Muslim and Middle Eastern families have a strong presence in our everyday communities. According to Pew Research Center, there are over 3.45 million Muslims in the United States.
Understanding cultural expectations and religion can help strengthen police-community relations, improve recruitment and retention, increase officer safety and strengthen our homeland security.
Historically speaking, the Muslim and Middle Eastern community has been marginalized in terms of receiving and utilizing services from law enforcement entities. Many challenges are presented to the law enforcement community from the time of an initial call to conducting the investigation and successfully prosecuting criminal cases.
Many of these challenges exist due to a lack of communication, as well as strong assumptions and biases.
Increasing awareness decreases bias
We know through research that one of the biggest and most effective ways to decrease our bias toward other groups of people is through meaningful engagement.
Our implicit and explicit biases are heavily impacted by our environment, media, the news, the entertainment industry, and direct and vicarious experiences. Increasing our awareness through education and conversation will help us understand the dynamics of situations and what we can do to better serve our Muslim and Middle Eastern communities.
How it started
After learning that there is a huge and concerning disconnect between law enforcement and the Middle Eastern/Muslim community, I took the initiative to bridge the gap through education and engagement.
My class was originally offered to law enforcement personnel addressing policing-related issues. Since its inception in 2012, the class has been taught to a variety of different disciplines including higher education, court systems, hospital staff, social workers, and the Department of Jobs and Family Services.
How it’s going
Since 2012, this class has been taught over one hundred times to local, state and federal law enforcement.
The conversation has been impactful and very well received in Ohio, as well as other states. Attendees have stated that learning the basics of Islam and building cultural awareness has helped with their community policing initiatives, preventing and solving crime, as well as building a reputation of respect and trust.
Information and conversation
- Does every Muslim person speak Arabic?
- Does every Muslim female wear the Hijab?
- When can a male officer shake hands with a Muslim female?
- Can a K-9 officer enter the community mosque with his partner to investigate a bomb threat?
These are great questions!
This class, which I will present during IACP 2023, aims to address the most common myths and misconceptions, provide tips for effective communication and introduce tools for community engagement. Topics discussed will assist attendees with understanding religion vs. culture, gender roles, barriers to communication and much more.
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