American Muslim Groups ask President Biden To Cancel Student Debt And Establish Interest-Free Student Loans

Thirty-two Muslim groups wrote to US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona last week, saying the student debt crisis poses a major challenge for American workers and students, including Muslims. 

The letter was initiated by A Continuous Charity, CAIR, the Islamic Scholarship Fund, and the National Association of Muslim Lawyers. 

Nearly one-third of American students go into debt to pay for college.

Americans collectively owe nearly $1.6 trillion in student loan debt.

Younger graduating Americans are delaying purchasing homes and starting families due to heavy student loan debt.  

The joint letter also addressed the moral dilemma Muslims students face by having to choose between their faith and their education due to such loans. 

Islam, like some other faith traditions, considers interest-based debt as destructive and immoral.

The groups said President Biden should use his executive authority to establish principal-only loans. 

This would be in order to ensure that future students can pursue higher education without incurring burdensome debt or violating their religious values.