Do Muslim immigrants and Muslim refugees pose a threat to U.S. national security? This question is one of 31 questions that drives the forthcoming book Muslims in America: Examining the Facts. In short, the answer to this question is a resounding “no.” The facts surrounding national security and violence on U.S. soil reveal that U.S.…… Continue reading U.S. Supreme Court Ignores Facts, Upholds Institutional Islamophobia
My social media accounts have received more nasty comments than usual. I am not sure what has sparked this development, as I have been relatively quiet due to teaching obligations. I want to take a second to reflect on some things that have been on my mind. These nasty comments directed towards me certainly…… Continue reading This Christian Is Unfazed By Islamophobes
By Amy McCaig Published first on Rice University News and Media Second-generation Pakistani-Irish individuals are facing identity challenges among Ireland’s mainstream views of national identity or “Irishness,” according to a new study from Rice University. “What Does It Mean To Be ‘Irish’? Perceptions of Irish Identity Among Young Pakistani Men” appeared in a recent edition…… Continue reading Second-generation Pakistani-Irish Individuals Face Identity Challenges
Published on Huffington Post Religion Muslims worldwide have recently joined together to celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. This day is an opportunity for Muslims and non-Muslims, such as myself – a Catholic – to reflect upon the life and legacy of the prophet of Islam. In this short essay, I want…… Continue reading What Studying Muhammad Taught Me About Islam
Researchers from Abo Academy University in Finland say that violence in early human communities was driven by personal conflicts rather than large-scale battles. They say their findings suggest that war is not an innate part of human nature, but rather a behaviour that we have adopted more recently. The study is published in the journal…… Continue reading New Study Finds War Not Innate to Human Nature
My PhD thesis, which explores the experiences of younger Pakistani men in Dublin, Ireland and Boston, USA, has several overarching themes which travel across both countries. One question I ask late in my interviews is “What do you think of interfaith dialogue?” In both cities, I have found that young Pakistani men are overwhelmingly proponents…… Continue reading Powerful Passage on Interfaith Dialogue From Participant in PhD Thesis
The teaching season here at Trinity College Dublin has come to an end. I’m flying back home to Needham tomorrow, so I wanted to take some time to reflect on life since I arrived back to Dublin in September. For the past 12 weeks, I’ve taught five tutorials per week for the Researching Society course.…… Continue reading Personal: Recapping an unforgettable September to December (2012)
I wrote this speech (with a few typos) before launching Journey into America, which was screened at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. I ended up not even reading it. I was under the impression that we (researchers) were going to be asked to say a few words in front of the audience. This was never…… Continue reading The short speech I never read
Note: Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher’s research here is quite similar to my own. I want to share with you her important findings. One of Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher’s explications examines a cultural production process called religification, in which religious affiliation, rather than race or ethnicity, has become the core category of identity for working class Pakistani-American youth in the United…… Continue reading Religification of Pakistani-American youth
I learned today that the Department of Sociology would like me to take on a new challenge: to teach the Junior Sophister (JS) module ‘Researching Society’. This third-year course is a step up from what I’ve been teaching for the past two years – Introduction to Sociology at the Junior Freshman (JF) level. I’m happy…… Continue reading New challenge in Ph.D. process
This archive documents my writings from the ‘Journey into America’ book and documentary project. The writings here are my own personal opinions and don’t necessarily reflect the overall message of ‘Journey into America’. Most of these entires are ‘notes in the field’, but you may also find published articles. In addition, included here are short…… Continue reading My diary: 1 year, 100 cities, 75 mosques, and one question…
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