AMST 2504 How are American Muslims Treated?

In this interactive course, you will engage a series of “civic tracks” about how American Muslims are treated by the (1) legislative branch, (2) executive branch, (3) judicial branch, (4) law enforcement, and (5) public schools.
Most Americans want to live in a country free from bigotry against Muslims, research shows. Although some Islamophobia exists in the margins, aware that fear and discrimination against Muslims are bad for every American. In this course, you will apply findings from the National American Islamophobia Index to measure just how much the public endorses anti-Muslim tropes. Research reveals a startling trend: discrimination against American Muslims has become institutionalized in five key areas of government: the legislative branch, the executive branch, the judicial branch, law enforcement, and public schools. By studying these systematic trends, you will better understand how prejudice is not simply an interpersonal experience but a mirror into the face of institutionalized discrimination that impacts us all.

Syllabus

Contributors

Dalia Mogahed MA

Director of Research
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

Meira Neggaz MALD

Executive Director
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

Dr. Nathan C. Walker

President, 1791 Delegates
Founder, ReligionAndPublicLife.org

Brittany R. King MA

Delegate, 1791 Delegates
Learning Management System Administrator, ZERO TO THREE

Civic Education for a Common Good

We apply the U.S. Department of Education’s Consensus Statements about Constitutional Approaches for Teaching about Religion

▸ Our approach to religion is academic, not devotional;
▸ We strive for student awareness of religions, but do not press for student acceptance of any religion;
▸ We sponsor the study about religion, not the practice of religion;
▸ We expose students to a diversity of religious views, but may not impose any particular view;
▸ We educate about all religions, we do not promote or denigrate any religion;
▸ We inform students about religious beliefs and practices, it does not seek to conform students to any particular belief or practice.

We apply the American Academy of Religion’s “Religious Literacy Guidelines”

▸ “Religious Literacy Guidelines for College Students.” American Academy of Religion, 2019.
▸ “Teaching About Religion: AAR Guidelines for K-12 Public Schools.” American Academy of Religion, April 2010.

We apply the National Council for the Social Studies C3 Frameworks for Religious Studies

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, “Religious Studies Companion Document for the C3 Framework.” Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social Studies, 2017.