IMAN Launches Muslim Student and Family School Climate Surveying Project
A significant portion of IMAN’s work is centered on Muslim students and their experiences in K–12 classrooms across the state. IMAN has been meeting with student groups statewide, where students have shared stories of Islamophobia, bias, and discrimination they face because of their Muslim identity. To effectively advocate for better educational experiences for Muslim students, we need data. Currently, there is little to no data on the experiences of Muslim Hoosier students, and we hope to use this survey to help fill that gap. The information collected will guide our work in mosques, Islamic schools, and communities throughout the state. IMAN will also use this data for advocacy efforts at the Statehouse when meeting with legislators, as well as in discussions with school districts and school leaders across Indiana.
We partnered with Fariha Hossain, a local community member who works within the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) system. She began her teaching career in Indiana and later worked in the Columbus, Indiana, school district, where she advocated for students of color. In that role, she helped implement restorative justice policies to address racist conflicts between students and organized trainings for teachers and staff through the district’s DEI office.
Preliminary findings from our student surveying project reveal that:
17% of Middle/High-school Muslim students feel that teachers never intervene when Muslim students are bullied.
50% of them reported that peers made hurtful social media comments/posts directed at their Muslim identity.
50% of them experienced some level of discomfort from teachers, school admin, and staff because they are Muslim.
So far, we have been able to survey students from the following Sunday schools:
Al-Ilm Sunday School at MTI (Indianapolis)
Al-Noor Sunday School at Eman Schools (Fishers)
Inspyred Sunday School (Carmel)
Islamic Society of Evansville Sunday School (Evansville)
If you would like to host a student surveying session with IMAN, please contact Yaqoub Saadeh at yaqoub@imanadvocates.org.
