Research
Making an Impact
ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well- informed dialogue and decision-making.
Spotlight on Islamophobia
The tragic shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego is a stark reminder that anti-Muslim rhetoric has real and dangerous consequences. ISPU’s American Muslim Poll 2025 documents a sharp rise in Islamophobia nationwide, with increasing anti-Muslim sentiment reported across nearly every demographic measured. ISPU’s research also shows that endorsing anti-Muslim stereotypes is directly linked to support for violence against civilians. Bigotry does more than divide communities — it endangers lives.
Page: Home
Page: Home
Page: Home
Our Research
Our work makes impact in the following areas:
How We Create Impact
Discover
Educate
We translate research into accessible resources, toolkits, and educational materials for diverse audiences.
Equip
Our strategy of equipping leaders multiplies our impact as the data lives on in the work of those who catalyze change.
ISPU in the News
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.
Challenges We Address
Misinformation & Bias
Addressing misconceptions and providing factual data about American Muslim communities.
Policy Gaps
Community Needs
Understanding and articulating the diverse needs of American Muslim families.
Explore More Recent Reports
Upcoming Events
Choose To Power Research
Featured Toolkit
COUNTERING AND DISMANTLING ISLAMOPHOBIA
ISPU Scholars
Dr. Muhammad Khalifa is a Professor of Educational Administration and Executive Director of Urban Education at Ohio State University. He is an internationally renowned educational leadership scholar, and
Nancy A. Khalil completed her PhD in Anthropology at Harvard University and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale’s Center on Race, Indigeneity and Transnational Migration. Her research
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
Cyra Akila Choudhury is a professor of law at FIU College of Law in Miami, Florida. Her scholarship focuses on religion and property, international and comparative gender, human
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
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
Kristine J. Ajrouch, PhD, is Professor of Sociology at Eastern Michigan University. She is also Adjunct Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of
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
Dr. Julie Macfarlane is Distinguished Professor and Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Windsor. She has received a number of professional honours
Amal Killawi is a clinical social worker, researcher, and community educator. She serves as a research fellow with the Family & Youth Institute and scholar with the Institute
Dr. Ayaz Hyder is an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health and Core Faculty in the Translational Data Analytics Institute at The Ohio State University. Dr.
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
Kathleen E. Foley is the founder and principal of Mirador Consulting, LLC. Mirador draws on the diversity of Dr. Foley’s professional training and experience, offering clients services from
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
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
Dr. Sahar Khamis is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is an expert on Arab and Muslim media,
What Can You Do?
What Can You Do?
Toolkits for Practitioners
ISPU enables changemakers across sectors with effective, implementable resources
Policymakers
Educators
Community Leaders
Journalists
Explore More Recent Reports
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
