Muslim ladies extra possible than males to expertise Islamophobia, survey finds

(RNS) — A survey exploring the lives of Muslims in the US discovered that Muslim ladies had been extra possible than males to have personally skilled Islamophobia, that youthful Muslims had been extra prone to attempt to conceal their non secular identities and that many Muslims self-censor themselves out of concern of how others might react to them.

The report, “Islamophobia by way of the Eyes of Muslims,” was launched Wednesday (Sept. 29) by the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley. A complete of 1,123 Muslims within the U.S. participated within the 2020 survey that was just about performed between Oct. 14 and Nov. 2.

The objective of the survey, in line with the report, “was to ask US Muslims to evaluate the impacts of the othering and discrimination they face due to their non secular affiliation.”

The report is described as groundbreaking in that it focuses “on the individuals dwelling with Islamophobia, documenting their collective experiences and registering their voices,” as a substitute of solely analyzing media protection or documenting adverse statements about Muslims.

RELATED: Islamophobia on the rise, according to United Nations report

Basima Sisemore, a researcher for the International Justice Program on the Othering & Belonging Institute, instructed Faith Information Service that with this survey, they’re “centering and uplifting the voices of Muslim People.”

Sisemore stated the survey additionally highlights the range of the U.S. Muslim inhabitants.

Individuals recognized as South Asian (35.6%), Arab (25.2%), African American/Black and Afro-Arab heritage (8.8%), white or of European descent (7%), Central and East Asian (6.9%), multiracial (1.2%), Hispanic or Latino (1.1%) and different (14.2%).

Greater than two-thirds of respondents had been underneath 50 years previous — about half between the ages of 30 and 49 (48.8%), and one-fifth between 18 and 29 (19.9%).

Most (90.7%) are faculty graduates and 92.4% had been both native English audio system or converse English very effectively, in line with the report, whereas 83.5% of respondents spoke one other language moreover English at house. A majority of individuals (61.2%) had been foreign-born, whereas 38.8% had been born within the U.S. 

Individuals had been requested a variety of questions, together with who they believed was most prone to experiencing Islamophobia and if and the way typically they’ve skilled it, whether or not they believed Islamic values had been in step with U.S. values, how typically they socialized with non-Muslim teams, how Islamophobia has affected their psychological well-being and in the event that they’ve ever tried to cover their non secular identification.

“Teams which might be most prone to experiencing Islamophobia” Graphic courtesy Othering & Belonging Institute

Almost 75% of the individuals consider ladies are extra prone to experiencing Islamophobia, in line with the report. The survey discovered 60.6% of respondents consider Islamophobia to be a “very huge downside within the U.S.”

Greater than two-thirds who participated within the survey (67.5%) have personally skilled Islamophobia, and girls (76.7%) had been extra possible than males (58.6%) to have had a private encounter with Islamophobia. Almost all respondents (93.7%) stated Islamophobia impacts their emotional and psychological well-being, in line with the report.

“This will likely recommend that even when a Muslim just isn’t straight focused by an Islamophobic act, the ubiquity of Islamophobia in our media and tradition after 9/11 has created an environment through which Muslims really feel they’re being monitored, judged, or excluded in some kind,” Elsadig Elsheikh, the director of the Institute’s International Justice program, stated in an announcement.

RELATED: ‘King of the World’ podcast examines good and bad of Muslim American life after 9/11

The survey discovered that greater than 32.9% of individuals sooner or later of their lives have hid or tried to cover their non secular identification, with 88.2% saying they censor their speech or actions as a result of concern of how individuals would possibly react. Youthful individuals, ages 18-29 (44.6%), had been extra possible than some other age group to have tried to hide their non secular identification.

“Age teams of US Muslims who hid, or tried to cover, their non secular identification” Graphic courtesy Othering & Belonging Institute

In the meantime, most respondents (79.4%) agreed Islamic values had been in step with U.S. values. Almost all individuals (99.1%) agreed — with 91.9% strongly agreeing — it’s a good factor that U.S. society is made up of individuals from completely different cultures.

To Sisemore, one of many report’s authors, it’s necessary to quantify the impacts of Islamophobia, particularly since almost all individuals (97.8%) stated they consider Islamophobia exists within the U.S.

“That’s important,” Sisemore stated. “It exists and it’s a difficulty.”

As a part of the survey, 62.7% of respondents stated they personally, or members of the family, mates or individuals of their group, have been affected by federal and/or state insurance policies that disproportionately discriminate in opposition to Muslims. Solely 12.5% of individuals have reported
an incident to authorities, in line with the report.

And, greater than half (53.3%) stated they’ve been handled unfairly by a regulation enforcement officer due to their non secular identification. Regardless of this, many (85.6%) really feel snug calling regulation enforcement for assist or safety.

Sisemore stated these findings “highlight the impacts of institutionalized Islamophobia.”

In a web-based panel on Wednesday, Sisemore stated it was additionally necessary to focus on the research’s constructive findings.

Many Muslim People, she stated, consider and assist range within the U.S. She highlighted the research’s findings exhibiting that almost all individuals (99%) agreed that each one races and ethnicities of individuals ought to be handled equally.

Greater than half of respondents (52%) determine themselves in on a regular basis encounters as Muslim American, Sisemore stated. “It goes to talk to the sense of belonging that Muslim People really feel and have in being in the US.”

“They’ve a robust want for his or her youngsters to have a way of belonging and to really feel a part of U.S. society and that they’ve a spot right here,” she stated.