Religion and community cohesion Spec
 How and why attitudes to the roles of men and women have changed in the UK.
 Different Muslim attitudes to equal rights for women in religion and the reasons for
them.
 The nature of the UK as a multi-ethnic society, including the problems of discrimination
and racism.
 Government action to promote community cohesion in the UK, including legislation on
equal rights for ethnic minorities and religions.
 The work of a Muslim organisation to help asylum seekers and/or immigrant workers in
the UK, including the reasons for the work and its importance and significance.
 Why Muslims should help to promote racial harmony.
 Differences among Muslims in their attitudes to other religions(exclusivism, inclusivism,
pluralism).
 The UK as a multi-faith society, including the benefits of living in a multi-faith society.
 Issues raised for religion by a multi-faith society — conversion, bringing up children,
interfaith marriages.
 Ways in which religions work to promote community cohesion in the UK.
 How an issue arising from religion and community cohesion has been presented in one
form of the media, for example television or radio programme, or in a film, or in the
national press; including whether the treatment was fair to religious beliefs and
religious people.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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Religion and community cohesion Keywords
 community cohesion a common vision and shared sense of belonging for all
groups in society
 discrimination treating people less favourably because of their
ethnicity/gender/colour/ sexuality/age/class
 ethnic minority a member of an ethnic group (race) which is much smaller
than the majority group
 interfaith marriages marriage where the husband and wife are from different
religions
 multi-ethnic society many different races and cultures living together in one
society
 multi-faith society many different religions living together in one society
 prejudice believing some people are inferior or superior without even knowing
them
 racial harmony different races/colours living together happily
 racism the belief that some races are superior to others
 religious freedom the right to practise your religion and change your religion
 religious pluralism accepting all religions as having an equal right to coexist
 sexism discriminating against people because of their gender (being male or
female)
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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How and why attitudes to the roles of men and women have changed
Traditionally certain roles have seemed more suited to certain genders.
Advances in Equal Rights for Women
‘The Qualification of Women Act 1918’ gave women over 31 the right to vote in elections. In 1928 the
age was lowered to 21 to be the same as men. Today all people over the age of 18 can vote.
‘The Equal Pay Act 1970’ ensures men and women are paid equally for doing the same jobs.
‘The Sex Discrimination Act 1975’ made it illegal to discriminate against any person because of
their gender (sex).
Why Attitudes Have Changed Towards Women
 During the First and Second World Wars women had to take on the jobs previously done by
men and proved they could do them just as well.
 Successful women in business and politics around the world show that women are every bit
equal to men
UN Declaration of Human Rights includes equality for all people no matter of race or gender.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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Women in Islam
The Qur’an puts equal religious duties on men and women. Men and
women are equal in the eyes of Allah and they will be judged equally
on judgement day
Role as a Mother
Other roles of women
 The most important role
a women has is to be a
mother.
 Muhammad said
‘Paradise lies at the feet
of your mother’
• Women are the heart of
the family.
 A Muslim woman is responsible for
the care of the home and the
welfare of the family, but is
allowed to go to work and earn her
own money.
 The education of women is
considered to be very important in
Islam. Muhammad* said: “The
search for knowledge is a duty for
every Muslim.”
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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The Effects of Discrimination & Racism
• Racism and
discrimination in
society can lead to the rise
in groups such as the BNP
who encourage division
between different ethnic
groups in society.
• If certain groups feel that they
are being treated unfairly by
society, they may become
insular, cut themselves
off from society, and even
work against that society.
• In 2001, white and Asian
youths from communities
isolated themselves off from
each other, rioted and
attacked and killed each
other on the streets of Oldham,
Burnley and Bradford.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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• Police believe that when
people feel discriminated
against they are more likely
to join extremist groups
and take part in acts of
terrorism.
• The July 7th (2005)
bombers were British
citizens who had lost their
sense of allegiance to Britain
and were prepared to
kill because they felt society
worked against them.
• It is thought that some
young people from
minority backgrounds
turn to crime because
they cannot see a future
for themselves in a
discriminating
society.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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The Law & Racism
The Race Relations Act 1976
• It is unlawful to discriminate against anyone because of race, colour,
nationality or ethnic origin in regard to jobs, training, housing, education,
and services.
