Kwame Anthony Appiah (2014) provocatively states that “there isn’t such a thing as a religion,” citing, among others, a Jewish rabbi who does not believe in God. Religion, he argues, is often a reductive label applied to complex cultural, historical, and spiritual practices. This raises the question: is it helpful, or even accurate, to speak of ‘religion’ in singular terms? And to what extent should these constructs affect teaching and learning?
Having grown up and studied in France, I was immersed in a model built on laïcité, the state principle of secularism, stemming from the 1905 Law separating Church and State (Loi du 9 décembre 1905, Legifrance, 2024). While this law ostensibly guarantees freedom of religion, its later applications have frequently led to the exclusion of visible religious expression. In 2004, France passed legislation banning the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in public primary and secondary schools, including Islamic veils (Loi n° 2004-228 du 15 mars 2004, Legifrance, 2024).
Although framed as neutrality, this legal framework has disproportionately affected Muslim students, particularly girls. It has recently extended to policing so-called ‘modest’ clothing, such as long dresses suspected of being abayas, even when no explicit religious intent was stated (Carvalho, 2023). As Jawad (2022) discusses in the context of sport, Muslim women often face multiple layers of scrutiny, not just religious, but gendered.
This intersectional experience is particularly visible in France: while some girls are excluded for dressing “too modestly,” others are simultaneously reprimanded for wearing shorts or tops deemed “too revealing” (Delalande, 2018). Both reveal a contradictory system where young women are judged for both covering and uncovering their bodies, underlining the structural misogyny that overlays the question of faith. Intersectionality, as theorised by Crenshaw (1989), allows us to see how gender, race, and religion are not experienced separately, but inextricably intertwined.
By contrast, my experience in the UK, particularly at Goldsmiths, was strikingly different. The presence of a multi-faith prayer room, public celebration of diverse religious events, and visible religious attire across campus fostered a sense of belonging. It demonstrated that inclusion does not require faith to be ‘named’ or addressed frontally, but rather normalised as part of a pluralistic learning environment.
In my teaching and technician roles, these differences raise ongoing questions. How can we honour students’ beliefs without essentialising or tokenising them? Sensitivity to moments like Ramadan, when students may be fasting, or to broader social contexts such as anti-Muslim hate crimes, can lead to small but meaningful accommodations. During the anti-muslim riots in the UK over the summer of 2024, I offered online alternative to students who I assumed could feel uncomfortable commuting to university. It was slightly sensitive, as I had to make assumptions in order to suggest these tutorials. I was also really stroke by the takeaway options at catered events I learnt about in Charline’s blogpost.
As the Trinity University video (2016) suggests, perhaps the aim is not to address religion directly, but to cultivate an environment where diverse identities—faith-based or otherwise—are acknowledged and respected. When this is embedded into the fabric of teaching practice, faith is no longer a barrier, but one thread in a rich, intersectional tapestry of experience.
References
Appiah, K.A. (2014) Is religion good or bad?. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge664YJ7eDg [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
Carvalho, L. (2023) ‘La polémique de la robe longue : entre laïcité et stigmatisation’, Le Monde, 5 September. Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
Crenshaw, K. (1989) ‘Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex’, University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), pp.139–167.
Delalande, A. (2018) ‘Les filles trop dénudées à l’école? La fabrique des polémiques vestimentaires’, Slate.fr, 11 Sept. Available at: https://www.slate.fr [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=– [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
Legifrance (2024) Loi du 9 décembre 1905 concernant la séparation des Églises et de l’État. Available at: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000508749/ [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
Legifrance (2024) Loi n° 2004-228 du 15 mars 2004 encadrant, en application du principe de laïcité, le port de signes ou de tenues manifestant une appartenance religieuse dans les écoles, collèges et lycées publics. Available at: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000417977 [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
Rekis, M. (2023) ‘Religious identity and epistemic injustice: an intersectional account’. [PDF] Provided by UAL.
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in the Classroom. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=– [Accessed 18 Jun 2025].
I love your analogy of faith being “one thread in a rich, intersectional tapestry of experience”. It perfectly captures how inclusion creates richness rather than division. Your post reminds me of conversations I’ve had with immigrant colleagues who, like me, find London’s multiculturalism genuinely unique and welcoming compared to other UK cities or our home countries. There’s something special about spaces where diversity feels natural rather than forced. It saddens me to read about the oppression Muslim communities face in France, especially when laws meant to protect actually exclude. The contradiction you highlight, girls policed for dressing both “too modestly” and “too revealing”, shows how intersectional discrimination works. Thank you for sharing these experiences, Eden! They’re truly eye-opening.
Thank you for your thoughtful response! It’s interesting to see how many immigrant students share this feeling, regardless of where they come from. It really does make London quite unique. I agree that it’s something we should all work together to preserve and nurture.