Islamophobia in Higher Education: Combating Discrimination and Creating Understanding

While Islamophobia was present in our society before 9/11, it has become more pervasive in recent years. This is evidenced by the current social and political climate, hate speech and hate crimes directed at Muslims, and the Supreme Court’s upholding of Presidential Proclamation 645 that effectively bans Muslim immigration from coming to the U.S. 

What does this mean for Muslim students in college, and indeed for institutions of higher education as they navigate law and policy on the one hand and adhere to their mission of achieving inclusive and equitable educational environments on the other?  

Two thirds of Muslims in the U.S. are vexed with current policy, and there has been an alarming increase in reports of bigotry and discrimination against them since the 2016 presidential elections. The fear of Islam, in general, and Muslims, specifically, not only compels non-Muslims to differentially treat Muslims, but also trade some of their own civil rights and civil liberties under the guise of national security. 

To address these issues, institutions require a nuanced understanding of laws and policies that institutionalize Islamophobia, and a greater understanding of the diverse college students that identify as Muslim. This book fills what has been a dearth of research that explores the experiences and navigation of Muslim students in colleges and universities, and addresses the even less studied domain of the experiences of Muslim students who hold multiple marginalized identities -- such as race, ethnicity, and LGBTQ status – as well as the intersection of those identities that may create multiple burdens of oppression and discrimination. 

This book begins by critically engaging with how current laws and policies institutionalize Islamophobia and affect the intersectionality and diversity within the Muslim community. It includes multidisciplinary voices, such as an international human rights attorney, a civil rights attorney, a criminal law attorney, student affairs practitioners, and research faculty whose work on this marginalized student population is traditionally not recognized within academic settings; and brings the voices of female Muslim scholars to the fore. Each chapter includes a critical analysis of the literature, a legal analysis when appropriate, a set of recommendations for policy and practice, and discussion questions.

ShafiqaAhmadi, JD, is an Associate Professor ofClinical Education at the Rossier School of Education (Rossier) and theCo-Director for the Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice. She isan expert on diversity and legal protection of underrepresented students,including Muslims, bias and hate crimes, and sexual assault survivors. Prior tojoining the Rossier faculty, she taught at the Gould School of Law and was aVisiting Researcher at the Center for Urban Education, at Rossier. She has alsoserved as a Research Associate at the Research Institute at Rossier where sheworked on a grant awarded by the Department of Education (DOE) designed toprevent and reduce on-campus sexual assault. Prior to joining USC, she workedfor the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, where she investigated allegedviolations of civil rights and discrimination in areas such as employment,housing, and access to state and state funded services.

 Ahmadi received her Doctor ofJurisprudence from Indiana University Maurer School of Law, at Bloomington,Indiana. While in law school and graduate school she focused on Employment DiscriminationLaw, Corporate International Law, Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, andIslamic law (Shari ‘a).

Dr.Darnell Cole is an AssociateProfessor of Education with an emphasis in higher education and educationpsychology. His areas of research include race/ ethnicity, diversity, collegestudent experiences, and learning. Previously he served as an AssociateProfessor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University ofHawaii, Manoa (Honolulu). He was also a faculty member at Marquette University.He completed his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina, atCharlotte and received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Indiana University,Bloomington. He is on the review board of the Journal of College StudentDevelopment.

 He has published over40 articles, special issues, and book chapters. He is also featured in themajor journals for higher education and other related fields including TheJournal of Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, NASPAJournal, Journal of Classroom Behavior, and Journal of Creative Behavior. Hismost recent article is a collaboration, titled “Examining a Comprehensive College Transition Program: An Accountof Iterative Mixed Methods Longitudinal Survey Design” and appears in the Research in Higher Education.

ShaunR. Harper, PhD, is a professor in the Marshall School of Business at theUniversity of Southern California, and is the USC Race and Equity CenterExecutive Director. He is an expert on racial, gender, and LGBT issues incorporations, law firms, Hollywood production companies, and universities. Healso is an expert on college sports. He offers organizations live, andhigh-quality virtual experiences on a range of topics pertaining to equity,diversity, and inclusion in business and on campus.

Dr. Harper has consulted with more than 200 businesses and institutions onstrategies related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. He has published over100 peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic publications, andprocured $13 million in research grants. He is presently working on Equity,Diversity, and Inclusion in Business, his 13th book. His research has beencited in over 12,000 published studies. The Wall Street Journal, New YorkTimes, Fortune, Washington Post, Black Enterprise, and several thousandother news outlets have quoted Professor Harper and featured his research. Hehas been interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR.

Prior to becoming a faculty member, he was Assistant Director of MBA Admissionsfor the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Dr. Harper spent a decadeat the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a tenured full professor.