In a country which criticizes the abuse and discrimination in Muslim nations, a new study shows that anti-Islamic and anti-Middle Eastern sentiments are still a huge problem in America. Researchers say Arab and Muslim men saw their wages drop a full 10 percent after September 11th, 2001. The largest wage decreases were in areas of the country which also reported higher than average rates of crime based on religion and race. The data was collected from over 4,000 Middle-Eastern and Muslim men between 1997 and 2005.

The study’s co-author, Robert Kaestner, a University of Illinois at Chicago economics professor, said that fewer high-paying job opportunities were available to men from predominantly Islamic countries. Additionally, Kaestner reports that after 9/11, Muslim and Arab men have also restricted their travel within the country (for obvious reasons). This curb in travel may be a factor keeping them from seeking better jobs. Kaestner was surprised at his findings since Arabs and Muslims are generally highly educated. Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council On American-Islamic Relations-Chicago, said the study “underscores one of the very real ways in which prejudice can hurt a community,” he said. “We learned from previous studies that prejudice against Arabs and Muslims have caused them to suffer both civil rights abuses and psychological harm. Now we learn that it also bears economic ramifications.”

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