Everyday experiences of Islamophobia in university spaces: A qualitative study in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Two recent reports suggest that Muslim students are experiencing increased levels of Islamophobia while studying at universities in the United Kingdom (UK). While so, the issue has attracted little scholarly investigation. Responding to this gap in the literature, this article sets out new and previously unpublished findings drawn from qualitative research undertaken with more than 70 Muslim students enrolled at four UK universities. Having set out the methodological approaches, this article begins by contextualising the research within the broader scholarly study of contemporary Islamophobia. Having framed the findings within the context of critical Islamophobia theory, the findings are set out using a threefold thematic structure. This structure affords an insight into the everyday experience of Islamophobia in university spaces and includes: hate incidents on campus; Othering in the learning and teaching spaces; and, microaggressions in university accommodation. In doing so, this article generates new knowledge about the everyday nature of Islamophobia as experienced by Muslim students within university spaces in the UK today.