Guest Editorial

Abstract

The papers included in this special issue (and the one following) grew out
of contributions presented on the panel “Ethnography, Misrepresentations
of Islam, and Advocacy” at the 116th Annual Meeting of the American
Anthropological Association (AAA) held in Washington, DC during late
November and early December 2017. Meryem Zaman and I, the panel
co-organizers, felt motivated to draw upon our expertise as anthropologists
to respond to the widespread attacks on Islam and Muslims by American
politicians, government officials, and media outlets. We called on our
fellow social scientists to draw upon their ethnographic experiences to
correct misrepresentations of Islam and to advocate for Muslims who are
increasingly threatened by anti-Muslim hate and violence. Robert Hefner,
James Edmonds, Alisa Perkins, Yamil Avivi, and Katrina Thompson joined
us as presenters on the AAA panel.
Meryem and I were keenly aware that doing ethnography brings researchers
into interpersonal relationships, interactions, and dialogue with
Muslims. We participate in protests with Muslim youth, discussions with
Sufi sheikhs, tea parties with members of Islamic revival movements,
multi-religious prayer vigils, advocacy projects with Latina Muslims, masjid
fundraisers, and worship with queer Muslims. Moreover, as social scientists
we are trained to carefully consider the ways we represent others
as we write ethnographic reports and vignettes. Equipped with knowledge
and insights gained from their ethnographic experiences, contributors to
these special issues have tried to challenge misrepresentations of Islam and ...