Muslims in Canada face unique challenges attributed to their intersectional identities of race, culture, gender, and ability, which are compounded by their experiences of racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Muslim sentiments. There is limited research on the social service needs of Muslim communities. This is a community-based participatory action research project which started as a student-led initiative to create a Muslim student group (Muslim Human Service Alliance) at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work with the support of Professor Ka Tat Tsang. The study will fill a gap in social work research by exploring the social service needs of Ontario’s Muslim population in order to help social workers better understand the barriers and facilitators impacting Muslims as they access social services. The research will ultimately inform recommendations on how to improve services for this diverse population.

 Explore the lived experiences of Muslims accessing social services

 Identify the existing challenges or barriers in accessing social services

 Critically examine the gaps in service provision and delivery amongst diverse Muslim communities in Ontario

 Develop recommendations to improve service provision for Muslim communities

This project has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grant.

The study includes 12 focus groups and 24 interviews with service users, and 2 focus groups with service providers.