Muslim Advocates Reviews

Pros

Muslim Advocates is a great place to be if you want hands-on experience in advocacy. The work is interesting and there is always something to work on as it is a very fast-paced environment, the team is extremely kind and supportive, and the overall work environment is very uplifting and positive. I gained many valuable skills from my time there and always learned something new. The team is full of people who truly care about the work and are motivated to make a change.

Cons

During COVID-19 and working remotely can be hard to connect with everyone.

Pros

I think the people at MA are great, and they have good motivations for their work. The people try their best to make everyone feel comfortable

Cons

There is a lack of organization within the group, and work distribution can sometimes leave interns confused as to what they should be doing.

Pros

The staff at MA is incredible! They are extremely dedicated, knowledgeable, relentless and always seeking ways to help people. It's an incredibly rewarding experience and there are a lot of opportunities to work on different projects.

Cons

Due to the nature of the work, there can be unexpected deadlines and time sensitive assignments. This is no fault of the organization, rather this is what comes with working in civil rights.

Pros

The org does a lot of good work. The other pro is that when you leave, your life will improve dramatically.

Cons

The Executive Director built the organization around herself. She has no concept of trust and respect -- only running the place like it is an extension of her ego. She is thoroughly despised by the civil rights community and former staff. She is very good at raising money by presenting as "the good Muslim."

Pros

People are terrific and deeply committed to the work, salary scale is fair, benefits are good. I have worked at Muslim Advocates less than a year, but long enough to get to know staff and the work. I am baffled by the negative reviews of the organization. I have found everyone to be very welcoming and deeply committed to racial justice and inclusivity.

Cons

The work is challenging and doing it during a pandemic makes it much harder

Pros

- Strong focus on legal and policy work. Organization is steered by advisors and a board (mainly comprised of lawyers, policy experts, law professors, etc.) that keep the work very focused and in line with its mission. The organization has a reputation for being disciplined in staying within its lanes of impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community education, without delving into other areas. - Organization's overall approach and strategy places an high priority on building coalitions, collaboration, and working closely with other non-Muslim allies and partner groups - One of the only women-led organizations that operate in this space makes it a very special and unique place to work. - Diverse workforce and a culture that welcomes people from different backgrounds (religion, race, gender identity, etc.) - Stable funding sources due to the organization's ability to remain focused on its work and mission, and management's responsible fiscal approach. - Very rewarding and impactful work, especially given the current state of affairs nationally. - Compensation packages are quite competitive relative to the industry.

Cons

- The work was stressful and fast paced for a nonprofit organization, although consistent with what I've heard from colleagues at other civil rights organizations that operate nationally and work on federal issues. - Sometimes asked to chip in with projects outside of the job description because of the lean nature of the organization that requires an "all hands on deck" approach. - The job required flexibility, and was not not a traditional 9-5 job due to the nature of the work and the issues currently impacting the community. Some of the work is responsive to the news cycle and can require working after hours or on weekends.

Pros

Depending on the current cohort of employees, you may have the chance to meet incredibly intelligent, hardworking, and passionate colleagues.

Cons

Muslim Advocates claims to litigate, educate, and advocate, but save for a few employees, they only exploit, exploit, exploit. Whether you’re a staff member, a donor, a partner organization, or a politician, you will be used for and seen only as the value you add to the lives of the two leading directors. Your personal and professional goals matter just as much as your individual passion for civil rights; that is to say: you matter nothing at all, other than your dollar, your hour, or your clout. In Muslim Advocates’s public-facing materials, the leaders describe themselves as the champion for the “rich and full diversity of the American Muslim community.” Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth. Unless you are a white person, specifically a white male, you will be treated as less-intelligent, less-capable, less-worthy of respect, and less-valuable than other employees. If you are a black person, you will be subjected to the most perilous of conditions. Black employees are expected to be the main source of manual labor, be on-call at any moment, weather hazardous conditions, and bear the brunt of anti-Black discrimination in the office. It is backwards behavior for a civil rights organization—but I have come to realize that MA upholds the principles of a civil rights organization with the same congruency that a kitten’s purrs have to the roars of a lion. In the final months of my employment at Muslim Advocates, I was forced to endure a character assassination and witch hunt conducted by one of the directors. This director, as she called her friends begging them to leave a positive review (see reviews from 4/29, 4/29, and 5/9), would also mention me by name, stating falsely and ignorantly that I was one of two persons leaving negative reviews. (This is my first and last review of this organization.) Campaigns against employees, such as the one just described, are not unique or rare. If any employee disagrees with any action or idea proposed by a director, they will be targeted for harassment and mistreatment. To my disappointment, this organization falls far short of its espoused mission and values. The continuous exodus of staff is a telling sign of how the organization is managed. At Muslim Advocates, daily you will be subjected to either pernickety, pettifogging directors or malicious campaigns meant to drive you out of the organization. If you believe in fighting for social progress and civil rights, you should instead explore other organizations whose leaders live their proclaimed values.

Pros

Management has a knack for hiring talented, passionate, and motivated staff who care deeply about the mission. Non-management level staff work to support one another's professional and emotional growth.

Cons

Muslim Advocates is plagued by a consistently toxic workplace culture - which seem to date nearly to the founding of the organization. Originating with one particular member of senior management, the rest of the management team enables toxic (and at times, abusive) behaviors to thrive by refusing to enforce appropriate boundaries and protections for staff members. Further, the deference given to 1 or 2 senior management members to make all organizational decisions results in severe project delays (to the point of often needing to abandon projects) or the fabrication of problems -as junior level staff are expected to find solutions for issues that arose only because of senior staff's inability to delegate decision making. Finally, there is no room for professional growth or development. The organization shames employees for seeking greater responsibilities, recognition, and compensation - frequently fueled by a capricious and manipulative use of the term "family" when referring to staff.

Pros

This is one of the most effective civil rights groups out there, the benefits and pay are good, and I don't think they've ever laid anyone off, which is especially important post-COVID. If you're mission driven and want to make sure you can pay your student loans - this is a great place to work.

Cons

Working at Muslim Advocates means you got to put your ego aside sometimes and not be above helping colleagues or being flexible. It's high-paced and sometimes is all hands on deck...but hate crimes and discrimination against Muslims happen all the time and there's not a lot of room for ego.

Pros

The mission is admirable and worthwhile. There are some really passionate people on staff who care about the issues. The org was built from the ground by a Muslim woman. Benefits are generous and there’s plenty of vacation time.

Cons

If you’re exempt, the expectation is that you are always “on” and always available. They’ll tell you “that’s just the pace” but requests aren’t often urgent, they’re just thought of at odd times. One upper management member in particular frequently berates employees and behaves in an unprofessional way. Other members of upper management are aware of this behavior but make decisions that show they value this person’s ego over organizational health. There’s a bad case of founder’s syndrome but it pales in comparison to the abuse from staff. As an example, if you don’t answer a call you’ll receive repetitive calls and text messages on your personal phone until you call back, even if it’s on your “off hours”. Expect to be scolded if you attempt to log any kind of complaint. There’s no real HR. I wouldn’t suggest working here unless you’re very comfortable nodding and agreeing. Even if you’re not belittled for your ideas and experience, they certainly won’t be taken into account.