Why We Should Engage in Respectful ‘Religion Talk” in Our Work Environments ( unedited version)

 

 

 Why We Should Engage in Respectful ‘Religion Talk” in Our Work Environments ( unedited version)

 

To appear in Thought Leadership- Professional Learning Hub , Griffith University

 

 

For a number of reasons in the broader Australian public sphere “Religion Talk” is considered by many as highly sensitive and controversial that should, as much as possible, be avoided in the context of day to day workplace dynamics. Possible reasons for such views could range from the idea  that in secular liberal democracies faith is viewed as a private  issue, a matter  of consciousness  and personal belief that has no place in the public sphere to that  of fear of conflict and the risk of being  seen as either a  religious/atheist zealot or coming across as being politically incorrect. While I do sympathise with some of these concerns  in this short piece I would like to suggest that respectful  “Religion Talk” should not be a taboo subject in the context of workplace environments and provide a few reasons why I think this is the case. By “Religion talk” I mean recognising the potential centrality and importance of religious commitments /worldviews that are not just internal to the individual but also have broader socio-political implications including those pertaining to work environments.

 

The Australian society is highly culturally and religiously diverse and this is reflected, more or less, in a variety of Australian workplaces.  Hence, our co-workers are likely to come from religious backgrounds that are different from ours (should we have any). Religious commitments can express themselves not only in a variety of abstract religious beliefs but also in concrete ways pertaining to an individual’s behaviour, dress, food, consumption choices, ethics and, yes, politics. Religious commitments, as such can have a very profound effect on a person’s overall worldview including that of our Prime Minister who does not shy away from acknowledging his Christian background, commitments and beliefs. Understanding these commitments and their various day to day implications, including those relevant for the workplace, therefore, becomes an important consideration. And as my extensive experience in engagement  in  interfaith work at grassroots level tells me there is not a better way  to facilitate a deeper understanding of the “Religious Other”  but in informal, individual ( or small group face to face) based environments that provide a platform for sustained, trust generating relationships, that we can find in many workplace contexts. 

 

Furthermore, since 9-11 in particular in our globalised, social media connected world, religion has been linked to many momentous geo-political events and has been on the mind of many people. One of the implications of this ‘rise of religion’ in the public sphere is that it has engendered or, in some cases, reaffirmed religion-based stereotypes that can be exceedingly harmful to the vibrancy and social cohesion of multicultural societies such as the Australian one. Moreover, these stereotypes are often present and greatly amplified on social media platforms that are not conducive to a nuanced and appreciative deliberation and exchange of views. Hence, another reason why respectful “Religion Talk” should occur in our workplaces. 

 

Let me explain the merits of “Religion talk” from an autobiographical angle too. In my professional life, I lecture in and do research on topics of religion and fundamentalism/ violence/ terrorism, religion and gender and religion and politics/ international relations with special emphasis on contemporary Islam.  Moreover, as an activist-minded scholar  who is passionate about and has over a two-decade-long track record   of grassroots engagement on issues of social justice, gender justice and interfaith harmony,  I find myself comfortable in engaging in  “Religion Talk”  outside of my professional context and have repeatedly witnessed the ‘benefits’ of engaging in such talk either with my students or my interfaith partners in various forms including appreciation of diversity and complexity of diverse manifestations of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim or indeed that of the “Religious Other”.

 

I am also a Muslim man of Bosnian ethnicity (who does not ‘invest in’ any external symbols associated with traditional Muslim religiosity out of faith-based convictions). Stereotypical views of Muslim men are usually linked to concepts such as religious fundamentalism/ conservatism, terrorism or that of a religious patriarch who has internalised toxic /traditional masculinity. They are often in circulation in mainstream media and, whether we like it or not, can be reflective of the realities of some Muslim men worldwide.  However, I (and many Muslim men I know), view myself as anything but through that stereotypical image. As an activist-minded academic and committed progressive Muslim specialising in the theory of progressive Islam (whose pillars are social justice, gender justice and religious pluralism), I self-identify as a left-leaning, pro-feminist, cosmopolitan, progressive spiritual pluralist simultaneously rooted in my religious/spiritual tradition and open to the best of that of others!  When I tell others (often the non-Muslim parents of my children’s friends or indeed colleagues from work) of my Muslim background and of my commitment to the values and the worldview of  progressive Islam, I am convinced that I help break some of those stereotypes. This, I am sure, would not have been possible if I was not open to “Religion talk” in public places including in my work environment.

 

So, for the reasons stated above, my advice would be to not shy away from “Religion Talk” in the workplace assuming, of course, we avoid the pitfalls of religious  dogmatism,  proselytism and highly politically charged views of religion. Instead, we should be respectfully curious in learning about and understanding our work colleagues’ religious commitments ( especially those that we might  consider, at the surface level,  foreign/exotic if not threatening)  and how they shape their motivations, values, character and everyday interactions. By doing so we could potentially broaden our cultural and intellectual  horizons, interrogate and, if need be, correct our assumptions, deepen trust and develop more meaningful relationships with our fellow colleagues even if we do not share their religious  commitments and their concomitant values or ways of operating in the world.