Running Head: ISLAMOPHOBIA AND WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION

Islamophobia and Workplace Discrimination

Felix Duchampt and Rhonda Stewart
Queens University of Charlotte

Submitted to Dr. Monique Perry

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
COMM 610 The Social Creation of Organizing
December 2013
Islamophobia and Workplace Discrimination

ISLAMOPHOBIA AND WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION

Workplace Dilemma
The case study, written by Shawn D. Long titled Islamophobia at Work, addresses a
specific example of discrimination and bullying in the workplace. A simple definition could state
that islamophobia is the fear of Muslims, but in fact, this word has a much deeper meaning. In
addition to a prejudice towards Muslims in everyday conversations, islamophobia consists of
various forms of inappropriate actions including violent acts, verbal slurs, and destruction of
Islamic properties such as schools or mosques. Islamophobia also includes discrimination in
employment where Muslims are faced with unequal opportunities discrimination in the
provision of health services, exclusion from managerial positions and jobs of high responsibility;
and exclusion from political and governmental posts (Sway, 2005. p. 15). Like any prejudice,
islamophobia creates an uncomfortable environment for the persons affected.
Case Study Summary
This case study represents a narrative about a young Muslim woman named Antara, who
has just moved from New York to a city in the South to work for a financial institution. The
other main characters are a coworker named Tom and their boss, Joe. As a well-educated
Muslim woman, Antara keeps her culture and religion private. She tries to hide her ethnicity, as
she feels that it would be a detriment to her success. Although her parents are displeased with
their daughters attempt to pass as a non-Muslim, Antara takes great efforts to blend in with
her American community. In spite Antaras efforts to downplay her culture, her coworkers still
see Antara as a Muslim woman.
After the extraordinary tragedy of 9/11, Antaras life, like many others, drastically
changed. Tom, her coworker, who had previously made inappropriate comments involving race

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or sexuality, now directed his abusive language towards Antara and her culture. His comments
included several discriminatory remarks: Tell your peeps its a flag, not a rag, or I do not trust
your kind. Antara drafted an email to her boss Joe describing Toms behavior, but decided not
to send it. However, after more arrogant and discriminative outbursts by Tom, Antara made an
appointment to see her boss a few days later.
Joe, Antaras boss, did not take her claims of harassment seriously. He disregarded her
account of Toms abusive remarks, stating that Tom was only kidding. By supporting Tom, Joe
was condoning his discriminatory behavior. In addition, Joe did not recognize the severity of the
problem for Antara. He also made the odd comment about not only adding Muslim sensitivity
training for the other employees, but also considering American sensitivity training for her.
Antara had scheduled this meeting with Joe to share her concerns and complaints about Toms
behavior, yet Joe flipped the subject matter to accuse Antara of inappropriate behavior. Joes
insensitivity left Antara feeling even more isolated and confused.
The concluding episode of the case study occurred on December 16, 2001, more than
three months after the 9/11 attack. The case study depicts a scene where Antara prepares to
begin a meeting with her coworkers. Her boss enters the room and curtly asks Antara to leave
the meeting. Confused, Antara asks why. Joe rudely tells Antara that she has been reassigned to
another team. Puzzled and embarrassed, Antara quickly leaves the room. As she looks back,
Antara sees all her coworkers sigh with relief and smile as they gesture towards the door she just
closed behind her. This scene exemplifies the increase of discrimination towards Antara. At the
beginning of the case study, the morning of 9/11, the only coworker who openly shows his
prejudice is Tom. Throughout the next three months other coworkers, including Antaras boss,
increasingly exhibit discriminatory behavior towards this innocent Muslim woman. The case

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study leaves us with the final question of whether Antara should leave her job and even sue her
employer.
Procedural Statement
To address the problem in this case study, we first look at Antara. Although a Muslim
American, Antara takes definitive steps to live, work and behave like an American. After
college, she had been determined not to be just a Muslim, but a strong working woman.
Career oriented and ambitious, Antara remains conscious of how others perceive her and she
goes to great efforts to fit in. Antaras employer should have sensitivity training in place for
all staff so that they may better accept not only Muslims but also all races and cultures. Included
in this training should be instructions on proper actions, body language, and vocabulary
necessary for non-discriminatory communication between co-workers.
Communication Plan
Islamophobia, like any other prejudice, singles someone out because of a difference.
Anyone remotely associated with the tragedy of 9/11, whether through skin color, religion or
dress, became a scapegoat for that terrible act. Those who were responsible for 9/11 were not
necessarily acting as Muslims, but as psychopathic murderers. Nearly all the Muslim leaders of
the world disassociated themselves from the events of 9/11, thought it was abhorrent and that it
had nothing to do with the beliefs of the Muslim people. We wished to make clear that we, as
Muslims, were horrified by and condemned the attacks, and that our sympathies and prayers
were with the victims, and not with the terrorists (Hussein, 2011. p. 396, ). In our case study,
Antara says we are all hurting, reinforcing her empathy with Americans and her disgust with
the tragedy.

