Deep Dives with ISPU

The Danger Islamophobia Poses to American Democracy

Institute for Social Policy and Understanding Season 3 Episode 2

Islamophobia doesn’t just harm Muslims–it endangers everyone. In the years since 9/11, policies driven by anti-Muslim sentiment have expanded government surveillance, empowered immigration enforcement, and undermined civil liberties across the board. 

In this episode of Deep Dives with ISPU, Tuqa Nusairat, ISPU Executive Director and Saher Selod, PhD, ISPU Director of Research unpack how Islamophobia has reshaped American institutions, and how its continued presence and recent escalation pose a fundamental threat to our democracy today. But there’s also hope: Tuqa and Saher explore how communities can organize across lines of difference and strategies they will use to push back against rising authoritarianism.