Bay Area Muslims still face Islamophobia, study finds

Bay Area Muslim StudyThe quarter-million Muslims live in the San Francisco Bay Area face ongoing, entrenched Islamophobia more than a decade after 9/11, according to a new study.

The Bay Area Muslim Study: Establishing Community and Identity” found 40 percent of Muslims in the region have experienced personal discrimination and 23 percent have been victims of a hate crime. The discrimination against Muslims was particularly pronounced in school-aged children, the study found.

“More than a decade after 9/11, we see that Muslims of all ethnicities and backgrounds are still dealing with a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, a lot of bias,” said Hatem Bazian, Ph.D., one of the principal researchers and a University of California, Berkeley, senior lecturer said in a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, the tragic events in Boston won’t help the problem.”

Bay Area Muslims cope with cultural isolationism, socioeconomic factors and immigration issues, according to the study.

San Mateo Patch, 21 May 2013