Impact of Islamophobia on post-secondary Muslim students attending Ontario Universities

This study investigated the experiences of Muslim students attending Canadian institutions of higher education in the context of increasing Islamophobia. Qualitative semi-structured interviewing was used to explore the impact of anti-Muslim sentiment on the academic experiences of Muslim students and patterns of identity construction subsequent to recent national and international terrorism-labeled events such as the 2015 Paris bombings and 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting. Analysis of interview data yielded two major themes: (a) the formation of a strong religious identity in response to experiences of Islamophobia and (b) a distinction between general Islamophobia and gendered Islamophobia. The findings suggest that Muslim students in the current post 9/11 era are becoming increasingly devout, have a strong attachment to their religious identity, and are at the forefront of advocating for Muslims through education, activism, civic participation, and interfaith dialogue.