The Washington Post: Asking U.S. Muslims to choose between faith, nation pushes them away from public life

UC political scientist Brian Calfano says simply asking Muslim Americans about their national identity can lower their political engagement in this op-ed

Surveys that ask Muslims to choose to identify as Muslim or American often serves to make them less politically engaged, writes Brian Calfano, an assistant professor of political science and journalism at the University of Cincinnati, in an op-ed published in the Washington Post.

Calfano, co-author of “Understanding Muslim Political Life in America: Contested Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century,” explains in the story how, while Muslim Americans express a strong commitment to the U.S., surveys that frame identity in terms of faith or nation may unintentionally discourage Muslims from engaging in politics.  

Read the story here.

 

 

Featured image at top: Members of the American Muslim community shelter from the sun under a U.S. stars and stripes flag umbrella at a demonstration to protest what they say is the Indian government's occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority state within India, outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles on Aug. 10. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

Related Stories

2

CCM welcomes new film and media scoring faculty member J.R. Paredes

May 20, 2026

UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of J.R. Paredes as CCM's new Assistant Professor of Film and Media Scoring. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2026. Paredes is a composer, music producer and audio post-production specialist whose work spans film, television and commercial music. His credits include original scores for feature films and series distributed on platforms such as Apple TV+ and Prime Video, as well as extensive work in sound design and mixing for film and media.

3

6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions

May 20, 2026

When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.