According to Merriam-Webster, the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views is considered to be the definition of a witch hunt. Throughout today’s society, the continuation of witch hunts may still be found. In the past there was a witch hunt that stood out the most in American History, it was known as the Salem Witch Trials. During the Salem Witch Trials over 200 people were prosecuted for the accusations made upon them. Till this day, there are still multiple witch hunts occurring such as the witch hunts on Muslims after 9/11. The Crucible and how 9/11 has affected Muslims are both similar in that the factors that have affected both witch hunts are the isolation of their communities, their attire, and their lack of assimilation to the values of their communities.
In a study conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), Muslims have been involved in reports of “fear of hate crimes and threats to their safety, anxiety about the future, isolation and loss of community and stigmatization.” The effects of 9/11 have caused a hysteria amongst the Muslim community Burning of Mosques, removal of Muslims off an airplane due to the suspicions of other passengers and crew members, and denial of jobs due to attire, especially towards females of the community, have been some of the causes of the fear of Muslims. The isolation of the Puritan community in the Crucible has affected the way the courts and members of the community make decisions, this is due to the lack of exposure to other beliefs, or even communities.
There are reports of an escalation in vandalization of multiple Mosques throughout California. Muslim and Mosque spokesman, Ahsan Khan, stated, “Worshipers at two mosques arrived for prayers on Dec. 13 to find “Jesus” spray-painted on walls and… an object that appeared to be a hand grenade lying in the driveway…”(New York Times). These actions taken by Americans have led to Muslim’s fears and resulted in further isolationism of their communities. This relates to the Crucible because of the actions of the court, by excessively hanging people, has led to the fear of members of the community because they are in a constant state of unknowing if and when someone is going to accuse them of witchcraft.
Muslim women have faced various accounts of discrimination due to their choice of clothing, such as their head coverings, for example, their hijabs. “Muslim women should be free to express their religious beliefs— including choosing whether or not to wear headcoverings—free from discrimination and prejudice.”, states the American Civil Liberties Union. Today many Americans report of having an Islamophobia in part of the fact that they feel as though the women could be hiding a weapon. “I think “Islamophobia” is not really a term that I understand. But I understand fear and I understand that what people fear they often turn away from and put down, but once they know better, they do better.” , states Shukri Olow.
Islamophobia has affected many Muslims in today’s society because they consider it to be an ignorant.This is similar to the Crucible because the attire in the play also affects the way the witch hunt is being handled in the play. If a woman of the Puritan community is not dressed in the proper attire, which is designed to conserve their bodies physical features, then if they are accused there is a more than likely chance that they would not have any mercy because the prosecuted person is going against the beliefs of the community. This is so because anyone who doesn’t wear the attire of their Puritan community would be known as a “whore”.
Although some Americans have accepted Muslim’s religious values, many still believe that while they are in America they should at least adapt to the American culture. According to Pew Research Center, about “(20%) say that most Muslims coming to the U.S. want to be distinct from the larger American society…” This is parallel to the Crucible in that, throughout their communities, once a new child has entered their world they are expected to follow the same beliefs and customs, but some people in the community fail to adapt to all the principles of being a Puritan. In most cases they are right, but the Pew Research Center states, “A majority of Muslim Americans (56%) say that most Muslims coming to the U.S. today want to adopt American customs and ways of life.” I believe there is a hatred amongst Americans towards Muslims, which has increased over the years due to ISIS influenced attacks.
The concept of the witch hunts in the Crucible and towards Muslims after the occurrence of 9/11 are both similar. The factors that enable these witch hunts to be similar are the isolation of their community, their attire, and their lack of assimilation to the values of their community. These factors have influenced multiple attacks against Americans because of the fear and hurt many Muslims have had to endure after 9/11. Also, in the Crucible these factors have affected the way the court handles a case, which more than likely involves in the execution of people in their community.
The Crucible and the effects of 9/11 on the Muslim community are remarkably similar in that both are considered to be witch hunts. These situations are considered to be witch hunts in that they both have enabled the harassment of those who have unpopular views of their communities. Therefore, these people in both the Muslim community and the Puritan community have wrongfully been damaged, hurt, and placed upon a trance of fear due to the fact that they were different.
