American research institute investigates the impact of the war in Gaza on religious minorities

The Michigan and Washington DC-based education research group Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) this month released the third report in a three-part series on the impact of the war in Gaza on religious minorities in the US.

Since October 7 and the subsequent crisis in Gaza, Muslim and Jewish Americans have reported a wave of bias incidents, according to the ISPU.

Erum Ikramullah, senior research project manager at ISPU, says the report analyzes a survey designed to assess the views of Muslim and Jewish Americans, who are often seen as opposing sides of this crisis.

She says the survey – which was rolled out between December 2023 and January 2024 – found that both American Muslims and Jews experience higher levels of religious discrimination compared to the general American public.

When asked how often they had experienced discrimination because of their religion in the past year, the majority of Muslims (74%) and Jews (66%) reported experiencing prejudice to some degree, the report said. This compared to 39% of the general public.

The survey also found that Muslims are more likely than Jewish Americans or the general public to “regularly” experience religious discrimination, either in public places by strangers or at work/school by peers or people with power.

Ikramullah said the report added a category to examine religious discrimination among Muslim students versus non-students.

“84% of students say they have experienced religious discrimination in the past year, compared to 66% of non-students. And again, that is among Muslims,” Ikramullah said. “And then we look at it in different contexts of people in authority, and across the board we find that it’s higher for students than for non-students.”

Other headlines for Thursday, April 25, 2024:

• Volunteers of America Michigan is repurposing an old Catholic school in Detroit into affordable housing.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an $84 million dredging project in the lower Rouge River around Zug Island to remove pollution that makes the river one of the most toxic sites in the Great Lakes, The Detroit News reported.
• The NFL Draft kicks off tonight in downtown Detroit and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wants to encourage attendees to be on the lookout for scams.
• Detroit City Council Member Latisha Johnson will provide free CPR training at Samaritan Wellness Center on May 3 at 5 p.m., and a community health fair at Greater St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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