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There are several reasons for the increase of negativity towards Muslims in the past few
years. Islamophobia is on the rise due to the increased speed at which information travels, both
within the U.S. and globally (Sway, 2005). However may Americans Muslims did not feel
support from their own government. Post 9/11, many American Muslims perceived that they
were being targeted by their own government (Hussein, 2011. p. 697). In addition,
islamophobia if uncontrolled can transform from a fear of Muslims to a hatred of Muslims,
misoislamophobia (Hussein, 2011). This concern requires taking determined steps to eliminate
ethnic discrimination.
The company in this case study, the Bank of the New South, needs a more effective
communication plan to address a number of important issues involving employee sensitivity
training, the procedural handling of victims of harassment, as well as, the offenders, and methods
to increase teamwork productivity. When organizations confront topics such as these at a
corporate level, all employees have the opportunity to learn the proper methods of
communicating with each other, handling any discrepancies that may occur, and working in
teams. Within a large company, such as a bank, the Human Resources department should have
the manpower and resources necessary to assemble training programs and procedural policies.
An organization can provide harassment and discrimination training to its employees as
one of the first actions to prevent inappropriate behavior. Federal guidelines, under the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), include the following indications of harassment:
offensive language about sex, race, religion or ethnicity, intimidating or hostile verbal or physical
conduct and creating an uncomfortable environment that interferes with an individuals work
(Eisenberg, Goodall & Trethewey, 2010). This unwelcome behavior from one employee directed
at another can include a variety of forms. Although sometimes unintended, these actions can

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make another employee feel threatened, fearful or uncomfortable, and the ramifications can
range from mild to severe. With proper training, employees can be made aware of inappropriate
actions and learn how to handle such situations. Recommendations for a proper discriminationtraining timetable can include bi-annual seminars, with required attendance from all employees,
to train everyone about the definition of harassment and to review company policies and
procedures. To support the physical training, the Bank of the New South should have written
policies and procedures available for all employees should they need information outside of the
scheduled seminars.
The Human Resources department, an appointed nondiscrimination expert within the
organization, or an upper management employee, can lead these seminars. Resources required to
implement such training should include consideration of the Human Resources personnel or inhouse counsel that may already have these duties as part of their job description. Looking at fees
for harassment training, the number of employees should be considered. There are companies
who provide such training for corporations with a price of about $40 per person for a two-hour
session, with a minimum of 10 participants (Ramos, 2013). For a small company with 5
employees, this would total about $400. A larger company, for example with 50 employees, may
find it more cost effective to use internal human resources personnel who have been properly
trained in discrimination and harassment liability. An attorney, in a relatively large Southern city,
whose fees range from $350 to $450 per hour, could perform this training. Estimating five hours
of legal time for preparation and briefing, this could cost about $2000 (W. G. Stewart, personal
communication, December 4, 2013). Another option would be to hire an attorney to perform the
training sessions. Again, depending on the number of participants, this could cost several
thousand dollars.

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The cost of this training needs to be evaluated by the bank, in our case, as a fiscal and
monetary commitment of the time spent in training versus the time spent at work. Although
possibly expensive, the analysis of this training should prove that benefits of properly trained
employees, improved employee relations and increased productivity, far outweigh the cost of
proper education in these matters. In addition, victims of harassment have the ability to sue both
the individual who commits the harassment as well as the company where the harasser works.
The cost of a discrimination suit against a company can be extremely expensive both in legal
fees and compensation should the victim win the suit. Even the mere allegation of
discrimination can be costly for an organization (Shih, Young, & Bucher, 2013). If a few hours
of additional training can prevent a legal action, then that cost is well worth the effort. If a legal
action were to occur then the bank can limit their liability by providing proof of adequate
training against discrimination.
In light of the recent terrorist attack, in the case study, an additional training seminar
should have been scheduled shortly after the event for the benefit for any Muslim employees or
Muslim customers, as well as to address the issue of islamophobia felt by the non-Muslim
employees. The perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks were discovered rather quickly and the common
response of most Americans was to blame all Muslims. Although possibly a natural response,
given the high sensitivity of the American people, islamophobia created difficult living and
working conditions for many Muslims, like Antara, who were simply trying to live a normal life
in America. Tom added harassment of Antaras culture to his list of existing discriminatory
behaviors towards those of another gender, race or sexuality. By reinforcing the companys
policy of non-discrimination, through this additional sensitivity training, employees would be
reminded of the importance of proper behavior toward all fellow coworkers. A no-tolerance

