Building belonging, challenging prejudice and creating a university where everyone can thrive - Islamophobia Awareness Month, November 2026

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Building belonging, challenging prejudice and creating a culture where all can flourish is everyone's responsibility.

Recent research 'Lived experiences and improved futures for Muslim students, doctoral researchers and staff at Loughborough University', shows us that the experiences of Muslims at Loughborough can sometimes be undermined by Islamophobia: from overt abuse and discrimination to everyday assumptions, stereotypes and institutional practices that make people feel excluded or that they do not fully belong.

Islamophobia Awareness Month provides an opportunity to acknowledge these experiences, raise awareness of anti-Muslim prejudice, challenge stereotypes and highlight the positive contributions Muslims make to society.

Why does Islamophobia Awareness Month matter?

Taking time to reflect on the challenges Muslims face matters.

In pausing to reflect and learn through this month, we can all achieve a deeper understanding of the impact of dismissing prejudice or treating it as somebody else's problem. Racist incidents may be minimised as a joke, a misunderstanding or an isolated event and repeated experiences of exclusion can have a cumulative impact on a person's confidence, wellbeing and sense of belonging.  

Creating a university where everyone feels safe, respected and able to be themselves means actively challenging islamophobia in all its forms. 

What is Islamophobia? 

Islamophobia is defined in the UK as ‘rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness’.  

Under the Equality Act 2010, Muslims are a religious group, so discrimination against Muslims is religious discrimination and because hostility or prejudice is often based on what are perceived to be cultural and physical traits of Muslims, it is also racism.  

Understanding Islamophobia means looking beyond individual incidents of hate to consider the assumptions and structures that allow prejudice to develop, become normalised and go unchallenged.

Recognising the different forms of Islamophobia 

Islamophobia can take many forms, including verbal and physical abuse, online hostility, stereotyping and everyday prejudice. It can take the form of discrimination and exclusion in the workplace, institutional and structural processes and cultures that fail to account for religious needs, and gendered islamophobia directed towards Muslim women wearing the hijab. 

Criticising an idea is not the same as stereotyping, harassing or discriminating against a person. Disagreements about religion, political events or religious ideas do not constitute Islamophobia in themselves. Recognising these distinctions helps us challenge prejudice while protecting the open, respectful exchange of ideas and freedom of speech that Loughborough University promotes. 

The terminology is evolving, but the underlying responsibility remains the same: people must not be targeted, excluded or treated unfairly because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim. 

Zero tolerance: building belonging is everyone's responsibility 

Loughborough University takes a zero-tolerance approach to Islamophobia and discrimination, which have no place in the community we are working to build. This university is committed to creating and sustaining a culture in which Muslim students, doctoral researchers and staff feel respected, supported, heard and included. 

Taking a zero-tolerance approach to islamophobia means more than condemning the most visible forms of hatred. It also means taking everyday prejudice seriously, ensuring that concerns are heard and handled appropriately, and examining whether our practices and environments enable everyone to participate fully. 

Creating a culture of belonging is a shared responsibility and listening to those directly affected is central to that work. Allyship does not mean having all the answers, rather it requires a willingness to listen, learn and act when change or challenge should be applied. 

Everyone has a role to play whether as a student or member of staff. We can all think about how our attitudes and behaviours affect others. 

Listen, learn, act 

To mark Islamophobia Awareness Month, the University is inviting staff and students to take part in two opportunities to reflect on anti-Muslim hostility, hear different perspectives and consider how our community can be inclusive. 

Building Belonging: A Conversation on Islamophobia

  • Thursday 5 November 2026, 12pm-1.30pm
  • James France Building, room D003b
  • Open to all staff and students 

This roundtable event led by University Chaplaincy, EDI Services, and the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, will create a space to explore the impact of Islamophobia in higher education and consider how we all can work together to create an inclusive university community. Register online.

Explore the Islamophobia Awareness Month exhibition

  • Tuesday 3 November–Thursday 5 November 2026
  • EHB Atrium – open to all, 9am-5.30pm

Curated by IAM, this exhibition will enable staff and students to engage with different perspectives and to think about the assumptions we all carry: where they come from and how we might challenge them. 

Visit, reflect and take something from the experience into conversations and interactions across the University. 

What next?

Awareness is an important first step, but meaningful change and the goal of creating an inclusive community depends on continued learning and individual contributions.

Consider:

i) Reading the research.  
Explore the Aziz Foundation and Loughborough University report on the lived experiences of Muslim students, doctoral researchers and staff.  

ii) Being respectfully curious: Please take some time to learn about the basics of Islam and Muslim religious practice, such as daily prayers and fasting during Ramadan. This kind of awareness-raising is interesting and encourages greater consideration of Muslim colleagues’ and peers’ needs, and avoids unintentional assumptions or behaviours.

iii) Taking part in the conversation.  
Attend Building Belonging: A Conversation on Islamophobia on 5 November and visit the EHB Atrium exhibition between 3 and 5 November.  

iv) Turning reflection into action.
Challenge harmful stereotypes when it is safe to do so. Think about who is included in conversations and activities, whether religious needs are being considered, and how you can help someone feel welcome.

Together, we can work towards a Loughborough and Loughborough in London where all Muslim staff, students and visitors feel safe, respected and valued and can live and work confidently without fear of racism or any form of hatred. 

Support available to students and staff