Kimberlé Crenshaw’s (1991) theory of intersectionality delves into how our various intersecting identities, including religion, race, and gender, evolve and influence one another. By neglecting these intersectional identities, Crenshaw argues marginalisation is exacerbated. Dr Simran Jeet Singh (Trinity University, 2016) professor in religion states that currently in legacy media they are ‘mobilising propaganda’ in representing faith and religion. We need to allow space for discourse to happen about our differences in a constructive way rather than the destructive tactics western legacy media uses.
An example of this would be how Muslims are labeled as “terrorists” while portraying white individuals who commit atrocities with sympathy, often attributing their actions to mental health issues. This biased portrayal perpetuates societal divisions, implanting subconscious ideologies of hatred towards marginalised groups as “other” (Said, E. W. 1978), or “human animals” (Mojo Story 2023). Furthermore, it illustrates the compounded nature of discrimination – with racism intersecting with prejudice against faith.
In western societies, the visibility of faith becomes a political statement. For example, Muslim women’s modest attire and the hijab (veil), carries social implications. Mirza (2018) discusses the experiences of Kusbah, a Muslim female trainee teacher, facing institutionalised, gendered, racist and religious prejudice. Kusbah’s white male tutor infantilised her due to her visible veil, presuming she was too submissive to manage a classroom- an attitude influenced by media-driven anti-Muslim rhetoric (Beydoun, K., 2023).
In workshop 4 we discussed Mirza (2018), and my group nominated me to speak on this, but I found that I was too triggered to make sense when I spoke. Once, having been a visibly muslim girl, at the age of 14, after the London 7/7 bombings (2005) I was assaulted by a grown man who tried to rip of my Hijab… I haven’t worn it since. This kind of compound prejudice, is the product of Islamaphobia within Britain, where there is a general belief held that Muslim women are oppressed. However, as a Muslim woman, I agree with Jawad (2022) ‘Islam proclaimed the equal value of men and women as essential contributors to the private and public life of their society’.
It’s imperative to me that no one should feel ashamed of who they are, whether it’s a matter of their faith, gender, sexuality, race, or disability. Through persona pedagogy (Thomas, C. 2022), I can ensure safety in the classroom by investigating real life accounts of different people with intersecting identities, and configure a persona to inform the design of my technical workshops.
In the UAL student profile data below we can also see that there are less people of a religious background at post graduate level. It could be because students are not comfortable disclosing their religion; they are not religious, or students with a faith tend not to go for post graduate courses. This finding could perpetuate the cycle of academics being from a certain back ground.
This begs the question, If we only promote secularism in academia, then we may unknowingly propagate systemic biases at UAL. Faith may serve individuals as a coping mechanism, offering comfort, hope, and purpose during challenging times (Koenig, Ames, and Pearce, 2019). University staff should bear this in mind and handle students with specific faith needs with empathy, this is an ideal situation to use persona pedagogy and develop best practice.
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References:
Appiah, K. A. (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). Youtube [Online]. 16 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY
Beydoun, K. (2023) The New Crusades: Islamophobia and the Global War on Muslims. Oakland, CA: University of California Press.
Hilson, G., & Murck, B. (2000). Sustainable development in the mining industry: Clarifying the corporate perspective. Resources Policy, 26(4), 227-238.
Koenig, H., Ames, D. & Pearce, M., 2019. Religion and Recovery from PTSD. W.P. Nash (ed.). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [Online]. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/
Mirza, H. S. (2018) Black Bodies ‘Out of Place’ in Academic Spaces: Gender, Race, Faith and Culture in Post-race Times. In Dismantling Race in Higher Education, Eds. Arday, J & Mirza, H. S. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. pp 175-195.
Mojo Story. (2023, Oct 9). Israel Hamas Updates I “We are Fighting Animals” I Israel Announces Blockade of Gaza . YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlgHztaeoO4
Mukerjee, M. (2010). Churchill’s Secret War: The British Empire and the Ravaging of India during World War II. Basic Books.
Pargament, K. I. (1997). The Psychology of Religion and Coping: Theory, Research, Practice. Guilford Press.
Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. Vintage Books.
Smith, J.Z. (1995). Religion, Religions, Religious. In J.Z. Smith (Ed.), The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion (pp. 1019-1029). New York: HarperOne.
Staub, E. (2011). The roots of goodness and resistance to evil: Inclusive caring, moral courage, altruism born of suffering, active bystandership, and altruistic helping. In M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), The social psychology of morality: Exploring the causes of good and evil (pp. 211-236). American Psychological Association.
