CALIFORNIA, USA
Some 67 per cent of the Muslims living in the US has experienced
Islamophobia at least once in their life, according to a study by the
University of California, Berkeley.
File photo
Women
reported more Islamophobic experience than men as the rates stood at 76.7% for
Muslim women compared to 58.6% Muslim men, the Othering & Belonging
Institute said in a press release on Wednesday.
According
to the survey, two out of three Muslims were exposed to Islamophobic acts,
while 33% of respondents said they had hidden their religious identities at
some moments to in fear of Islamophobic acts and 88.2% stated that they avoided
certain speeches and actions for fear of facing backlash.
An
overwhelming 93.7% of the respondents stated that Islamophobia affects their
emotional and mental health.
Nearly
45% of those aged between 18-29 were more likely than any other group to have
hidden their religious identity.
“The
survey, conducted two decades after the 9/11 attacks which led to a surge of
hate crimes and prompted government policies targeting Muslims, provides
insight into the experiences, lived realities, and psychological impacts of
Islamophobia on millions of US residents,” the press release read.
A
total of 1,123 Muslims, roughly half women and half men, joined the survey. The
participants live and/or work in the US and they are both citizens and
non-citizens. Among them are Muslims of various ages, national and ethnic
backgrounds, and educational levels. The survey includes over 60 questions.
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