Muslim Americans are a group of people who practice the Islamic religion. In the United States, some people are prejudiced against people who practice Islam and may go so far as to generalize them as terrorists, which is completely unfair. This prejudice is called Islamophobia (Schaefer, 2015) and is still a major problem in our country. This problem needs to be resolved: not all Muslims are responsible for 9/11 and some need to stop acting as if they were. As a country, Americans must move beyond stereotypes and move toward acceptance. In America, people are supposed to enjoy freedom of religion; anyone should be allowed to practice their religion without being harassed because of it. However, after the events of September 11, 2001, hate crimes against Muslims in the United States increased, with nearly 500 in 2001 (“Hate Crimes Against Muslims,” 2015). Since most of these hate crimes took place after September 2011, the bulk of these hate crimes occurred in just four months. It's shocking and sad. According to Jeremy Markon, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) stated that the FBI racially profiled people, particularly Muslim Americans, but also other minorities (2011). This violates people's rights and it is unfair. Additionally, many people are misinformed about their biases. Many people mistakenly believe that Islam is a violent religion and that women are oppressed by this religion, but these are not accurate representations of what Islam is (Schaefer, 2015). According to "Common Misconceptions about Muslims", Islam does not promote the abuse or oppression of women, and the concept of "Jihad" is not a violent principle, but rather an inner conflict... middle paper... ...plus, to research which group I would be speaking about at assembly, our class handbook was a great resource. Our class was also good research; I truly believe that all majors should require at least one basic diversity course. The Internet is also a great resource. People just need to be careful that websites are credible and do not contain false information. Finally, no one should feel unwelcome in this country for any reason, whether it be race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, etc. The Statue of Liberty was once a beacon of hope for many immigrants who wanted a better life, more freedom, or both; freedom of religion was supposed to be one of the benefits. Why should we be intolerant of people who just want to live in this country and practice their religion in peace? America has come a long way in tolerance, but there is still work to do..