Comparing the main ideas from Jaclyn Rekis’ “Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account” and Dr. Haifaa Jawad’s “Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women” reveals recurring themes around intersectionality of religious identity, epistemic injustice, and the impact of a secularist worldview.
Both texts emphasise the intersectional nature of religious identity. Rekis discusses how religious identity intersects with social identity (e.g., race, gender) and worldview, affecting the epistemic injustices faced by religious individuals. Similarly, Jawad explores how Islam intersects with gender identity and societal perceptions, influencing Muslim women’s participation in sports.
Rekis outlines epistemic injustice through testimonial and hermeneutical lenses, where religious individuals are marginalised in their capacity as knowers due to societal prejudices. Jawad addresses similar injustices, particularly Islamophobia, which distorts perceptions of Muslim women’s capabilities and rights, affecting their participation in sports.
Rekis discusses how secularism and dominant religious worldviews marginalise religious testimonies, affecting credibility and societal acceptance. Jawad notes how Islamophobia perpetuates stereotypes, hindering Muslim women’s integration into sports due to societal biases and misunderstandings.
There are instances of contextual differences in perspective. Rekis’ focus is on epistemic injustices within academia and societal frameworks, examining how religious identity interacts with broader societal norms. In contrast, Jawad’s focus is on the specific challenges Muslim women face in sports due to religious practices like hijab and gender segregation, addressing more practical barriers to participation.
Rekis explores how religious practices are socially constructed and interpreted, influencing perceptions and marginalisation. Jawad focuses on the practical implications of religious practices like hijab in sports settings, advocating for inclusive policies and cultural understanding to enhance Muslim women’s participation.
Rekis advocates for an intersectional approach to understanding and addressing epistemic injustices, emphasising the need for inclusive frameworks that respect diverse religious identities. Jawad proposes specific recommendations such as revising dress codes in sports and promoting cultural awareness to foster greater inclusion of Muslim women in sports.
Intersection of Faith with Identity
Both texts highlight how religious identity intersects with other aspects of identity such as gender, race, and societal roles. Rekis illustrates this through theoretical frameworks of testimonial and hermeneutical injustices, showing how these intersect with religious identity. Jawad applies this intersectionality practically, showing how religious beliefs about modesty and gender roles influence Muslim women’s opportunities in sports.
While Rekis and Jawad approach the intersection of faith with identity from different angles—one theoretical and the other practical—they both underscore the importance of recognising and respecting diverse religious practices and beliefs. By understanding the complexities of religious identity and its intersection with other identity aspects, both texts advocate for inclusive approaches that can mitigate epistemic injustices and enhance opportunities for religious individuals, particularly Muslim women, in societal contexts like academia and sports.
To be honest, the tensions and challenges explored in these texts are not something I had deeply considered in my teaching practice. Most students in my course come from China or Europe, and their religious affiliations are not signalled through clothing nor has the topic come up in any of their project work. However, this is something I plan to further consider and be sensitive to as I continue on my teaching journey.
Resources
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [Online]. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/
Reki, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia 38, pp779–800.
One response to “Blog Task 2: Faith”
Jesse this is a great blog post comparing Jaclyn Rekis’ “Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account” and Dr. Haifaa Jawad’s “Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women”. You really explore and reflect on intersectionality and its direct relationship to faith, particularly with Islam and gender and how these viewpoints encourage bias towards Muslim Women’s participation in sport (which is a brilliant paper).
I really like how you reflect on Rekis’ paper and writing on epistemic injustice focuses more on the societal interpretation which can encourage marginalisation, while Jawad is more about the practical implications of intersectionality.
In a way I think I hooked into this paper having had experience this year of working with Students of faith, though with two ways of expressing this; one student always wearing the hijab whereas the other wore it occasionally. Like you most of the students I work with are either of European or Chinese origin, and through this blog and unit, I too have become much more aware of how faith identities intersect with other identities – definitely something we’re now going to be much more aware and conscious of moving forward!