Source: Huffington Post

Two telephone helplines that offer counseling and support to Muslims in North America were flooded with calls during and after the U.S. presidential election, according to NBC News.

The Canada-based organizations, Naseeha Muslim Youth Helpline and NISA Helpline, say there’s been an uptick in calls from American Muslims, some of whom are worried about their future under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Leaders at both Naseeha and NISA expect this upward trend to continue after his inauguration on Friday.

Islamophobic rhetoric was a core part of Trump’s campaign. In the past, he’s floated the idea of banning Muslims from entering the country and even been open to the idea of registering American Muslims on a national database. He’s now surrounded himself with advisors who harbor prejudiced views of Islam.

All of that has resulted in anxious calls to her organization, according to NISA helpline director Tanweer Ebrahim. NISA specifically provides free, confidential telephone counseling for Muslim women. In 2015, it reportedly received 3,579 calls. That number increased to about 4,500 in 2016. In particular, Ebrahim says she saw a 3 to 4 percent bump in calls after the election.

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