You walk into your school building early in the morning, eager to meet new people and learn new things. Excited but nervous at the same time, you enter the classroom. You hear whispers around you, but no one talks directly to you. You approach someone with a smile and greet them with a “Hello, my name is Amina. What is yours?”  They simply stare and look away. You feel confused, until you hear a kid yell, “Why are you wearing that towel on your head?” Your entire body floods with shame and embarrassment, and suddenly, you just want to go home and for the day to be finished. Other kids ask, “Why do you wear a tablecloth?” Your teacher asks you why you are trying to skip class, and when you try to reply that you were just trying to pray, they refuse to let you leave the room. A kid says, “Go back to your country,” even though you were born and raised in America, and another kid says, “You’re a terrorist”.  By the time you get home, you’re exhausted. You don’t know if you can go through it all again. 

The next day, you get stopped by security, and they ask to inspect your backpack for any “suspicious items.” The teasing from other kids gets worse, and no one stands up for you. Teachers tell you to brush it off, and the others don’t care. The second day feels worse than the first. After a couple of months, you get used to the unfair treatment of people throwing around rude remarks like it’s nothing, teachers not doing anything about it, it’s all part of your schedule. One afternoon, during the class change, everyone is in the hallway, getting their things from their lockers. You hear everyone talking and laughing around you, and the sounds fade into the background as you pull out your notebook from your backpack. You feel someone come up behind you, and right before you can turn around, someone YANKS your hijab off in front of everyone. Horrified, you leave your locker open and run to the bathroom, still clutching your things. You look in the mirror and stare at yourself. Eyes red, tears flowing from your eyes, and cheeks as red as a rose. You hear someone coming, so you hide in the bathroom stall. You break down crying, let your books fall to the ground, and try to hold it in, but it doesn’t work. 

You don’t remember how, but somehow, you got home, and you’re in bed. Your mother is comforting you, telling you that everything will be alright. You’re so tired of everyone in school, and you never want to go back, and all your confidence and self-esteem is gone. This situation isn’t unusual for many Muslim students in the US. Similar and possibly more harsh stories of Islamophobia are all over the internet, as many Muslims face this unfortunate reality. However, a lot of these stories are unknown to the government, and aren't properly prevented by authorities, causing Islamophobia to continue and persist throughout the years. 

Islamophobia is the “irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against Islam or people who practice Islam,”(Merriam Webster, 3). Due to Islamophobia, Muslims become the victims of many hate crimes in the US. In fact, “[a]ccording to the FBI, there were 481 incidents in 2001, followed by a significant decline in incidents the next year, [with] 155 [incidents],” and “[i]n 2015, there were 257 hate crimes against Muslims and 307 in 2016.”(ABC News, 1). Islamophobia is a large issue that has persisted throughout the years, making it an important issue to solve now in order for it to stop in the future. In 2020, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, released a report showing a “9% increase in the number of civil rights complaints it received from Muslims in the United States [...] involving a range of issues including immigration and travel, discrimination, law enforcement and government overreach, hate and bias incidents, incarceree rights, school incidents, and anti-BDS/free speech,”(VOA News, 5). Islamophobia has become somewhat “legalized” due to governors who have tried to pass certain anti-Sharia laws, with some governors succeeding in this effort. School can seem like a scary place, with students bullying Muslims and even school staff treating Muslims disrespectfully. Children as young as six years old can face discrimination in school for being Muslim. Islamophobia can happen in schools and workplaces, or any place where Muslims are out in public, such as the grocery store. Islamophobia has been happening right under the government’s nose, and this is due to the fact that there are a lot of other issues that are happening simultaneously. This issue needs to be addressed, and a plan to solve this problem should be put in place. The US Congress should fund the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the ongoing Islamophobic hate crimes in order to lessen the safety risks of Muslims and their communities.

Islamophobia existed before 9/11, but this event caused a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment. Although 9/11 was the time that Islamophobia’s presence started to arise, an article by Basima Sisemore, researcher at Othering and Belonging institute, and Elsadig Elsheikh, director of the Global Justice Program at the Othering & Belonging Institute, described the results from a survey conducted that showed that “34.3% of participants [...] first noticed the existence of Islamophobia prior to 2001,”(Othering and Belonging Institute, 6), indicating that Islamophobia had been around for a very long time. People hadn’t talked about it before 9/11 because not much research was done about it, and not a lot of people knew that it existed. The FBI also reported that, “Hate crimes against Muslims rose 1617% from 2000 to 2001,”(ABC News, 1), implying that although Islamophobia had existed, 9/11 skyrocketed the amount of people that started targeting Muslims. September 11, 2001 was the event in which a plane was hijacked and crashed into the Twin Towers, which then collapsed. Thousands of people’s lives were impacted, and many died or were wounded. It was believed that this attack was from Muslims specifically, which then created the label that all Muslims are terrorists. Because of this stereotype, many hate groups began forming and people started to harass and attack Muslims. Former president Donald Trump supports anti-Muslim hate, and enacted a travel ban which prevented people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. Although President Joe Biden has lifted this ban, 40,000 Visas were rejected during this time period. Trump’s time as a president has also created Islamophobic people and hate groups, as he supported and furthered negative portrayals of Muslims. There has been more Muslim representation in the government, and many of these Muslim figures receive hate and threats from hate groups and Islamophobes. Although 9/11 happened over 20 years ago, Muslims today still face discrimination, making investigating Islamophobia a vital solution. 

