Acculturation of Ghanaian Muslims in Western Countries: The Case of Returnees in Accra.

Abstract

Migrants in general face issues of adaptation in destination countries; this is most severe in the case of Muslim migrants in Western countries. Aftermath of the September 9/11 terrorist attack sparked controversy about Islam and Muslims being an enemy to Western countries. Other terrorist attacks such as Paris attacks, the Charlie Hebdo attack in the same city earlier in the year, including London 7/7, and the Madrid bombing in 2004, the Brussels three explosive bombing of March 2016 which killed 31 people and wounded 250 and other terrorist attacks in Western countries has positioned the Islamic faith and Muslims in general as an enemy to Western society and it’s ideals. Not only have these attacks demean Muslims but also the Al Shabaab militants attacks of 2013 at the Westgate mall that claimed about 27 lives and the March 2015, Garissa University college attack by the same group that claimed about 150 lives. Again the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dares Salem led to about 200 deaths and 4000 injuries. As a result, this study sought to find out the challenges of Ghanaian Muslim Returnees in the course of their sojourn in Western countries. Using a qualitative interview technique, fifteen Muslim Returnees were interviewed. The data revealed that participants faced enormous challenges in their acculturation process during their stay in Western countries. As a result, participants adopted various coping mechanism to counter these hardships and challenges they faced in various destination countries. Permanent Return as a last resort was adopted by returnees who could not adjust to Western culture. This study therefore has added to the unwritten chapter of Ghanaian Muslims migrants in particular by providing an in-depth analysis and discussion about the hardships and challenges they face in the course of their sojourn in Western countries. Again their coping mechanisms employed are highlighted.