The impact of 9/11 on Australian Muslim civil society organisations

As a consequence of 9/11, Muslims living in Western countries faced complex and major challenges that Muslim civil society organisations (MCSOs) then had to confront and provide appropriate responses to. Studies focusing on the responses of Muslim organisations and individuals to 9/11 revealed that many MCSOs were 'obligated' to participate and engage in three main activities: interfaith dialogue, media engagement and consultation with all levels of government. What is lacking in the literature is reflection on the impact these engagements have had on the organisations a decade after 9/11. Using descriptive phenomenology inquiry as the research approach, this study is based on 30 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 MCSO actors in Australia. The key themes that emerged from these interviews about the impact 9/11 had on MCSOs were: a shift in focus; mistrust and criticism from within the Muslim community; being ill-equipped to deal with the frenzy; exhaustion; resilience; creating a more open, transparent community; emphasising pluralism and universal values; and asserting the Australian Muslim identity. These findings have also revealed how Islam has manifested within these contexts.