Muslims who experience Islamophobia might feel like they have to hide the fact that they are Muslim. When assessing the social impacts of islamophobia on Muslims, Sisemore and Elsheikh wrote, “almost a third of survey participants (32.9%) at some point in their lives have hid or tried to hide their religious identity,”(Othering and Belonging Institute, 6). This highlights the immense fear and pressure that Muslims feel in a society plagued by Islamophobia. A lot of Muslims feel they have to hide their religious identity in fear of discrimination, and that they can’t openly express their faith. The survey also concluded that “most respondents (88.2%) censor their speech or actions,”(Othering and Belonging Institute, 6), which can include carefully choosing words, changing their behavior, or less expressing religious beliefs in fear of how others will perceive them. The fear of prejudiced attitudes, stigmatization, or violence forces Muslims to modify their behavior. Islamophobia can leave Muslims on edge, constantly worried that someone will attack or harass them, and it negatively impacts their lives in countless ways. These findings illuminate the profound emotional and psychological toll of Islamophobia on Muslims, causing feelings of alienation, anxiety, and a constant need to navigate between their religious identity and societal acceptance. It is crucial for society to recognize and address these issues, and to ensure that all individuals can freely embrace and express their religious beliefs without fear of discrimination or marginalization.

Due to the negative portrayal of Muslims on the US media, displaying them as terrorists and barbarians, people become prejudiced against them. Many Americans don’t actually know a Muslim, therefore, the only viewpoint of Muslims that they have is the media. However, the portrayal of Muslims in the US media is usually incorrect, leading to more hate crimes and attacks. In fact, an American analytics company conducted a poll about Islamophobia. It found that “60% of Muslim Americans say that Americans in general are prejudiced toward Muslim Americans.”(Gallup, 4). It is important that Americans understand the true nature of Muslims, so that there isn’t any hate towards them. The media also has an influence on the way that people think, and the way that people perceive others. ”Social psychologist and assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor,” Muniba Saleem, PhD, proves this by stating, “The media must also change the way they depict Muslims to help prevent hate crimes.”(American Psychological Association, 2), illuminating the effect of the portrayal of Muslims as terrorists on Americans. Imagine thousands of people who have never come across a Muslim before, and the media, their only way of knowing about Muslims, lies about terrorist attacks from them. The next time they see a Muslim, their first instinct will be to attack, and this is where prejudice is born. An experiment conducted by Saleem and a few co-authors tested the reactions of people to different portrayals of Muslims in the media. People who were exposed to “news in which Muslims [were] depicted as terrorists” supported “unconstitutional policy proposals, such as not allowing Muslim Americans to vote or to own guns,” while people who were exposed to “positive depictions of Muslims, such as a news clip about Muslim Americans volunteering during the holiday season,” helped “[decrease the] participant’s view of Muslims as aggressive.”(American Psychological Association, 2). This experiment sheds light on the effect of media on people’s perspectives and points of view. It shows that if Muslims were displayed in positive ways and not negative ways, there would be less hate and prejudice against them, therefore lowering the hate attack rates against Muslims. It would also help them have a positive mindset toward Muslims and convince them to aid in the fight against Islamophobia. 

