Islam and Religious Diversity on Campus

Abstract

The higher education sector must facilitate discussions around inter-religious co-existence on campus and beyond. In our research, participants used different words to describe their relationships with others beyond their faith, often using ‘inter-cultural’ and ‘inter-religious’ interchangeably. For some religious people their religion may be a matter of cultural or habitual identity rather than a conviction—such as those who describe themselves as marginally, culturally, or nominally religious. Our focus on inter-religious relations repositions Islam and Muslims as equally valued collaborators in the cause of promoting ‘good’ inter-religious relations. We identified three modes of prejudice. Firstly, we identified subtle forms of discrimination and unfair treatment; secondly, a climate of prejudice against Muslims; thirdly, evidenced discrimination, where it is possible to legally prove an act of discrimination. Personal encounters are crucial. Four types of diversity can be found on campus: pluralist, incumbent, fragmented, and indifferent, of which the first two are more harmonious. We recommend that the higher education sector aim for the plural diversity model and that it learns from the incumbent diversity of the Muslim colleges.