In 2023, Muslim civil rights organizations received reports of over 8000 anti-Muslim hate incidents. Despite the high ratio of unreported incidents, the number increased by 56% compared to the previous year.  Half of these incidents occurred between October and December 2023.  This year, the surge in anti-Muslim hate that erupted last October continues in the first half of the 2024.  From January to June 2024, the same civil rights organizations documented nearly 5,000 incoming complaints, a sixty-nine percent increase over the same period in 2023. The experience of students and employees during this cycle of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate remain the standout trends compared to past cycles. Islamophobia, a centuries old framework, shapes how Islam and Muslims are perceived in the US and globally. This seminar explores the roots and dominant tropes of Islamophobia, examining its impact on Muslim and Arab American communities. It concludes by proposing strategies to combat Islamophobia at both interpersonal and institutional levels. 

Maha Elgenaidi is the Founder and Executive Director of the Islamic Networks Group (ING). With a passion for fostering understanding and cultural competency, she has authored training handbooks on outreach for Muslim Americans and developed training programs for organizations and institutions on cultural literacy and bridging diverse religious and ethnic communities. Maha holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Stanford University and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the American University in Cairo.

 Register Here: Understanding Islamophobia