every group that has migrated as a minority to America. The other possible reason is plainly following fashion, or what I consider "wannabe’s", who just want to be a gangster or a rapper etc.
Before starting however, I would like it to be recognized that although I am talking about "ethnic" development patterns, it should be noted that the term "Muslim" cannot be placed into an ethnic group categorization; for Muslims are not ethnic groups. They are believers in Islam, a religion.
However, Muslims comprise a minority, a categorization signifying distinction from the Judeo-Christian culture: in a sense, that they lack numbers, and are underrepresented in American society.
Therefore, in this case, we may put "ethnic" side by side with "minority".
First Possibility, the Classic Pattern Development
Let us first look at patterns of ethnic population development in the United States. Let us begin with the major mass immigration of people from Ireland in the mid-1850s, and continuing with the Italians, Hispanics, and Jews (another religious minority treated as an ethnic minority). These immigrants suffered from a combination of poverty, over-population in urban ghettoes, and a scarcity of job opportunities for the unskilled immigrants in the United States. This has contributed to the continual phenomenon of youth gang activity.
Theses youth gangs have at times developed into organized criminal syndicates. However, this development is neither automatic nor inevitable. Youth gangs are abundant within all ethnic or religious groups, however not all go on to get involved in criminal activity. Within all minority groups, the scarcity of skilled labour, lack of education, and limited occupational opportunities lead to sizeable portions of dissatisfied members of a community who opt to resort to other means in order to survive.
Whether this exact pattern explains what is occurring within the American Muslim community remains to be seen. I do not believe that this adequately explains the emergence of the youth gang phenomenon.
Within the American Muslim community, poverty does exist, but not to the extent as a classical pattern per se. In the past, Irish, Jewish, Italian, Hispanic and African immigrants suffered much harsher economic living conditions than American Muslims today. Most American Muslims do not live in rat-infested and disease ridden ghettos without even basic essentials like running water
To a certain extent, The Muslim group possesses greater occupational skills, personal contacts, and higher education than those of previous groups. The question remains about employment opportunities though.
Those people without the benefits of a quality education or specialized craft or industrial skills have shown an entrepreneurial streak, and have started small businesses catering not only to the Muslim community, but to the larger society as well. Then there are those that find work at the blue-collar level, including transport services etc. Briefly, the economic conditions of American Muslims are not bleak enough to fit perfectly into the classic pattern of gang activity within ethnic groups in America.
"Wannabe-itis", the Other Explanation
Within the urban communities where many American Muslims reside, many live in close proximity, and attend schools with ethnic groups. In order to survive and be accepted within that particular peer group, they sometimes act in the manner of one's peers in order to coexist harmoniously. It must be noted that at present, these other groups (African American and Hispanic) did not initiate the youth gang phenomenon, but merely followed a pattern established by those they themselves had lived in close proximity with (Irish, Italians, Jews).
The fact that modern American Muslim youth gang members follow the mannerisms of African American or Hispanic gangs doesn’t mean to say that they inherit the exact same attitudes.
Muslim American youth might, at that time, wore fedoras, spoke like typical 1930s gangsters, and carried Tommy-guns. But they do not live in that period. Muslim American youth today live in an urban world of baggy pants, crew cuts and Wu-Tang Clan.
However, before one judges a young ‘gangster' Muslim by their appearance, I appeal for us to first look, and evaluate the true nature of these "gangs" within the American Muslim community.
If one wants to place a technical term on this trend, then let us call it the pseudo-gang mentality. The term becomes suitable because it implies that although individuals may play the part of a ‘gangster', in reality, they are not.
Organized racketeering and/or extortion of community business activity are activities that these pseudo-gangsters do not involve themselves in.
Another interesting side to this phenomenon is the fact that it is seemingly a more widespread trend amongst Muslims from the South Asian regions. An explanation may be that South Asian, Muslims and non-Muslims, share a common culture and language.
Within this extremely brief overview; one can get a general feel for what may be occurring between some of the Muslim youth. To summarize, it seems as if the current youth gang phenomenon is a mixture of both classical immigrant/minority development, and one of fashion. There is as a result extreme deprivation, and poverty to the point of desperation, and this in turn leads to desperate criminal activity.
The only other explanation is the ‘pseudo-gangster'. The lifestyle contains no genuine reasons for its existence, only that of fashion or a certain trend. The only relevance classic immigrant/minority interpretation has for the Muslim American youth, is that it gives an explanation by providing some of the other factors involved:
* Living in low income communities in close proximity to other minority groups in which the classic pattern does apply.
* Mass immigration to the United States.
* Perpetuation of competing rivalries carried over from the country of origin.
Frankly, I think it’s "I wannabe…"just for the sake of it.
Jamshed Bokhari is an experienced journalist who graduated from the Univeristy of Oklahoma in Political Science, and got hsi MA from said subject from the University of Maryland College. Currently, he is undertaking an MA in Technology Management form the University of Maryland University College.
"Wannabe-itis", the Other Explanation
Within the urban communities where many American Muslims reside, many live in close proximity, and attend schools with ethnic groups. In order to survive and be accepted within that particular peer group, they sometimes act in the manner of one's peers in order to coexist harmoniously. It must be noted that at present, these other groups (African American and Hispanic) did not initiate the youth gang phenomenon, but merely followed a pattern established by those they themselves had lived in close proximity with (Irish, Italians, Jews).
The fact that modern American Muslim youth gang members follow the mannerisms of African American or Hispanic gangs doesn’t mean to say that they inherit the exact same attitudes.
Muslim American youth might, at that time, wore fedoras, spoke like typical 1930s gangsters, and carried Tommy-guns. But they do not live in that period. Muslim American youth today live in an urban world of baggy pants, crew cuts and Wu-Tang Clan.
However, before one judges a young ‘gangster' Muslim by their appearance, I appeal for us to first look, and evaluate the true nature of these "gangs" within the American Muslim community.
If one wants to place a technical term on this trend, then let us call it the pseudo-gang mentality. The term becomes suitable because it implies that although individuals may play the part of a ‘gangster', in reality, they are not.
Organized racketeering and/or extortion of community business activity are activities that these pseudo-gangsters do not involve themselves in.
Another interesting side to this phenomenon is the fact that it is seemingly a more widespread trend amongst Muslims from the South Asian regions. An explanation may be that South Asian, Muslims and non-Muslims, share a common culture and language.
Within this extremely brief overview; one can get a general feel for what may be occurring between some of the Muslim youth. To summarize, it seems as if the current youth gang phenomenon is a mixture of both classical immigrant/minority development, and one of fashion. There is as a result extreme deprivation, and poverty to the point of desperation, and this in turn leads to desperate criminal activity.
The only other explanation is the ‘pseudo-gangster'. The lifestyle contains no genuine reasons for its existence, only that of fashion or a certain trend. The only relevance classic immigrant/minority interpretation has for the Muslim American youth, is that it gives an explanation by providing some of the other factors involved:
* Living in low income communities in close proximity to other minority groups in which the classic pattern does apply.
* Mass immigration to the United States.
* Perpetuation of competing rivalries carried over from the country of origin.
Frankly, I think it’s "I wannabe…"just for the sake of it.
Jamshed Bokhari is an experienced journalist who graduated from the Univeristy of Oklahoma in Political Science, and got hsi MA from said subject from the University of Maryland College. Currently, he is undertaking an MA in Technology Management form the University of Maryland University College.
| Home | Daily News | We Are On... |
