Muslim Faith Trends Project
A Pilot Study of Religious Affiliation and Disaffiliation Among American Muslim Youth.
Project Overview
Recent research suggests that more than a third of American youth no longer identify with any religious tradition. But what about American Muslim youth? How are they doing and what are their struggles? In this pilot research study, we will explore the religious trends of affiliated and disaffiliated American Muslim youth. We want to understand their experiences of faith, practice, and spirituality–as well as individual, family, community, and societal factors connected to these experiences. We really want to know what helps promote not only privately held conviction but also transformative faith that positively impacts families and communities.
Across 2 years, we will collect data from youth, parents, scholars, and community leaders. This project was made possible through the generous support of The Templeton Religion Trust. Ultimate gratitude is due to Allah (God) for giving us the opportunity to serve our young people.
Meet the Team:
Dr. Altaf Husain
Howard University
Project Director
Dr. Samuel J. Ross
Texas Christian University (TCU)
Project Co-Director
Dr. Madiha Tahseen
The Family and Youth Institute (The FYI)
Project Co-Investigator
Dr. Youssef Chouhoud
Christopher Newport University
Consultant
Dr. Zainab Alwani
Howard University
Consultant
Updates
To center the voices of our community leaders and to make sure we are assessing the on-the-ground reality of what youth are going through, the research team began by consulting with academic researchers, Muslim scholars, and community leaders through a two-day virtual workshop (December, 2022) and three virtual town halls (February, 2023).
We then used the insight gained from these convenings to revise our proposed surveys and launched data collection. We are actively recruiting adolescents and young adults, as well as a subset of their parents, for our pilot research study.
Please see the flyer below for more information and share widely in your networks to support this important project!
How will the data be protected?
- The data will be collected in a secure and confidential online platform
- Identifying information will be removed from participant’s responses
- All findings will be shared in an aggregate manner so no one’s individual responses will be will be identifiable
- Participants can end the survey at any time
What will we do with the findings?
- Share findings with researchers, Muslim scholars, leaders, and community leaders through a workshop and multiple townhalls
- Empower Muslim scholars, leaders, and institutions to develop religious programming that better meets the needs of Muslim youth today.
- Disseminate our findings through a white paper with academic groups, American Muslim communities, policymakers, and the broader public.
- Uplift the strengths that Muslim youth show in the face of difficult circumstances.
Publications and Presentations
We look forward to communicating more information about the study as it gets underway. Please be on the lookout for updates.
Contact us:
muslimfaithtrends@gmail.com