Illinois has the most Muslims per capita in the US. A new report provides a snapshot of their needs.

A brand new report on Muslims in Illinois — the primary of its variety — reveals a various and younger inhabitants in want of companies and engagement from policymakers and philanthropy.

Titled “Illinois Muslims: Wants, Property, and Alternatives,” the report is a product of three years of preparation and analysis — together with surveys and focus teams — in a partnership between the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition; the Institute for Coverage and Civic Engagement on the College of Illinois Chicago; and Institute for Social Coverage and Understanding (ISPU), a Washington,D.C.-based assume tank.

“Illinois has the very best per capita inhabitants of American Muslims,” stated Erum Ikramullah, ISPU’s analysis challenge supervisor. “A snapshot of Illinois’ Muslims is a snapshot of American Muslims.”

The report estimates that there are greater than 350,000 Illinois residents who self-identify as Muslim — roughly 3% of the state’s inhabitants. The report additionally says Muslims are the youngest and most various religion group within the state, consisting of members of varied races, ethnicities and nationalities. In keeping with the report, 35% of Illinois Muslims are Black, 31% are Asian, 23% are white, and eight% are Hispanic. The examine reveals that fifty% of Muslim respondents reported being between the ages of 18 and 35, in comparison with 42% of the final Illinois pattern. As well as, simply 15% of Muslim respondents reported being older than 55, in comparison with 29% of respondents from the final Illinois inhabitants.

Ikramullah stated the report helps to light up the longstanding concern of discrimination towards members of the religion. The report signifies that 52% of Muslim respondents stated that they had skilled non secular discrimination, in comparison with 24% of the final Illinois pattern. She added that the Illinois numbers mirror a nationwide pattern.

Knowledge across the psychological well being wants of Muslims was one other level that mirrored nationwide figures, Ikramullah stated. About 47% of Muslim respondents reported experiencing psychological well being points, on par with 51% of respondents from the final Illinois inhabitants. Nevertheless, fewer Illinois Muslim respondents sought out and obtained assist for these points — usually citing the dearth of inexpensive and culturally acceptable psychological well being sources, in line with the report.

These challenges however, Ikramullah stated, the Illinois Muslim group can be “thriving and extremely engaged” with a couple of third of Muslims participating in civic actions past registering to vote or voting.

The examine additionally reveals that amongst Muslim respondents in Illinois, 12% are self-employed or have their very own companies, in comparison with 7% of the final state pattern.

“[Illinois Muslims] are creating greater than 350,000 jobs throughout the state,” stated Dilara Sayeed, president of the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, which introduced collectively the companions for the examine. “You could have this group that could be very desperate to be entrepreneurial, to convey jobs to convey progress to their state and their nation.”

Sayeed added that Muslims in Illinois are additionally a “beneficiant and giving group.” The report notes that about 83% of Muslim respondents donated to organizations or causes related to their religion group within the final yr, in contrast with 46% of the final state pattern.

For Seth Ibrahim, who was an imam at Mosque of Umar on Chicago’s South Aspect for 35 years, the report confirms what he has seen for many years: the Muslim group in Illinois is various and huge, consisting of Black Individuals and immigrants from each continent.

“We’re a big a part of the social dynamic,” Ibrahim stated. “We vote and we communicate up, and we communicate up for what’s proper.”

He stated the wants of various Muslim communities all through the state fluctuate primarily based on their geographies, however all teams are “organized, structured, constructing our locations of worship and locations of training.”

Ibrahim stated Muslims “have to proceed unifying, structuring ourselves in a manner the place we’re not in want of something.”

Sayeed, with the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, stated she hopes authorities, philanthropy and different establishments will continue learning concerning the strengths and desires of a “very massive, various and complex group.”

The report referred to as for lawmakers to ask Muslims to the desk when crafting insurance policies, and for colleges and organizations to supply halal choices for meals (halal means “permissible” in Arabic and is most frequently used when referring to meals or consumable items). The report additionally invited funders to “make investments equitably in Muslim-led nonprofits primarily based on demographics and desires.”

The report’s full outcomes will likely be introduced Thursday afternoon by way of Zoom. Registration data could be discovered right here.

Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter for WBEZ’s Race, Class and Communities desk. Observe her on Twitter @estheryjkang.