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Katayoun Kishi

Former Research Associate

Expertise:Religion and Public Life

Katayoun Mirfendereski Kishi is a research associate at Pew Research Center. She oversees the Center’s annual study on global restrictions on religion. Her previous work has included research on topics such as identity politics and religion, international conflict, survey research and food security. Before joining Pew Research Center, Kishi held positions at the United States Institute of Peace and the office of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. She earned a doctorate in government and politics, with a concentration in comparative politics and quantitative methodology, from the University of Maryland.

Publications

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short readsMar 21, 2019

4 facts about religion in New Zealand

Almost all New Zealanders said in a 2011-2012 survey that they would accept a neighbor of a different religion.
short readsJun 21, 2018

Key findings on the global rise in religious restrictions

Restrictions on religion continued to climb in 2016 around the world, the second year in a row of increases.
short readsNov 15, 2017

Assaults against Muslims in U.S. surpass 2001 level

The number of assaults against Muslims in the United States rose significantly between 2015 and 2016, easily surpassing the modern peak reached in 2001.
short readsNov 3, 2017

Many Central and Eastern Europeans see link between religion and national identity

In 11 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a median of 66% say being a member of the country’s official or preferred faith is important to belong to the nationality.
short readsJun 9, 2017

Christians faced widespread harassment in 2015, but mostly in Christian-majority countries

Christians were harassed by governments or social groups in a total of 128 countries in 2015 – more countries than any other religious group.
short readsApr 12, 2017

Muslims, Jews faced social hostilities in seven-in-ten European countries in 2015

Europe in 2015 saw a rise in social hostilities involving religion, particularly against the continent’s Muslims.
short readsApr 11, 2017

Government harassment, use of force against religious groups increased sharply in Europe in 2015

Thirty-eight European governments harassed religious groups in limited or widespread ways in 2015, while 24 used some type of force against religious groups.
short readsFeb 7, 2017

Most refugees who enter the U.S. as religious minorities are Christians

A little over a third of the refugees admitted into the U.S. in fiscal 2016 were religious minorities in their home countries. Of those, 61% were Christians and 22% were Muslims.
short readsNov 21, 2016

Anti-Muslim assaults reach 9/11-era levels, FBI data show

There were 91 reported aggravated or simple assaults motivated by anti-Muslim bias in 2015, just two shy of the 93 reported in 2001.
short readsJul 7, 2016

6 facts about religious hostilities in the Middle East and North Africa

In 2014, the median level of religious hostilities in the Middle East and North Africa reached a level four times that of the global median.