Despite the controversy — or maybe because of it — Mipsterz eventually made it out to the suburbs. Parents of Muslim children started reaching out to the group, Rattani says. Their kids felt foreign at times, the parents said, but after the video went viral, their classmates saw that being Muslim could be cool. Some even wanted to be Mipsters themselves, Rattani remembers hearing.

“Mipsterz has created a space where young Muslims can have open discussions, share their experiences and not be ashamed of who they are,” Shaikley says.

Though the group’s goal is not to address Islamophobia, “in a way, we are sort of combating Islamophobia by just being ourselves,” Rattani says.