Although there is an abundance of hate crimes against Muslims, there are a lot of undocumented incidents. The FBI “showed police departments recorded 110 anti-Muslim incidents in 2020,”(VOA News, 5). However, submitting crime data to the FBI is not compulsory, leading many to believe that the number of hate incidents is much higher than what police records say, according to VOA News experts. This evidence explains the vast undercount of hate crimes, and highlights the reason why so many attacks are not reported. The study by Othering and Belonging Institute also concluded that “almost two-thirds of respondents (65.7%) that encountered an Islamophobic incident did not know where to report the incident,”(Othering and Belonging Institute, 6), which explains the reason behind undocumented hate crimes. Muslims can’t report attacks to the authorities if they don’t know that their local police will help them. There are several issues that can occur, such as police discrimination against Muslims, or lack of information on how to stop Islamophobia. Muslims need to be informed of where they can report hate crimes, and that the police are trying to help them stop the perpetrators. However, of the participants that experienced an incident, “only 12.5% of participants have reported an incident to the authorities,”(Othering and Belonging Institute, 6). The less hate crimes that are reported, the more attacks will happen. This is because hate groups will think that there is no consequence to Islamophobia if no one reports the harassment, causing more incidents. Therefore, it is important that incidents that aren’t reported to the police are investigated in order to stop hate groups and Islamophobes from going to the extreme in harassing and attacking Muslims. 

The attacks against Muslims are a threat to their safety, and adds concern for the safety of their families and communities. “Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley and the leader of the college’s Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project,” conducted a survey regarding Muslims living in the West. “One part of the survey asked if the statement, ‘I feel more strongly insecure and afraid for my family and kids’ “ related to them. An alarming percent of Muslims agreed with this statement, specifically close to 80% felt “at least somewhat worried about the safety of their family in the US.”(ABC News, 1). These findings highlight the continuous fear and anxiety in Muslim communities due to discriminatory treatment they endure. It also outlines the profound impact that Islamophobia has on the well-being and sense of security of Muslims. However, this fear is justified, as instances of hate attacks can range from verbal abuse to physical violence. Moreover, the effects of Islamophobia extend beyond mere psychological distress. The evidence shows that Muslims face various forms of harassment and discrimination on a regular basis, which can negatively impact their academic performances, mental health, and physical well-being. A psychologist and director of the Family and Youth Institute in Canton, Michigan, Sameera Ahmed, PhD, says that acts of bullying such as “being called a terrorist [or] having a hijab pulled off [...] can have a negative impact on students’ academic performance, mental health, and physical health.”(American Psychological Association, 2). These acts of discrimination and humiliation can have severe consequences on the academic performance of Muslim students, impeding their ability to focus and excel in their studies. Moreover, the mental and emotional toll of constantly living in fear and experiencing such acts of hostility can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. The physical health of individuals is also at stake, as stress and fear contribute to various health issues. In order for these issues to stop, hate crimes should be investigated, so that hate groups know the consequences for hate incidents against Muslims, making it a safer environment in the US. 

Islamophobia negatively impacts the lives of Muslims in various ways, and in order to reduce and possibly get rid of hate crimes, documented and undocumented incidents alike should be looked into. The media has a large effect on how Americans view Muslims, and is a reason why so many people are prejudiced against them. Safety is also a huge concern in the Muslim community, making parents worried to go outside and send their children outside alone. There are also numerous effects of Islamophobia on mental health, as it can cause several issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, and fear, which all can have even worse impacts on the individual experiencing attacks. The authorities need to step in and let Muslims know that they aren’t alone, and that there are consequences to hate crimes. However, many Muslims are unsure of who to go to for help, and who to report incidents to. It is vital that they know that the government is on their side, otherwise, attacks will keep happening. In order for hate groups targeting Muslim specifically to discontinue these attacks, the FBI needs to conduct an investigation into the hate crimes that occur in the US, more specifically, the ones that go unnoticed. Due to the safety risks of Muslims and their communities, an investigation into Islamophobic hate crimes by the FBI should be funded by the US Congress. 

Works Cited

Alfonseca, Kiara. “20 Years after 9/11, Islamophobia Continues to Haunt Muslims.” ABC News, 11 Sept. 2021, abcnews.go.com/US/20-years-911-islamophobia-continues-haunt-muslims/story?id=79732049. (1)

Clay, Rebecca A. “Islamophobia: Psychologists Are Studying the Impact of Anti-Muslim Sentiment and Exploring Ways to Prevent It.” Monitor on Psychology, Apr. 2017, www.apa.org/monitor/2017/04/islamophobia. (2)

“Islamophobia Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, 15 Apr. 2023, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Islamophobia. (3)

“Islamophobia: Understanding Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the West.” Gallup.Com, 22 Nov. 2021, news.gallup.com/poll/157082/islamophobia-understanding-anti-muslim-sentiment-west.aspx. (4)

News, VOA. “US Muslims See Rise in Islamophobia.” VOA, 10 May 2022, www.voanews.com/a/us-muslims-see-rise-in-islamophobia-/6565523.html. (5)

Sisemore, Basima, and Elsadig Elsheikh. “The Pervasiveness of Islamophobia in the United States.” Othering & Belonging Institute, belonging.berkeley.edu/pervasiveness-islamophobia-united-states. Accessed 21 May 2023. (6)