Thomas, C. (2022) Overcoming Identity Threat: Using Persona Pedagogy in Intersectionality and Inclusion Training. Social Sciences 11 (249)
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk
Simon, R. I. (1987). Empowerment as a Pedagogy of Possibility. Language Arts, 64(4), 370–382. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41961618
6 responses to “Inclusive Practices: Blog 2- Faith In Secular Spaces”
Your first paragraph begins with two fundamental points, the ways in which media portrays the representations of faith and religion, how these perspectives then perpetuate harmful stereotyping, racialisation, leading to lead to both epistemic injustice and prejudicial judgment. Allowing space for discourse to happen is something I agree with, speaking and writing about religion is a sensitive subject but being able to openly share and speak about faith, sharing experiences will allow for a much greater understanding and respect for those around us – it shouldn’t be a contentious issue to speak about faith.
I appreciate you sharing what must have been a very traumatising experience. I’m glad you have found the space to share it and by doing so have demonstrated exactly the kinds of negative identity prejudices that religious individuals face and how that may cause them to suppress their faith. As you point out, creating a safe space in which people can share experiences, allowing staff to be able to handle students with specific faith needs empathetically will foster an understanding of different perspectives within an inclusive environment.
Thanks for responding Sheran!
I’m grateful that you have been so supportive of me in sharing my experiences with Faith based prejudice. I think this might also be unique to the environment UAL fosters- or what we (the staff) strive to foster at UAL. I think the only way we can tackle prejudice is really at the beginning stages of education- in nursery and reception- and actually allowing that discourse to take place much earlier in life teaches children to be far more tolerant. They will develop the ability to have conversations we could only dream of as kids, broadening views on faiths traditionally stereotyped and encouraging tolerance.
You write about the discrimination and religious prejudges Muslim women face in western societies through the visibility of their faith through the veil. Jaclyn Rekis in the resources also mentions how veiled Muslim women face religious racialisation, as well as the challenges of being highly visible in secular spaces, causing Muslim women to be seen as lacking agency (Reki, J, 2023).
Thank you for sharing your own experiences here, this must have been difficult but makes this blog entry even more pertinent. What you mention about racism intersecting with prejudice against faith stuck out for me, why is it that misunderstanding, lack of respect, as well as fear is still prevalent in UK and western societies? Take the example below around a Muslim woman trying to swim in America and people calling the police on her because they felt her attire wasn’t appropriate.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/muslim-women-are-fighting-to-swim-in-america_n_5d5594d1e4b056fafd08aa70
In some instances policies around swimwear and training for staff to better facilitate and understand all types of swimwear are being introduced, doing so creates an inclusive spaces for everyone even if they wish to cover up as part of other religious groups or nonreligious reasons. But do policies like this go far enough?
You also mention UAL student profile data and less religious backgrounds at post graduate level this is also the case for the course I teach on, I agree that University staff should be empathetic towards religious needs, students with learning difficulties receive more time for their work and for good reason, should this also be the same for students practising their religion at certain points in the term, such as fasting?
Thanks for this Jon! Addressing your question about why misunderstanding, lack of respect, and fear are still prevalent in the UK and other Western societies, I believe it stems from a combination of historical prejudices, media representation, and a general lack of education about Islam and Muslim practices. The media often portrays Muslim women through a narrow lens, focusing on stereotypes rather than the diversity and individuality within our community. This kind of portrayal fuels fear and misunderstanding.
The example you shared about the Muslim woman trying to swim in America is a poignant illustration of these issues. It’s shocking that her attire led to such extreme reactions as calling the police. This incident highlights the urgent need for better education and policies that foster inclusivity and respect for all forms of swimwear, including those worn for religious reasons.
Policies that allow for inclusive swimwear are a step in the right direction, but you’re right to question wether they go ‘far enough’. True inclusivity requires ongoing education and training for staff to understand the cultural and religious significance of different attire, as well as broader societal shifts towards acceptance and respect for diversity.
Regarding the UAL student profile data showing less religious backgrounds at the postgraduate level, I agree that university staff should be empathetic towards religious needs. Just as students with learning difficulties receive accommodations, students practising their religion should also receive consideration, especially during significant periods like fasting. For example, during Ramadan, fasting students might benefit from adjustments to exam schedules or deadlines. I realise this sort of goes against universal design which is what we discussed in my previous blog, but surely univeral design can have space for recognising and respecting the diverse needs of all students to create a truly inclusive educational environment.
Thank you for engaging in this important discussion. It’s through conversations like these that we can hope to build a more understanding and respectful society.
Your introduction provides a comprehensive framework to consider faith from an intersectional lens. Here visibility comes with very real risks, which you make very clear and visceral with your personal experience. I appreciate you sharing that with us as I’m sure it remains a difficult event to make sense of.
Students at UAL should not have that fear of being visible. You articulate that necessity very eloquently. By weaving academic references, UAL data points and personal anecdotes, you successfully make the argument for religious visibility at all levels of the university. Your suggestion of using personas in the classroom is a useful one that I will explore in my own teaching context.
Thank you for this Adam 🙂
I would like to have the opportunity to also explore persona pedagogy myself. Would love to hear about your experiences in building them and what informed you, when you get around to it.