Global: Journal of Muslim Mental Health - Call for papers

CALL FOR PAPERS #2

Journal of Muslim Mental Health

SPECIAL ISSUE ON REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRANTS

Issue Co-editors:
Fariyal Ross-Sheriff, Ph.D., Altaf Husain, Ph.D., M. Taqi Tirmazi, Ph.D.

Purpose of the Special Issue

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are 67 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide, of whom 16 million are refugees and the remaining 51 million are internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of conflicts and natural disasters (UNHCR, June 2008). Unlike many immigrants who voluntarily migrate seeking a better life, refugees and IDPs migrate involuntarily and often do not control their displacement. Being forcibly uprooted from one\'s homeland poses tremendous and complex hardships on multiple levels to these men, women and children.

The purpose of this thematic issue is to generate refugee-centered scholarship on theory development, research, education, practice, program development and policymaking. JMMH seeks empirical and conceptual articles related to forced migration of refugees and IDPs in their own countries, countries of first asylum, or in resettlement countries. Although there are news stories that shed some light on the lives of the refugees and internally displaced populations, often the media and the public allow them to fade into the background after the initial reports of outbreaks of violence or mass movements of people within or across national borders. There is a need for research reports as well as documentation on practice based individual or community level interventions with refugees and IDPs.

Due to recent political and economic instability, poverty, and war, the number of Muslim refugees around the world has increased; over 70% of the world\'s refugees are Muslim. In recent years, the United States has received and resettled more Muslim refugees than at any other time in its history and 15% of refugees entering the USA from 1988 to 2003 were Muslim (Maloof and Ross-Sheriff, 2003). Several Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Lebanon have provided refuge to refugees from their neighboring countries. Muslim refugees struggle with unique adaptation challenges in acquiring shelter, income, education, health, and security. They share their faith with local residents in countries of first asylum, which tend to be Muslim. However, in many countries of resettlement, such as USA, Canada and European countries, they are a religious and ethnic minority. There they face challenges from negative perceptions related to Muslims as a result of the war on terrorism in the post September 11th, 2001 world. However, their experiences, as well as the mental health of the impact of forced migration, are seldom documented in the research literature. Moreover, many predominantly Muslim countries such as Syria and Egypt are sheltering an increasing number of refugees of Christian and diverse faiths, and the research literature has not adequately examined such experiences.

This request for papers is for empirical research and papers that discuss or evaluate interventions, programs, and policies for refugees and IDPs worldwide including, but not limited to the following topics:

Broad Topic Areas

Definitions, designations, and data on refugees and IDPs
Theoretical frameworks
Psychosocial wellbeing of refugees and IDPs
Consequences of lives in limbo, i.e. warehousing
Integration of refugees in countries of first asylum or resettlement countries
Refugee and IDP repatriation and the right of return

Additionally, articles related to this theme are requested for the regular Journal sections:

Case studies: clinical case studies following the DSM-IV Cultural Formulations format, especially relevant for clinicians
Faith-based practice: articles exploring the role of faith in the lives of refugees, as well as the interface between spirituality and practice with refugees, especially relevant for religious leaders
Book reviews

About the Journal

The Journal of Muslim Mental Health (JMMH) is an interdisciplinary refereed journal providing an academic forum for the exploration of social, cultural, historical, theological, medical, and psychological factors affecting the mental health of Muslims globally. Information about the Journal can be found at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15564908.asp

Submission of Manuscripts

Interested authors should submit a 1-2 page abstract by February 1, 2009 to Dr. Ross-Sheriff at [email][email protected] Please submit electronic versions of the abstracts as an e-mail attachment. The editors will review the abstracts and respond to the authors of the suitability of submitting a full-length paper for the special issue.

The deadline for full-length papers will be March 31, 2009. Manuscripts should be written according the guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). Papers will be peer-reviewed following the policies of the Journal.

Inquiries may be sent to Dr. Ross-Sheriff (address below). Limited inquires may also be sent to Dr. Husain ([email protected]) or Dr. Tirmazi ([email protected]).

Fariyal Ross-Sheriff, Ph.D. School of Social Work, Howard University, 601 Howard Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20059. Tel: +1 202 806-7300; Email: [email][email protected]