AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, American Muslims continue to face discrimination, suspicion, and negative attitudes, a situation that, according to new research and data, persists despite the growth of the Muslim population and political influence in the country.
According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in the spring of 2026, public attitudes toward Islam in America have become more negative and significantly more polarized than in the years following September 11. Forty-three percent of American adults believe Muslims are less patriotic than other Americans, and 42 percent believe Muslims in America have a negative impact on the country. Some respondents directly referenced the September 11 attacks to explain their views, using phrases such as "9/11," "Remember the Twin Towers," and "Fear of another 9/11 terrorist attack."
Concerns about the connection between Islam and violence also remain widespread in American society. Since 2002, the share of Americans who believe Islam encourages violence more than other religions has never dropped below 38 percent, reaching 51 percent in early 2026. The political divide on this issue is striking, with 76 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents holding this view, compared to 29 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.
FBI data also indicates continued pressure on Muslims. The number of reported anti-Muslim hate crimes reached 481 in 2001, compared to only 28 the previous year. This number has fluctuated in subsequent years, ranging from 95 cases in 2021 to 307 in 2016, but has never returned to pre-September 11 levels.
American Muslims also continue to speak of experiencing discrimination. In a detailed 2017 Pew Research Center study, Muslims reported suspicion, insults, slurs, and discriminatory treatment at airports or from law enforcement. However, at the same time, many also spoke of support from their friends and neighbors, with 75 percent of Muslims saying in late 2001 that Americans had treated them respectfully and with tolerance, although 52 percent had experienced discrimination after the attacks.
This experience is not uniform for all Muslims. Younger, American-born Muslims, compared to older generations of immigrants, are less likely to believe American society treats Muslims in a friendly manner and are more likely to report experiencing discrimination. Yasmin, an American-born Muslim interviewed in the 2017 Pew study, spoke about this generational difference, saying, "I think the older generation of immigrants... definitely have more silence about these issues... while I was born here, I'm here to change things and make it better."
Despite the persistence of this discriminatory atmosphere, the American Muslim population has more than doubled over the past two decades, now estimated at about 5.5 million, compared to about 2.4 million in 2007. The number of mosques has also increased from about 1,200 in 2000 to nearly 2,800 in 2020. Muslim political representation has also grown, with no Muslims in Congress in 2001, compared to four now, with a fifth set to join them. However, anti-Muslim rhetoric continues to appear in American political discourse, including Chip Roy, a Republican representative from Texas, who wrote on X in March 2026, "No more Muslims..." and Nancy Mace, a Republican representative from South Carolina, who wrote in August, "Every single Muslim holding public office in America is a Trojan horse and a threat to our national security and our republic."
**************
End/ 345E
