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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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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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COUNTERING AND DISMANTLING ISLAMOPHOBIA
ISPU Scholars
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
Dalia Mogahed is a scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Mogahed is the former Director of Research at ISPU, where she led the organization’s pioneering
John O. Voll is Professor Emeritus of Islamic History and past Associate Director of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
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
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. 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
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
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
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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
