Being bullied or harassed can be difficult to deal with regardless of your background, however it can feel even harder to handle when you are being made a target only because of your religious faith.

Religious discrimination can take lots of forms. In some cases this may not even be obvious. Someone assuming qualities and behaviour about you based on negative stereotypes for example is considered prejudice, and can be considered a form of discrimination.

However, religious discrimination can become more extreme, and lead to exclusion, bullying, harassment, and even violence in extreme instances.

That’s why it is important that we recognise religious discrimination and prejudices when it is being targeted at or used against someone of any religious faith.

What is religious discrimination?

Put simply religious discrimination is treating someone differently based on their religious faith. This can include their religious beliefs, their religious practices, religious clothing or their religious culture.

Religious discrimination can also have a number of names depending on the faith of the individual or group it is being targeted at.

For example, discrimination against the Jewish community and its members is referred to as anti-Semitism, whilst discrimination aimed at Muslims is often called Islamophobia.

Some individuals may assume negative and harmful beliefs against certain religious communities. This may be because they have been influenced themselves by family members, politics or the media they consume to make these assumptions.

These misguided views may include that certain religious groups are violent, dangerous or scary, pose a threat to their safety, or are the ‘Other’, therefore recognisably different from the rest of the society.

How am I protected?

Religious discrimination can be expressed in a number of ways. It may be carried out in both obvious or subtle ways.

‘Indirect discrimination’ does not intend to discriminate against individuals based on religion. It may be a particular policy or practice within an institution, like a school, which unintentionally excludes members of a particular faith or puts them at a disadvantage.

The Equality Act (2010) protects anyone from a variety of religious discrimination, such as

• If you are (or are not) a member of a particular religion
• If you hold (or do not hold) a particular religious belief
• Someone thinks you are of a particular religion or hold certain beliefs because of your religion (discrimination by perception) – this may be assumed because of your race, ethnicity or cultural/religious background

It is important to remember that no matter if the discrimination or prejudice you are experiencing is intentional or not, a response to a rule/policy or a one-off or long-term it is still unacceptable, and may even be illegal.

Institutions such as schools, colleges and workplaces have a legal duty to protect all students/employees regardless of religious faith or lack of any.

How do we challenge religious discrimination?

It’s important that we call out religious discrimination and prejudice whenever we come across it, so long as we do not put ourselves in a vulnerable position. This can include calling out someone’s insensitive remarks and/or their harmful behaviour.

We can encourage ourselves and others to learn more about other cultures and religions, either by watching documentaries, watching interviews and vlogs, and if your friends and/or yourself are comfortable, openly discussing their/your cultural and religious background.

We can also raise awareness of religious discrimination, and how it can harm individuals, both mentally and physically, through activism, such as discussing these topics openly, using social media platforms to share information, and working alongside a charity.

How do I deal with religious discrimination?

Experiencing religious discrimination, as with other forms of discrimination and harassment, can have a harmful impact on an individuals’ mental health and wellbeing.

Long-term it can increase the levels of stress and anxiety an individual may be experiencing. This can lead to depression.

People may also deliberately exclude themselves from particular social situations to avoid placing themselves in a situation where they could be made a target for discrimination.

In order to cope with these feelings, it is important to seek emotional support from your support network, whether that be family members, friends, community members or teachers.

It is important to focus on your strengths, such as your core beliefs and values, and not to dwell on the negative effects of bias. You may also find that professional support can offer you the best advice and guidance for how to manage your feelings and situation.

Remember the Kooth team is always here for you. By clicking on the speech bubble icons, you can send a message to the team inbox, or you can join a chat queue anytime during our opening hours (12-10pm on weekdays, 6-10pm on weekends).