USA Today: 25 years after 9/11, many Muslims fear a new backlash
Now, 25 years after the attacks, Muslims across the country are asking the same question as they experience rising Islamophobia and concerns about their First Amendment right to religious freedom.
More than 40% of U.S. adults believe Muslims are less patriotic than other Americans and that Muslim Americans are having a negative impact on the country, according to a Pew Research Center survey in May.
The stigmatization, often amplified by politicians, has affected everything from immigration status to due process rights and everyday religious practices. Muslim leaders and community members, in turn, told the USA TODAY Network they’re left fighting to defend their faith and warning the nation that its founding principles are at stake.
