Sacred Spaces in Secular Settings: A Critical Study of Muslim Student Experiences in British University Islamic Student Societies

The tension between secularism and inclusion projects within British Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) continues to intensify, as exemplified by discrepancies in religious provisions for different faith groups. A Christian shadow remains over universities, with elite institutions maintaining chapels, choir performances, as well as chaplains (Guest, 2020).

Contrastingly, while the Equalities Act (2010) advances equal opportunities for all faith groups, the rise of Islamophobia and anti-terror policies often compromise the religious rights of Muslim students. Most notably, the 2011 Prevent Strategy singled out The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) for failing to 'fully challenge...extremist ideology', further legitimising the securitisation of Islamic practice at HEIs (Choudhury, 2017).

In light of this, crucial questions arise about the 'palatability' of the Muslim student body developing and practising their faith within secular HEIs. Here, the term 'palatability' appropriately encapsulates the sensible elements of Islamophobia. I seek to interrogate which senses of sound, sight, touch, smell, and taste deem Islamic practice as acceptable and safe, versus that which triggers disgust and danger.

This project will focus on student-led Islamic Societies (ISOC). These societies are a crucial research object for analysing the aforementioned tensions as they are made to be a bridge between the perceived extremist and conservative 'other', and the rational and secular elite university space. For instance, the Policy Review of the Prevent Act concluded that the British government should work collaboratively with Islamic societies to demonstrate that the Muslim student body "rejects extremism" (Carlile, 2011, p.11).

ISOCs, therefore, play an important role in determining the direction of critical discourse regarding Islamophobia, which I hope to explore in detail. Members work hard to advocate for religious provisions- such as prayer rooms and ablution spaces- and are simultaneously held responsible for denouncing extremist rhetoric and altering hostile perceptions, all whilst being university students (Tyrer & Sayyid, 2012).

This pressure is burdensome, having vital implications for Muslims' experiences of religious expression and belonging at university.

With the recent rise of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) projects within public institutions, I hope to contribute to efforts to make HEIs inclusive by analysing the experiences of Muslims participating in Islamic Societies (ISOC) and highlighting 2 existing barriers and enablers for inclusivity in British HEIs (Scott, 2020). To illustrate how faith-based societies reveal the tensions between secularism and religion in HEIs- and more broadly, between the state and Islam- I will investigate Muslim students' experiences within ISOCs at a variety of universities, including Russell Group Universities, 'Old' universities (e.g.

Oxbridge), and post-1992 institutions. Working with Muslim students across Britain and in different kinds of institutions will provide rich data, which can influence nationwide policy changes regarding faith inclusion. Such a project probes timely reflections on the politics of belonging of minoritized youth within Western education systems, which can be extrapolated to other intersectional identities.