About 67.5% of the Muslims living in the US have experienced Islamophobia at least once in their life, according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley.
Women reported more Islamophobic experiences than men as the rates stood at 76.7% for Muslim women compared to 58.6% Muslim men, the Othering & Belonging Institute said in a press release on Wednesday.
According to the survey, two out of every three Muslims have been subjected to Islamophobic acts, with 33 percent admitting to concealing their religious identities at times in order to avoid Islamophobic acts, and 88.2 percent admitting to avoiding certain speeches and actions in order to avoid backlash.
An overwhelming 93.7 percent of respondents said Islamophobia has an impact on their emotional and mental health.
Nearly 45 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 were more likely than any other group to have concealed their religious identity.
“The survey conducted two decades after the 9/11 attacks which led to a surge of hate crimes and prompted government policies targeting Muslims, provides insight into the experiences, lived realities, and psychological impacts of Islamophobia on millions of US residents,” the press release read.
The survey included 1,123 Muslims, roughly half of whom were women and half of whom were men. The participants are both citizens and non-citizens who live and/or work in the United States. Muslims of various ages, national and ethnic backgrounds, and educational levels are among them. Over 60 questions are included in the survey.