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.
American Muslim Poll 2025
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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.
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Choose To Power Research
Featured Toolkit
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
Asma T. Uddin is a fellow with the Initiative on Security and Religious Freedom at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. She is also a Berkley Center
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.
Faiqa Mahmood is a researcher at the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), whose efforts have been instrumental on the Reimagining Muslim Spaces (RMS) study. Ms. Mahmood
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Elisabeth Becker is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at Yale University, where she is a junior fellow in cultural sociology and religion and politics. Elisabeth graduated wth a
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
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
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
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
