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ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well- informed dialogue and decision-making.
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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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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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
Dr. Sana Malik is an Assistant Professor at the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare and an expert in disparities research. She has served as a consultant
Dr. Karam Dana joined ISPU in December 2011 as a Fellow. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington Bothell, where he is the principal investigator
Lance D. Laird is Assistant Professor in the Family Medicine Department and the Graduate Division of Religious Studies at Boston University. He began studying the Islamic tradition as
Asifa Quraishi-Landes is a fellow at ISPU and a Professor of Law at University of Wisconsin Law School. She specializes in comparative Islamic and U.S.constitutional law. She was
Dr. Nadia Ansary received her BA in Psychology (and Biology) from Rutgers University and her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her background is in
Dr. Alisa Perkins earned her doctoral degree in anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. She serves as Associate Professor of comparative religion at Western Michigan University.
Todd Green is the Executive Director of America Indivisible, a coalition effort to address rising bigotry against members of Muslim communities. Previously, he served as a professor of
Abdulkader Sinno is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. He received his PhD from UCLA in 2002, was a CISAC
Dr. Ezzeldine works at the Los Angeles County Office of Education where he supports development of Transitional Kindergarten programs across Los Angeles County’s 81 school districts. His work
Dr. Ghaffar-Siddiqui is a globally recognized multiple award-winning public-speaker, media pundit, researcher, and a passionate social justice advocate. As well as being a professor of sociology, criminology, and
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
Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Politics, and Social Justice at Winston-Salem State University. She was an ISPU Fellow and the
Radwan Ziadeh is a scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), a senior fellow at the United States Institute for Peace, and a Dubai Initiative
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
Louise Cainkar is a sociologist and Associate Professor of Social Welfare and Justice at Marquette University in Milwaukee. She currently serves as president of the Arab American Studies
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
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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
