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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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Our work makes impact in the following areas:
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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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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. 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.
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
Ben Herzig is a Scholar at ISPU and is a psychologist in private practice in the Boston area. He received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University
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
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
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
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
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
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
Daniel Tutt, Ph.D. is a filmmaker, philosopher and interfaith activist. His research for ISPU looks at Muslims in America, Islamophobia, and inter-religious dialogue. Daniel is co-editor of a
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
Sameera Ahmed, PhD, is the executive director of The Family and Youth Institute, a leading research and education organization dedicated to strengthening and empowering individuals, families, and communities.
Ihsan Bagby is an associate professor in the department of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky whose research focuses on Muslims in America. In 2001, he published
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
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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
