Research
Making an Impact

ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well- informed dialogue and decision-making.

The Latest

Our Research

Our work makes impact in the following areas:

Developing Community

Researching family and wellness and building community capacity

Building Understanding

Protecting American pluralism and quantifying Muslim contributions

Providing Thought Leadership

Offering platforms for discussion and informing national conversations

How We Create Impact

Discover
We conduct rigorous, objective research on issues impacting American Muslims using a variety of methods.
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

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Our Impact

STORY OF IMPACT
Using data for successful reentry

Our organization, Tayba Foundation, has served the education and reentry needs of over 9,300 incarcerated men and women across 42 states in over 500 prisons. Over 90% of our student population are African American and the majority converted while in prison.

So, we were very excited to attend the ISPU webinar on African Americans and mosque attendance to see what we could learn and take back to benefit our students. Myself and a number of the Tayba team attended the event and then had multiple follow-up team discussions about what was shared. The event and the research gave us more insight into some of the dynamics that we must consider. We know that part of successful reentry for returning citizens is to be part of a masjid community, and the ISPU research will aid in how we coach our clients and students on how to best bring regular masjid attendance into one’s life.

- Rami Nsour, Founding Director of Tayba Foundation

Challenges We Address

Misinformation & Bias

Addressing misconceptions and providing factual data about American Muslim communities.

Policy Gaps
Identifying areas where evidence-based policy recommendations are needed.
Community Needs

Understanding and articulating the diverse needs of American Muslim families.

Upcoming Events

Choose To Power Research

ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making. This work is made possible in part through the support of generous individuals.

Featured Toolkit​

COUNTERING AND DISMANTLING ISLAMOPHOBIA
A Comprehensive Guide for Individuals and Organizations.

Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

RESEARCH MAKING AN IMPACT

ISPU Scholars

Expert

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

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

Expert

Rebecca Karam is a doctoral candidate in sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. She received her BA in sociology from University of Michigan-Dearborn. Rebecca

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

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

Expert

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. 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

Dr. Kayla Renée Wheeler is an Assistant Professor of Gender and Diversity Studies at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is an expert in contemporary Black Islam in

Moustafa Bayoumi is the author of the critically acclaimed How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America (Penguin), which won an American

Fellow

Hamada Hamid Altalib is a Senior Fellow and former Director for the Center for Global Health at ISPU. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Departments of

Expert

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

Expert

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,

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

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

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

Expert

Altaf Husain serves as an Associate Professor and chair of the Community, Administration and Policy Practice concentration in the Howard University School of Social Work, in Washington DC.

What Can You Do?

ISPU is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of individual donors to keep our research free and accessible to everyone who needs it. You can help us keep it that way.

What Can You Do?

ISPU is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of individual donors to keep our research free and accessible to everyone who needs it. You can help us keep it that way.

Toolkits for Practitioners

ISPU enables changemakers across sectors with effective, implementable resources

Policymakers
Evidence-based policy and recommendations
Educators
Teaching tools and educational materials
Community Leaders
Community capacity building resources
Journalists
Data, methodologies, and collaboration opportunities

Explore More Recent Reports

Teacher salaries in U.S. Islamic schools fall far below the average annual wages of public and private school teachers across the country.
Illinois is home to a large and diverse community of Muslims, with the most recent available estimates placing the size at around 2,800 Muslims