What Challenges Do You Face as a Muslim Student or Worker in a Non–Muslim Environment?

Is this dish Halal? That was the very first question I asked a Japanese classmate on day Two at the International University of Japan on September 23, 1995. He replied that I did not need to worry as it was vegetable curry. But, after I had taken a few bites he asked another colleague what was the curry made of. And, lo! the answer was shocking to me as the moment I heard him saying the word ‘pork’ I jumped to the nearby bathroom and started vomiting. I kept doing so for the next two hours. What a bad experience on Day 2 in the land of the rising sun!

The next two years at the Japanese university were terrible for me in terms of eating as I had to cook vegetable day in and day out. Even on Eid days, I was not able to find Halal meat.

To this day I have not felt comfortable eating Japanese or any other similar dishes as they may contain pork or haram ingredients in one form or another.

My corporate life after graduation was not easy either as we were forced to go to parties or dinners and serve our customers. On most occasions, I would not eat anything as nothing was Halal on the menu.

As Muslims, it is important for us to be heard and not be judged on the basis of our eating habits or other religious practices we need to perform.  Our universities as well as our employers need to learn how we want to spend our time both in colleges and companies while meeting our religious obligations. They need to understand that pleasing Allah is our ultimate goal.  We want to express our faith in our professional lives. So, listen to us instead of ‘othering’ us.

Unfortunately, many of us are forced to choose between Allah and our worldly duties. Sometimes, there is so much pressure that we find it difficult to remain good Muslims and be successful in our corporate lives at the same time.

Related: Muslim Startups Transforming Tourism, Food, Banking Sectors

Challenges Facing Muslim Students

There has been an intense debate on college campuses around the non-Muslim world what should be the acceptable norms.

• Muslim students in the UK, US, and many other Muslim-minority countries are under-represented in institutions of higher learning as they can not secure interest-free loans to continue their education.
• They are often excluded due to their religious beliefs. They do not find themselves culturally fit in their campus lives.
• Not many campuses offer Halal food which makes the lives of Muslim students awful
• At least some Muslim parents do not want to send their kids to schools where both girls and boys study together

Issues Associated With Muslim Employees in a Non-Muslim Environment

• Muslim employees often face peer pressure to attend parties, drink alcohol, and serve customers.
• Often Muslim workers find it difficult to offer their daily prayers on time due to restrictions imposed by their employers

Related: Indian Halal Meat Rule Change To Impact Local Muslims Economically

What Should Employers/Campuses Do?

If these employers or campuses truly want to be diverse and inclusive, they have to try to understand what our basic religious requirements are.  They need to raise awareness among all staff about faith-related priorities.  They should also encourage faith-related discussions among their employees so that Muslims also feel themselves ‘included’.

A better understanding of the Muslim faith will also help employers serve their Muslim clients effectively.