Religion on campus: Father, where art thou?

Two writers explain how they practice their different religions on campus…

Hello! My name is Maya Fowell and I’m a… Christian

There is a popular misconception about Christianity. People seem to think we’re all a bunch of bible-bashing Ned Flanders wannabes. Although Ned Flanders certainly has his appeal, especially in the episode where he disrobes to reveal a ridiculously muscly body, I can definitely say (though I can’t speak for the whole religion) that I’m a lot more chilled when it comes to praising the big guy in the sky. Believe it or not, coming to university has actually made me into a much better Christian than I ever was. Somewhere between the chaotic U1 bus rides and the nights spent queuing for SMACK, I found God and he was more than happy to have me.

For me, religion is a very personal thing so I’m not going to tell you all the millions of reasons why you should try and have a little faith. What I do know is that in times of trouble, be it with boys, exam stress or just everyday drama I knew I had my very own safety blanket which would make everything okay. I’ve tried my fair share of churches in my 3 years at Warwick and it’s only at the last one that I’ve finally found myself settled. In all honesty, It’s extremely easy to get confused when someone starts to discuss anything remotely related to religion, but sometimes just having an open mind and listening to what others have to say can be well worth the hassle.

Being a Muslim isn’t a big deal, says Mansha Abdullah Salih

When I came to uni, my family sent me off mostly concerned about whether I would survive in a new country but also about how I would fit in because I had lived in a Muslim community for most of my life. I knew I had nothing to worry about, but I came in with some reservations. As I got to know people bet- ter, or whenever I said that I don’t drink, I was asked about my religious views. I did get a couple of ‘It must be really hard being a Muslim’ comments but the majority were genuinely interested in finding out about Islam and I ended up having quite a few conversations about the history and practice of Islam with my hallmates.

As I ventured on to campus, I discovered that most of the retail outlets on campus had halal meat options (In a nutshell, Muslims only eat meat that has been slaughtered in a specific way and thus considered ‘halal’ – lawful). The prayer hall on campus was bigger and grander than most prayer halls in my schools. It might sound a bit cliché, but it was amazing to meet people from all across the world sharing a common faith, and led to the most interesting discussions. In the past year I have learnt that it is not all that different being a Muslim here and at home, even though your landlord buys into the myths and stereotypes of muslim culture!