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policy could have been adopted for everyone regarding backlash towards any of the bank
employees who may happen to be of the same religion, but had nothing to do with this tragedy.
Through the Human Resources department, support groups could also be formed to help all
employees manage the stress of such a terrible incident.
As a part of the harassment and discrimination training, employees also need to learn the
proper procedures to follow should they become victim to such behavior. The victim, Antara in
our case study, should have followed a linear method of recording inappropriate behaviors.
Antara had begun composing an email to her boss with a complaint of Toms behavior, but then
was advised by her coworker Jan to delete the email and speak with the boss directly. This may
have not been the best advice. A credible narrative, written by the victim of abuse, should have
the following characteristics: a linear progression of activity, clear identification of the
victimizer, direct quotations of the abusive remarks, references to other victims of this behavior,
and indications that the victim has tried to proactively manage the situation (Eisenberg et al,
2010). Our case study does not indicate that Antara has taken any of these precautions. As
proactive management, Antara could have tried to manage her social identity to discourage the
prejudicial treatment she suffered (Shih, Young, Bucher, 2013). At the very end, Antara mentions
that she should leave her position and sue the company. Although she has every right to take
such actions, without proper documentation, her legal action may have little ground to
substantiate her claims.
From a management perspective, as Antara and Toms boss, Joe held the responsibility
for proper handling of the abusive behavior. A manager needs to show leadership skills to both
the organization for whom he works, and to the people he leads (Eisenberg et al., 2010). Joe
demonstrated very little leadership in either of these realms. When approached by Antara,

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regarding Toms inappropriate behavior, Joe did not believe nor take Antaras claims seriously.
Had Joe responded, as a good leader should, he would have carefully listened to Antara, looked
for clues to support her claims, and taken action to stop the discriminatory behavior. Joe, not
only ignored Antaras complaint, but also supported Toms behavior by making inappropriate
comments himself and condoning the abusive actions of other employees. Leadership should
include proper communication practices, personal examples of respectable behavior, and instill
trust in ones employees. Joe, who does not show any of these important leadership skills, does
not demonstrate trust for Antara, nor instill trust in her. Proper training for this upper
management position should include procedures for handling complaints as well as handling the
reprimand or termination of the abuser. If Antara had pursued legal action, Joes poor leadership
would have been detrimental to this organizations legal position.
Another communication issue that could be avoided through proper training relates to
teamwork. For employees to form productive teams, sufficient respect and commonality must
be addressed. Teams naturally create two types of agendas: task orientation and interpersonal
orientation (Littlejohn & Foss, 2011). Group members need to develop a personal connection in
order to form working relationships. In addition, the tasks required of the team need to be
identified and assigned. For any working group, when each of these tasks is addressed, greater
performance and productivity will follow. For Antara, this teams interpersonal connection
becomes strained as a result of Toms abusive behavior. His inappropriate behavior toward her,
as well as his abusive language and manner towards other employees interferes with their
working relationship. Had diversity within the team been addressed, a positive relationship
between the team members may have developed. Antara, not the only employee affected by the
harassment, feels unwelcome and uncomfortable, and her productivity, employee loyalty and

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self-esteem are affected. Obviously Tom and Antara represent different cultures, had they been
more accepting of each other, or rather Tom more accepting of Antara, a better work environment
would have ensued.
We identified several benefits of the communication plan. First of all, Muslims would be
more accepted in organizations and groups if people were better able to understand their culture.
The open communication created about the topic would help to decrease the barriers between the
cultures. The more distant a nation is culturally, the greater the tendency to stereotype and
reduce complexity (Evans, 2013). By knowing more about Islam and Muslims, Americans
would probably accept them better. It would also give less opportunity for discrimination in
general, because whether it is religious, racial, sexual, or any other kind of discrimination, it still
needs to be addressed. Discrimination in the workplace leads to greater absenteeism,
withdrawal and employee turnover (Shih et al., 2013). Finally, if people within a group form
mutual understandings, employee productivity would increase while the stress created by
harassment would decrease. With coworker trust comes efficiency. In addition, company loyalty
would then be greater allowing for increased employee engagement, job satisfaction and a
decreased rate of employee turnover.
However, we also found some potential difficulties with this communication plan.
Talking more about Islam and Muslims, in hopes of being more tolerant, draws attention to
Antara and her difference, and creates boundaries between her and them and us. Moreover,
one must be very careful while addressing the Islam religion. When the organization provides an
anti-discrimination training to its employees, consideration of the Muslims religion should be
recognized, as there are various cultures within Islam and differences in their beliefs. Just like

