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ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well- informed dialogue and decision-making.
Countering and Dismantling Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Discrimination
Effectively Address Islamophobia in your Field
Our comprehensive guide for individuals and organizations has a dual purpose. First, to deepen an understanding of what Islamophobia actually is and how it operates. Second, to provide practical, field-specific strategies that people across sectors can use to dismantle it within their own spheres of influence.
Islamophobia Spikes in 2026 Election Cycle
Research shows that Islamophobia intensifies during election seasons, when anti-Muslim rhetoric is deliberately used as a tool to advance specific policies or candidates. And, Saher Selod writes in ISPU’s Substack, as current political rhetoric targeting Muslims increases with campaigning for the midterm elections, Republicans in states like Texas and Oklahoma are in active attack mode against their Muslims constituents. Photo of Ken Paxton by Gage Skidmore
Abdul El-Sayed’s nomination sits at the intersection of two important trends the data bear out: American Muslims are becoming more visible, organized, and engaged in American political life, even as public endorsement of anti-Muslim stereotypes is rising. In a new Substack, Tuqa Nusairat writes about the escalating anti-Muslim rhetoric after El-Sayed’s primary win in Michigan—and how Muslims may respond.
American Muslim Poll 2025
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Our Research
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Our strategy of equipping leaders multiplies our impact as the data lives on in the work of those who catalyze change.
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to inform stories about Muslim communities in the United States.
Our Impact
I remember the first time I learned ISPU’s facts and data about American Muslims and anti-Muslim discrimination, and the impact it had on my own understanding of the ways that anti-Muslim bigotry shows up in our country. It completely shifted my paradigm of what it means to love my Muslim neighbors from one of charity to mutual solidarity. It helped me to see the role that I have to play from where I’m situated, understanding that my own sense of freedom and dignity is tied to that of my Muslim neighbors.
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Misinformation & Bias
Addressing misconceptions and providing factual data about American Muslim communities.
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Understanding and articulating the diverse needs of American Muslim families.
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COUNTERING AND DISMANTLING ISLAMOPHOBIA
ISPU Scholars
Saeed A. Khan is currently in the Department of History and Lecturer in the Department of Near East & Asian Studies at Wayne State University-Detroit, Michigan, where he
Dr. Ifrah Magan currently serves as a faculty fellow/assistant professor at New York University (2018–2020). A qualitative researcher and social worker, Dr. Magan incorporates storytelling as a method
Abbas Barzegar is a scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. He is also an Assistant Professor of Islam at Georgia State University. His scholarly research
Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on world religions. His own particular speciality is the
Kameelah Mu’Min Oseguera, PsyD is the Founder and President of Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healing and emotional well-being in the American Muslim
Faiqa Mahmood is a researcher at the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), whose efforts have been instrumental on the Reimagining Muslim Spaces (RMS) study. Ms. Mahmood
Hadia Mubarak is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Queens University of Charlotte. She previously served as Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Guilford College and as a
Engy Abdelkader is an award-winning attorney and scholar who has worked with Muslims, Arabs and South Asians since 9/11 to address Islamophobia. Her research and writing explores religious
Rania Awaad, MD, is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the chief of the Diversity Section, director of
Asma T. Uddin is a fellow with the Initiative on Security and Religious Freedom at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. She is also a Berkley Center
Kumar Rao is a lawyer and advocate with years of experience partnering with grassroots organizations and elected officials in the fight to strengthen our democracy, and for racial
Halima Al-Khattab is an experienced health behavior researcher and community leader with a demonstrated history of working in academic, clinical, and community settings. Al-Khattab is skilled in nonprofit
Sahar F. Aziz is a Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School. Previously she was a Professor of Law at Texas A&M University
Laila Alawa is the Founder and CEO of The Tempest, the global tech and media company changing the narrative of diverse millennial women in the world. Previously, Laila
Dr. Hassan Abbas is Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre (NESA), National Defense University in Washington DC. He serves as
Hatem Bazian is a co-founder and professor of Islamic law and theology at Zaytuna College, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. In addition,
What Can You Do?
What Can You Do?
Toolkits for Practitioners
ISPU enables changemakers across sectors with effective, implementable resources
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Conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) in partnership with Stanford’s Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab, this qualitative study
