03 Nov 2023 | Terms/Tropes

Report: Islamophobia Lower Among US Latinos

To understand how Latino people across America view Islam and Muslims, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) published an October 2023 report, which found that Latinos generally have lower levels of Islamophobia than other racial and ethnic groups in America today. read the complete article

06 Jul 2023 | Policy/Law

Report on #BankingWhileMuslim Analyzes Financial Islamophobia

A March 2023 study from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) analyzed survey data on banking challenges from financial institutions which millions of American Muslims face today. The study highlighted the impact these restrictions have on the ability for millions of American Muslims to run civic/charitable organizations, open personal bank accounts, or even buy movie tickets via PayPal and Venmo. read the complete article

31 May 2022 | Policy/Law

The Misappropriation of Islamic Terminology

Phrases such as “Christian Sharia Law” and “election jihad” do two things: 1) use Islam and Muslims as a point of reference for all things bad, evil, and unjust, and 2) acknowledge the negative connotations around Islamic terminology in the post-9/11 world and misappropriate these terms to manufacture a threat. Both scenarios are successful because the association of Islam and Muslims with danger is already ingrained in the public’s mind. It’s not only a replay of age-old orientalist thinking — everything “over there” is bad/uncivilized, and “we” are not “them” — but it’s also a sort of linguistic Islamophobia, instrumentalizing Islamic terminology to connect Muslims with danger, violence, and oppression. read the complete article

11 Jan 2022 | Law Enforcement

20 years of Guantánamo: a symbol of injustice, abuse, and disregard for the rule of law

On January 11, 2002, the first individuals arrived at the Guantánamo Bay Military Prison. In the twenty years since the establishment of the prison, a total of 780 Muslim men and boys have passed through the prison, with over 98% never being charged with a crime. In the two decades since its founding, only two prisoners have ever been convicted. read the complete article