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Christianity has several denominations such as Catholicism or Protestantism, Islam is composed

of different facets as well.
Reflection
While conducting the research for this case study group project, we both learned quite a
bit about islamophobia. This project encouraged us to delve into the Islamic world and learn
about the Muslim religion and customs. It proved interesting to discover more about this culture
and have a greater appreciation of Muslims living in the United States and the difficulties they
may face. Prior to working on this project, we did not realize the impact that islamophobia has
on Muslims, nor did we have the opportunity to interact with Muslims on a regular basis. Those
few times that we had come in contact with the people of this culture, we did not feel that they
had experienced any discrimination.
In addition, having a student in our class, Ghadeer, a Muslim woman, really brought this
case study to life. Honestly, every time we have discussed this project, we would think about
Ghadeer. It is difficult for us to imagine how she feels in our environment. Although it may have
been challenging for her to adapt to living in the United States, she seems to be thriving in
graduate school. We have both enjoyed working with her and getting to know her better as a
person, not necessarily a Muslim woman. Although her distinguishing dress and subtle accent
are the clues to her cultural difference, we find it hard to imagine how someone could hate or
fear her just because of her religion.
We had three major personal findings from this case study: the importance of corporate
communication, the role of leadership, and the basis of good teamwork. This case study stressed
the importance of structures within organizations to handle harassment issues and
communication challenges. Before our research, we did not fully realize the significance of

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these structures. Organizations, at the senior management level, are responsible for a safe and
comfortable working environment for all of its employees, regardless of gender, sexuality, race,
religion or culture. The role of leadership plays an ultimately crucial part in discrimination or
harassment situations. The management team should support their employees and immediately
investigate any claims of inappropriate behavior.
Modeling exemplary behavior, leaders should instill trust in their employees, show
empathy, and create a supportive climate that encourages an understanding of the differences of
all employees. Finally, the case study emphasized the importance of teamwork. We work in
groups in a variety of settings: work, school, family, recreation and sports. Appreciating the
culture of other people and developing an understanding of their differences are key components
to productivity and team efficiency. Through proper training, leadership and teamwork, an
organization can provide a safe, comfortable and supportive work environment. For both
members of this group study project, these lessons can readily be applied to our daily work lives.
Whether working for a large corporation or participating as a member of a small team, effective
communication proves crucial to the success of the employers objectives. The necessary
qualities of effective leadership and responsive management have a definitive impact on
workplace relationships and productivity.

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References
Eisenberg, E., Goodall, H. L., & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational communication.
(6th ed.) Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Evans, M. (2010). Framing international conflicts: Media coverage of fighting in the Middle
East. International Journal Of Media & Cultural Politics, 6(2), 209-233.
doi:10.1386/mcp.6.2.209_1
Hussain, A. (2011). In the Decade After 9/11. Political Theology, 12(5), 696-698.
doi:10.1558/poth.v12i5.696
Ramos, G. J. (2013). Selecting the Right Company for Employee Training. Retrieved from:
http://www.compliancetraininggroup.com
Sway, M. (2005). Islamophobia: Meaning, Manifestations, Causes. Palestine-Israel
Journal Of Politics, Economics & Culture, 12(2/3), 15-23.

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Class Activity: Vocabulary Matching

Allah

The Arabic word for God

Islam

Submission to the will of Allah

Muslim

One who has submitted to the will of Allah

Hijab

Covering the head and body

in accordance with Gods instructions

Mecca

Holy city of Islam, Muhammads birthplace

Muhammad

Found of the Islamic religion

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15

Class Activity: Vocabulary Matching (continued)

Quran (Koran)

Holy book of Islam

Mosque

An Islamic house of worship

Arabesque

Islamic art

Islamophobia

Fear of Muslim people

Misoislamophobia

Hatred of Muslim people

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Muslimah

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A Muslim woman

Class Activity: Vocabulary Matching (continued)

Salaam alaikum

Peace to you.
Used as a traditional greeting among Muslims.

Adhar

A call to prayer: usually 5 times a day.

Ramadan

9th month of the Islamic calendar.

Month of fasting.

Halaal

Defines what is good for a Muslim.

Permitted and/or mandatory.

Haraam

Defines what is sinful, forbidden,

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and/or unlawful for a Muslim.

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