Call for Papers 

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 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 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 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Dr. Tirmazi ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
 
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: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Scope

Mental illness is culturally influenced, and to conduct clinical assessments, form diagnostic opinions, and formulate health policy that affects people from different communities, the historical and social nuances of the culture must be well understood.

The Journal of Muslim Mental Health provides an academic forum to explore social, cultural, historical, theological, and psychological factors related to the mental health of Muslims in the United States as well as that of the global Islamic community.  To this end, the Journal welcomes contributions across the social science disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, Islamic studies, nursing, social work, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and fields interested in mental health and the Muslim community.  Readership is intended to include social scientists, clinicians, counselors, and health policy makers.

Clinical and research material is welcome for submission to the following areas: Original Contributions (reviews, original research), Chaplains’ Forum (for reflections and observations by pastoral care specialists and imams involved in clinical mental health care and counseling), book review, and Letters to the Editor.

Manuscript Submission

Submitted manuscripts will be:

• Original contributions (please specify whether material has been previously published or is under consideration for publication elsewhere).
• Approved by the authors, who are all expected to qualify for authorship by significant participation in the submitted material.  The corresponding author should be designated and contact information provided.
• Adherent to accepted standards of patient anonymity and informed consent; this responsibility rests with the author.
• Reviewed anonymously by JMMH editorial board members or other designated peer reviewers prior to acceptance for publication.
• Inclusive of disclosure of all forms of support including conflict of interests.

Manuscript Preparation

• All manuscripts should be prepared following the guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).

Original research and review articles are welcomed:

• Include Title, Abstract, and standard text format of Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion with references and figures. 

Other categories for submission include:

• Chaplains’ Forum; this is intended for observations, reflections, and introspective material from imams, clergy, chaplains and religious professionals of all faiths.  It is preferred that the material be relevant to clinical encounters, and address in some way the relationship between the domains of religion/ spirituality and mental health.

• Case studies and case series of interesting clinical cases are also welcomed.

• Featured topics will occasionally include: Islamic Law & Ethics, History of Mental Health in the Islamic World, Mental Health Concept

• Letters to the Editor; these should be concise, and may include general comments and concerns from the readership, specific responses to published material in the JMMH, and case reports or anecdotal reports.

Submit articles to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it