The resources: Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question) (Appiah, 2014), Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account (Reki, 2023), Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women (Jawad, 2022) and Challenging Race and Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom (Trinity University, 2016) all illustrate the way faith influences and impacts how a person is perceived by the world and the way in which the world perceives them.
A common theme I identified is that misinterpretations of religion lead to people seeing religion through a limiting lens. This misinterpretation is not only limited to those outside of the religion but is often perpetrated by those who are part of the religion too. Be it as a way to discourage Islamic women from participating in sport, or making judgements about people based on their own interpretations of their perceived religion. A common theme is that there is an overwhelming focus on what religions don’t allow people to do rather than what it enables them to do and believe about themselves and the world around them.
The two stories that stood out to me were the Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom, (Trinity University, 2016) and Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account (Medina, 2017). The article that details epistemic injustice, this is the argument that religious people often face unfair treatment due to how their religion is perceived. In my view the Trinity video starkly depicted epistemic injustice, as it showed how the ignorance Simran Jeet Singh faced when out in public meant that he felt the need to try and alter how others saw him by humanising himself and showing them pictures of his daughters. Although this is a progressive approach and allows connection with others it does not sit right with me. I can’t help but think of how exhausting this could become and how unique a position Singh is in. Being a Religion Professor, he has the necessary tools. However, when out in public this is not his role. In addition to this I’m sure there are thousands of others without the tools, who have similar shared experiences, but have to sit in the uncomfortableness due to others’ ignorance. Simply put the onus should not be on them, but others to question the stereotypes they choose to believe. Singh’s account reminded me of a similar story that I read in 2020.(Motherly, 2020) A black man tweeted that he was too afraid to walk around his neighbourhood without his daughters, for fear of being considered a threat. Although the characteristic that makes them feel as though they are being perceived as a threat differ, one is religion the other race, their mechanism to navigate this feeling is eerily similar.
My own relationship with religion is one that is quite fluid. The older I’ve gotten the less I’d say religion influences my life or the way in which I view the world through. However, writing this blog and researching this topic has led me to begin considering whether this is because I also view religion through a limiting lens, which is something I don’t think I’m comfortable with, when reflecting on it.
In my practice, faith does not come up. However, upon reflection it should be something I consider, as it may be having a profound impact on the students and graduates I work with. It could be influencing what career path or company is suited to them or make them more open to discrimination. Up until now my own positionality has led to me not considering religion and its influence, but it is important that I change this going forward in order to best support those I work with.
References
Appiah, K. A., 2014. Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY (Accessed 12 July 2024).
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/ (Accessed 12 July 2024).
Medina, J. (2017) Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. New York: Oxford University Press.
Motherly (2020) This dad’s viral Facebook post sheds light on what it feels like to be a black man in the US : https://www.mother.ly/life/dad-walking-dog-viral/ (Accessed: 12 July 2024).
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk (Accessed: 12 July 2024)
4 responses to “Faith blog”
Interesting writing, I’m was struck too by Simran Jeet Singh’s account on how he feels he is perceived and by the man who felt that having his daughters with him made him less threatening. I do feel that as a man regardless of appearance i’ve felt at times judged whether it walking on a street at night at the same time as a lone woman, I’ve felt compelled to modify my pace and walk slower or stop for a minute to allow them to walk on. Obvious religious attire can also have a similar effect, I suppose it depends on the area and how often you come across a particular appearance, do some misconstrue curiosity with circumspect. Sikhism in the UK is common and I think it would be rare for people to be wary of the appearance as Sub-Continental Asian culture is so interwoven with Native culture.
I think you’re right that many often see the negatives to religion if they are not of that belief, many perceived characteristics of religion are not even dictated by the faith but are cultural memes that become woven into faith. This is where they can be abused in the name of faith so tarnishing is image.
Thank you for sharing that Campbell! When reading both accounts I don’t think I considered how the feeling of being perceived as a threat could be a shared experience between men regardless of their race or religion. I guess the question would be whether this feeling is compounded if other factors such as race and religion come into play when intersecting with gender. I also think your comment on religion and culture becoming woven into faith is an important one, thanks again.
This is such a reflective piece, thank you Jazmin, it has really gotten me thinking about the perceived limitations that you mention outsiders have of different faith groups.
As a Christian myself I’ve spent time considering the concept of no sex outside of marriage which many (myself included) have considered a limiting factor of this faith group. However talking to both secular individuals and Christians who choose to carry out this practice and those who don’t I now understand how it can see seen in another light as a precious gift to a future partner within marriage and a bond between those two people that has never been shared with anyone else. Without giving myself space to look past my own preconceptions (even from within a Faith group) and explore how others see and approach this perceived “limitation” my mind would have remained closed. I am grateful for those sharing their opinions and thoughts on such an intimate concept with me and find it even more fascinating that perceptions of “limiting” factors of faith groups are often also shared by those within these groups generally due to a lack of communication.
Jazmin, you highlight such a great point about the perspective of religion – its so obvious when pointed out – but I think it has just become the norm (or noticed more growing older, or when actually applying focus to it), the general lens of negativity surrounding religion. As someone who does not practise a faith myself but have been overwhelmed by the positivity and sense of community that I have learned about through my colleagues. It was very nice to read your own perspective on faith and how your mindset is changing regarding its influence in your work.
As Campbell mentions within his own accounts of feeling conscious and altering his actions based on perceived bias – likewise this is something I have also felt (fortunately not to the extent that others feel this way), I don’t believe I come across particularly threatening, but equally vice versa have also been concerned about being followed myself and think this reveals something much more about current public state of mind and general distrust of others (something of which I personally feel is amplified to a whole new level since living in London) – which of course is much further exacerbated through stereotyping of others, be that sex, race, religion. I suppose the reality is that this boils down to a lack of trust in others that further continues to divide and separate communities – although our power outside of UAL is limited, I think it shows how important it is to create a positive community within the institution for both staff and students.