HR Magazine - Faith and the workplace: How employers can be more inclusive

As we near the end of Islamophobia Awareness Month, I feel it’s important to share my story as a proud Muslim, and to galvanise a call to action for HR professionals who are working tirelessly to cultivate inclusive workplace cultures.

After telling my story, I will share some advice as to how HR leaders and employers can all commit to tackling Islamophobia.

This matters because, if we, as HR professionals, value the people we serve, then we need to make work a welcoming place for all, and that includes people of faith.

There are so many reasons why faith is important to people. But here’s why it’s important to me.

I remember, vividly, where I was when I saw the atrocities unfold on 9/11. Seeing the horrific scenes on TV, at 12 years old, I didn’t understand just how much this global incident would shape my life as a Muslim growing up in England.

Going into school the next day, I felt a new sense of fear as I walked into the classroom. Overnight, I didn’t quite belong.

Shortly after, we moved to Rochdale, Greater Manchester, which was rife with racial tensions. I was ‘othered’ at every turn.

These early experiences made me feel ashamed of being Muslim. It felt like a filthy little secret – one that I had to hide at all costs, to avoid racist, Islamophobic comments.

My life became even more complicated when I came out as gay. I was desperate to assimilate, fit in, and to run far away from my Muslim identity.

As I crashed through my 20s, my Muslim identity slipped out of my life as I explored my sexuality. I stopped praying. I didn’t observe Ramadan. I ate ‘haram’ meat. I wasn’t willing to share that aspect of my identity with my then-fiance.

It wasn’t until the end of 2020 that I was forced to face myself in a way that changed the trajectory of my life. I suffered a serious health episode that rendered me unable to walk, slurred my speech and distorted my vision.

Post recovery, I took out a prayer mat and fell to my knees sobbing uncontrollably for what felt like a lifetime. I apologised to Allah for not embracing him sooner.

What followed was a series of life-changing decisions and a firm commitment to myself to reconnect to my faith. This is a commitment I choose every single day.

I am by no means ‘the perfect Muslim’, but I honour the five pillars of Islam in the best way I can. I pray daily, sometimes including Maghreb prayers – the sunset prayer, which is a chance to usher in the night and demonstrate gratitude for the day. I fast during Ramadan, and I am now on a strict halal diet.

I relish the psychological safety of these routines, and, as I embrace my faith unapologetically, I commit to embracing the joy and love I have found through my faith.

For employers wanting to make workplaces more welcoming to Muslims like me, here are my three suggestions:

Host awareness events around key Muslim celebrations. For example, you could put on a workplace Iftar – an event that marks sun down, and therefore the breaking of our fast during Ramadan – or a celebratory event marking one of the key festivals for Muslims, Eid.
Set up an interfaith network by encouraging colleagues of faith to meet with each other regularly. If you already have an interfaith network, discuss with its members how best to champion your Muslim colleagues.
Review your workplace bullying and discrimination policies, ensuring that they explicitly reference and condemn Islamophobia.

Islam is founded on the principles of peace and co-existence. Now, more than ever, we all need to double down on these principles.

By Woosh Raza, founder and principal consultant of Woosh Ltd