Islam on Campus

Abstract

This book explores how Islam is represented, perceived and lived within higher education in Britain. It is a book about the changing nature of university life, and the place of religion within it. Even while many universities maintain ambiguous or affirming orientations to religious institutions for reasons to do with history and ethos, much western scholarship has presumed higher education to be a strongly secularizing force. This framing has resulted in religion often being marginalized or ignored as a cultural irrelevance by the university sector. However, recent times have seen higher education increasingly drawn into political discourses that problematize religion in general, and Islam in particular, as an object of risk. Using the largest data set yet collected in the UK (2015–18) this book explores university life and the ways in which ideas about Islam and Muslim identities are produced, experienced, perceived, appropriated, and objectified. We ask what role universities and Muslim higher education institutions play in the production, reinforcement and contestation of emerging narratives about religious difference. This is a culturally nuanced treatment of universities as sites of knowledge production, and contexts for the negotiation of perspectives on culture and religion among an emerging generation. We demonstrate the urgent need to release Islam from its official role as the othered, the feared. When universities achieve this we will be able to help students of all affiliations and of none to be citizens of the campus in preparation for being citizens of the world.

Listening to Muslim Students’ Voices on the Prevent Duty in British Universities: A Qualitative Study

“…Thus, under the Prevent agenda, religious characteristics indicate a source of 'danger'. Brown and Saeed (2015) and Scott-Baumann and Cheruvallil-Contractor (2016) demonstrate how female Muslim students on campus are labelled as 'radicals'. In particular, Muslim students who wear the niqab are accused of being a 'security threat' on campus; they are also seen as an 'ideological threat' on the basis that their face is covered and this hinders face-to-face communication.…”

Religious positionalities and political science research in ‘the field’ and beyond: Insights from Vietnam, Lebanon and the UK

“…Accusations of a lack of neutrality are not simply annoying but can become downright dangerous for a Muslim studying political violence and terrorism. The negative effects of Preventthe part of the British counterterrorism strategy focused on 'prevention'on Muslim students and academics is wellresearched (Scott-Baumann, 2020;Sabir, 2022), and I know that I could also be targeted.…”

Islamic educational leadership

“…Types of Islamic higher educational institutions in the British context vary. Key research on Islam in UK higher education by Scott-Baumann et al (2020) divides the sector into two broad categories, "teaching and learning Islam (Islamic theology), which usually takes place in Muslim seminaries" and "teaching and learning about Islam (Islamic Studies), which usually takes place in universities". IHEIs also vary in terms of their accreditation, quality reviewing and program validation.…”

“…In light of such a context, it is no surprise that Islamic-based higher education organizations would be subject to alarmist rhetoric about the dangers of 'radical Islam' from right-wing media reporting and particular think tanks and campaign groups (Scott-Baumann et al, 2020;Scott-Baumann & Perfect, 2021). In their negotiations to secure collaborations with other universities, these institutions have to prove their distance from fears of radicalization and extremism.…”

“…In their negotiations to secure collaborations with other universities, these institutions have to prove their distance from fears of radicalization and extremism. Their autonomy becomes even more limited as the validating universities have to prove their robust system of maintaining standards and quality through their validating partners (Scott-Baumann et al, 2020).…”