Muslims for American Progress

What would an America without Muslims look like? Watch this video to learn more. Click here for the methodology and references used to determine the figures in this video.

Rebecca Karam, Principal Investigator of ISPU’s Muslims for American Progress (MAP) project, discusses the contributions of Muslims to the state of Michigan, highlighting the stories of some truly inspiring individuals.

Created for the Muslims for American Progress NYC project, these video narratives feature the stories of five Muslim New Yorkers.

Abeda Khanam is a public school science teacher who serves her community as a chaplain, mental health advocate, and parental engagement columnist. This is her story.

Zainab Ismail is a movement specialist, nutrition coach, personal trainer, and national speaker, based in New York City. This is her story.

Nicole Najmah Abraham is a Brooklyn native, mother, spoken word artist, and fashion photographer. This is her story.

Ali Abbas is an American Muslim writer and filmmaker, and New Yorker of Lebanese descent. This is his story.

Zehra Siddiqui is a family doctor who provides full spectrum health care in a neighborhood community in New York City. This is her story.

Dr. Debbie Almontaser
Community activist, advocate, entrepreneur, and educator who works across sectors in NYC

Founding Principal, Khalil Gibran International Academy; CEO, Building Cultures Group Inc; Founding Board Member, Muslim Community Network; Founding Board Member, Yemeni American Merchants Association Board Member, Micah Institute; Member, NYC Department of Education Diversity Advisory Board

Advisor on cultural and religious diversity issues for Public Advocate Tish James, Borough President Eric Adams, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the NYC Commission for Human Rights, and New York City Council members

Gareth Bryant
Poet, writer, model, mental health chaplain, and community activist serving NYC through Lenox Hill Hospital and the nonprofit Muslims Giving Back

Mustafa Davis
Photographer, film producer, and digital media consultant

Founder of Mustafa Davis Studios™

DinarStandard
A growth strategy research and advisory firm covering OIC markets, Halal, Ethical, Social entrepreneurship, Islamic finance, and the Muslim market

Tarek El-Messidi
Marketing consultant and digital strategist for businesses and nonprofits

Dr. Sally Howell
Associate Professor of History, Director, Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan – Dearborn

Jennifer Maytorena Taylor
Award-winning documentary producer and director of character-based social issue feature films

Assistant Professor, Social Documentation at UC Santa Cruz

Dalia Mogahed
Program Director, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Dalia Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. Mogahed is former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where she led the analysis of surveys of Muslim communities worldwide. With John L. Esposito, she coauthored the book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. President Barack Obama appointed Mogahed to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009. She was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about U.S. engagement with Muslim communities, and she provided significant contributions to the Homeland Security Advisory Council’s Countering Violent Extremism Working Group recommendations. She is a frequent expert commentator in global media outlets and international forums. She is also the CEO of Mogahed Consulting.

Sarrah Buageila
Project Manager, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Sarrah Buageila is the Project Manager for ISPU’s Research Department. Sarrah spent eleven years at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan where she has worked as an Interviewer, Research Assistant, and Project Manager within the Project Design and Management Group. She primarily worked on the National Survey of Family Growth, a study of the National Center for Health Statistics. Sarrah has co-authored papers for the International Field Directors and Technologies Conference and the American Association for Public Opinion Research Conference. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and has completed Graduate work towards a Masters of Liberal Arts in American Studies.

Rebecca Karam
Primary Investigator & Report Author
Rebecca Karam is a doctoral candidate in sociology and student fellow in the Advanced Research Collaborative at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. She received her BA in sociology from University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her research is situated at the intersection of the sociology of religion, international migration, and race and ethnic studies. She is particularly interested in American Islam and generational differences in immigrant religious communities.
Rebecca is currently working on her dissertation. Using qualitative methods, she is conducting a study investigating the identity politics of American-born Muslim adults in Metropolitan Detroit in order to generate a deeper understanding of religiosity, institutional affiliation, and the role of community among American Muslims across generations. Her most recent publication addresses post-9/11 backlash facing Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Muslim Americans in New York City and the use of coalition-building and resource mobilization formulated in response to such hostility.

Aisha A. Arshad
Research Assistant
Aisha A. Arshad is a master’s degree candidate in Islamic Studies at Islamic Online University. Most recently, she served as the Head of their national student committee for women in the UAE, where she resided for several years before returning to the United States.
Aisha previously worked as an IT and educational technology professional in various capacities both in the corporate sector and in education, in the United States and abroad. She attained her undergraduate degree in Information Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University and her M.S. in Educational Technology from the Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University.

Hassan Jibril
Data Analyst
Hassan Jibril is a Data Analyst at ISPU for the Muslims for American Progress and American Muslim Poll projects. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of Michigan. Hassan has also previously worked for ISPU as a Research and Development Intern and as a Research Assistant where he created the visualization for the Islamophobia 2050 project, analyzed ISPU digital communications and performed demographic research among other tasks. Hassan also spends time as a youth mentor in his local community and volunteers for various nonprofits.

Kristin Waterbury
Research Assistant
Kristin Waterbury is a Research Assistant for the MAP Project. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn where she used quantitative and qualitative methods to study the Muslim community and other minority groups in the Metro-Detroit area. Kristin has a background in event planning and development work. She has previously worked with ISPU as the Development and Events Assistant, where she was responsible for donor stewardship, coordinating and executing several ISPU events. Kristin intends to pursue a master’s degree in Public Policy.

Hazel Gomez
Research Assistant
Hazel Gómez graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelors degree in Forensic Science. Currently, she is studying the Islamic sciences with Rabata.org’s Ribaat Academic Program under the tutelage of Shaykha Tamara Gray. Hazel dedicates her time as a volunteer and advisor to various nonprofits ranging from community development and convert care to anti-racism work within the Muslim community.
Previously, Hazel spent time as a community organizer with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) in Chicago focusing on the intersection of immigration and criminal justice reform. She also worked as the lead research assistant at the Alternative Education Research Institute focusing on the analysis of the criminal justice systems, reentry programs, and conversion to Islam of certain Latin American countries. She is also an avid reader of all things Muslims in America, and is interested in the research and creation of an authentic Latino Muslim experience. Hazel intends to pursue a Master’s degree in Islamic Chaplaincy.