Toward a Positive Psychology of Islam and Muslims

Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Houston Community College and teaches social science courses at the University of Houston-Downtown, USA. She has worked as an international educator for almost 20 years focusing on language development and cultural studies with an emphasis on Muslim populations. Her articles have appeared in a number of professional journals including the Journal of International Women’s Studies, Ethnicities and Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. She is the author of The Colour of Mehndi, a novel that explores acculturation, family values and mental illness within the Pakistani-American community and the lead editor of Mirror on the Veil: A Collection of Personal Narratives on Hijab and Veiling. She also co-edited the book volume: Positive Psychology in the Middle East/North Africa with Dr. Louise Lambert. Dr. Pasha has presented at several international conferences on topics related to English language learning, religiocultural diversity and Islamic feminism.

• Introduction to the Psychology of Islam and Muslims: A PP 2.0 JIHAD.- Part I - Designing and Doing Research.- Chapter 2: Spiritual Assessment: Building Positive Resources for the Distressed Souls.- Chapter 3: Research with American Muslim Communities.- Chapter 4: Thoughts on the GCC National Research Context: Challenges to Developing a Local Psychology.- Part II - Connecting Secular and Islamic Perspectives.- Chapter 5: Islamic Psychology and Wellbeing: Bridging Western and Eastern Worldviews.- Chapter 6: Ways of Knowing and Being: Theoretical Sufism of Ibn ‘Arabi & C. G. Jung’s Psychology.- Chapter 7: The Contribution of Psychoanalysis to a Positive Islamic Psychology.- Part III - From Being to Wellbeing: Approaches to Health and Healing.- Chapter 8: Islamically-Informed Principles of Psychotherapy with Muslim American Clients.- Chapter 9: Finding Meaning in a Meaningless World: An Existential Focus of Islamic Psychology.- Chapter 10: The Heart of Autism: Building A Positive Islamic Model of Cognitive Disability.- Part IV - Social Justice and Community Building.- Chapter 11: Socially Engaged Islam: Applying Social Psychological Principles to Social Justice, Faith-Based Activism and Extreme Altruism in Muslim Societies.- Chapter 12: Decolonizing Muslim Same-Sex Relations: Reframing Queerness as Gender Flexibility to Build Positive Relationships in Muslim Communities.- Chapter 13: Afghan Hazara Asylum Seekers in Athens: Positive Affirmation through Service and Protest.- Chapter 14: The Struggle of Chosen Identity Amongst Uyghurs While Living Under the Chinese State.- Part IV - Islamic Feminism, Gender and Sexuality.- Chapter 15: Working towards a Positive Islamic Identity for Muslim American Women.- Chapter 16: Sexually Diverse Muslim Women Converts: Where Do They Stand?.- Chapter 17: Muslim Media Psychology and its Effects on Society: The Role of Pakistani TV Serials in Promoting Women’s Rights.