Two women sit at a table, closely looking at documents and phones together. One wears a tan hijab, while the other has glasses and a black shirt. They appear to be discussing or reviewing information.
Two women sit at a table, closely looking at documents and phones together. One wears a tan hijab, while the other has glasses and a black shirt. They appear to be discussing or reviewing information.

American Muslim Poll 2025: Recommendations

BY SAHER SELOD, PHD, DALIA MOGAHED, ERUM IKRAMULLAH, AND SARAH BAKER
PUBLICATION DATE
Published October 21, 2025

Recommendations

Based on the findings from this survey, we offer the following recommendations to stakeholders to address some of the challenges American Muslim communities face. 

Supporting Muslim Civic Engagement

  • Voter registration campaigns and messaging should prioritize outreach to Muslim women and young people, who were less likely to have voted in the 2024 election and are less likely to be registered to vote. Additionally, specific outreach like “Get Out the Vote” campaigns are needed to reach Muslims who are registered to vote to ensure they cast a ballot. We found that of Muslims who are registered to vote, 80% voted in the 2024 election, less likely than most other groups.
  • Muslim voters are not a monolithic bloc, and their support should not be taken for granted by any party. Candidates and elected officials should engage in genuine outreach to understand the issues that shape Muslim political choices. The significant shifts observed in the 2024 presidential election demonstrate that a significant portion of Muslims are issue-driven, rather than strictly partisan voters. For example, the war in Gaza mobilized large segments of the community, yet was often dismissed, downplayed, or ignored by both major political parties. 
  • Many Muslims continue to face obstacles to voting. Civic organizations and local election officials should understand the key obstacles reported by Muslim voters, and address them as part of broader efforts to ensure equitable access to the ballot box. 
  • Muslim voters would benefit from more training on how to effectively engage with elected officials at both the local and federal levels–such as attending town halls and contributing to campaigns–to sustain growth and improve the impact of their civic engagement efforts. 

Continue to Combat Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate

  • Internalized Islamophobia among Muslims remains a concern. More qualitative research is needed to understand its extent and underlying causes so that relevant stakeholders can respond effectively. 
  • Expand interfaith efforts to include genuine engagement and cooperation across religious and non-religious groups, particularly in addressing policies such as those targeting Palestinians. 
  • Combatting Islamophobia must remain a priority at both social and structural levels, requiring sustained investment from leaders across all sectors. 
  • Islamophobia continues to drive bullying of Muslim students in K-12 schools. Educators and school leaders must better understand how discrimination by peers and authority figures affects Muslim students and take concrete steps to address it. 
  • Education to counter Islamophobia in K-12 settings should involve the entire school community, including administrators and parents of students, and not just teachers and students. 

References

  1. American Council on Education. “Congress Moves to Slash Higher Ed Funding in Budget Showdown.” March  3, 2025. https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Congress-Moves-Slash-Funding-Budget-Showdown.aspx.
  2. Amnesty International UK. “A Licence to Discriminate: Trump’s Muslim & Refugee Ban.” April 1, 2025. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/licence-discriminate-trumps-muslim-refugee-ban.
  3. Auxier, Brooke, and Monica Anderson. “Social Media Use in 2021.” Pew Research Center, April 7, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/.
  4. Bruneau, E., N. Kteily, and E. Falk. “Interventions Highlighting Hypocrisy Reduce Collective Blame of Muslims for Individual Acts of Violence and Assuage Anti-Muslim Hostility.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 44, no. 3 (2018): 430–48.
  5. Fabrigar, L. R., and D. T. Wegener. Exploratory Factor Analysis. Oxford University Press, 2012.
  6. Ghaffar-Siddiqui, Sabreena, and Nicole Steward-Streng. Hindu Nationalism in America: Assessing the Influence of Hindutva Ideology in the U.S. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2024.
  7. Ikramullah, Erum. “Not Immune: Some Muslims in America Internalize Islamophobia.” Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, October 7, 2019. https://ispu.org/not-immune-some-muslims-in-america-internalize-islamophobia/.
  8. International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS). “IAGS Resolution on the Situation in Gaza.” August 31, 2025. https://genocidescholars.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IAGS-Resolution-on-Gaza-FINAL.pdf.
  9. Jalalzai, Farida. “The Politics of Muslims in America.” Politics and Religion no. 2 (2009): 163–99.
  10. Kteily, N., and E. Bruneau. “Backlash: The Politics and Real-World Consequences of Minority Group Dehumanization.” Personal and Social Psychology Bulletin 43, no. 1 (2017): 87–104.
  11. Kteily, N., E. Bruneau, and G. Hodson. “They See Us as Less than Human: Metadehumanization Predicts Intergroup Conflict via Reciprocal Dehumanization,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 110, no. 3 (2016): 343–70.
  12. Majid, Dania. Anti-Palestinian Racism: Naming, Framing and Manifestations. Arab Canadian Lawyers Association, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61db30d12e169a5c45950345/t/627dcf83fa17ad41ff217964/1652412292220/Anti-Palestinian+Racism-+Naming%2C+Framing+and+Manifestations.pdf. 
  13. McDaniel, Brennan, Nida Ahmad, and Huda Rahman. Native American and Indigenous Muslim Stories: Reclaiming the Narrative Trends and Treasures. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2023.
  14. Mishra, S. “‘Saving’ Muslim Women and Fighting Muslim Men: Analysis of Representations in The New York Times,” Global Media Journal 6, no. 11 (Fall 2007).
  15. Mogahed, D., and Y. Chouhoud. American Muslim Poll 2018: Pride and Prejudice. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2018.
  16. Mogahed, D., E. Ikramullah, and Y. Chouhoud. American Muslim Poll 2022: A Politics and Pandemic Status Report. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2022.
  17. Mogahed, D., and E. Ikramullah. American Muslim Poll 2020: Amid Pandemic and Protest. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2020.
  18. Proctor, Andrew, Alex Flores, and Dalia Mogahed. Latino Attitudes toward American Muslims and Islam. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2023.
  19. Singh, Maanvi. “Why Trump’s Brutal Crackdown on Free Speech Is Unprecedented in the US.” The Guardian, March 30, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/30/trump-crackdown-free-speech.
  20. Steward-Streng, Nicole. Perceptions of American Muslims and Islam among Black Christians: Findings, Recommendations, and Implications for Interfaith Engagement. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2025. 
  21. Treisman, Rachel. “Trump’s Travel Ban Is Now in Effect: Here’s What to Know.” NPR, June 9, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/09/nx-s1-5427998/trump-travel-ban-countries-immigration-enforcement.

Downloads

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American Muslim Poll 2025 Full Report
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American Muslim Poll 2025 Executive Summary

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