• It is unlawful to use threatening, abusive or insulting words in public
that could stir up in racial hatred.
• It is unlawful to publish anything that is likely to cause racial hatred.
Leading to...
The Commission for Racial Equality
• An organisation set up by the Government in 1976
to enforce the Race Relations Act.
• To advice the Government on how the law was
working and any necessary alterations.
• To promote the concept of equal opportunities.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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Government Action to Promote Community Cohesion
Community Cohesion: when a common vision and shared sense of belonging exists for all groups
in society.
Education
Funding
Community Cohesion was
made part of the national curriculum
in 2006. Ofsted judge all schools on
how they include community
cohesion into their lessons
and overall school life.
Laws
Giving financial support to
groups and community projects which
promote equality and unity or
provide research in to the best ways of
achieving
Community Cohesion.
What can
be done to promote
community cohesion?
Passing laws such as the
Race Relations Act and the
Crime and Disorder Act and the Race
and Religious Hatred Act which make it illegal
to discriminate against people
or encourage hatred due to
race or religion.
People
Establishing
groups such as the
Equality and Human Rights Commission
to ensure government laws are acted upon. Making
sure all groups in society are represented fairly
in education, social services, police and
government.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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 Over the years Muslim
Aid has provided
financial support for
students, patients,
asylum seekers, and
families in distress in
the UK.
 Muslim Aid aims to
provide support for
those in need to
improve their quality
of life.
 Eligibility Criteria for the
grants are:
 Patients suffering from life
threatening diseases;
 Families in distress due to death
of the breadwinner;
 Victims of disasters who need
funds to rebuild their lives;
 Students in the last stage of their
course (mainly higher education)
facing financial problems due to
unexpected calamity in their
families;
 Women victims of abuse;
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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How racial harmony is shown
All wear white
Ihram
Stand shoulder
to shoulder
in prayer
All pray together
on Friday
Jummah
Hajj
(pilgrimage)
All pray in
Arabic
All face Mecca
when praying
Teaches respect
to al races, ages,
faiths
Accepts different
cultures
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
How
racial
harmony
is shown
All judged equally on
Judgement day
All fast in
Ramadan
The Quran teaches that racism is wrong,
because regardless of differences, all
people have the same common origin;
'Allah created you from a single being...
out of him spread many men and women'.
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(Quran 4:1)
Muslims in their attitudes to other religions
Exclusivism
Inclusivism
Most Muslims believe that
only Islam has God’s true
message and so everyone
should be reverted to Islam
otherwise they will not get
to Paradise
Some Muslims believe you
should only go to Paradise
by accepting Allah and his
teachings, but, some
members of other religions
and some may also be able
to go to Paradise.
 If you don’t believe in Allah
you cannot get to paradise.
There is only one saving truth,
namely the Words of Allah and
the example of Muhammad.
The Qur’an says Muslims who
give up the faith deserve to
die.
There is only one-way
Paradise you must be Muslim
Some people don’t know
about Islam.
 People respond to what they
know about God counts. Your
actions and how you live is
most important
So some people may be able
to get to Paradise even if
they are not Muslim
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
Pluralism
Accepting all religions as
equally valid and correct
and can all coexist
Muslim men are able to marry
women of the book with out
them reverting to Islam. the
Qur’an implies that Jews and
Christians have some of the
truth about God; the Qur’an
says there should be no
compulsion in religion.
You do not have to be Muslim
to get to Paradise all religions
are equal and important
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Multi-Faith Britain
Most people believe that individuals have the right to believe in the god of their
choice and follow the religion they choose.
Religious Freedom:
‘The right to practice your religion
and change your religion if you
want to.’
Every 10 years the British Government
holds a census (national
questionnaire) of the population. The
purpose is to build an accurate picture
of Britain today.
One question is about people’s
religious belief.
Outline of Religious
belief in Britain - 2001
42,558,000
Christian
8,197,221
No Religion
4,823,000
No Answer
1,591,207
Muslim
558,746
Hindu
336,040
Sikh
267,711
Jewish
149,237
Buddhist
157,000
Other Religion
HM Office of National Statistics 2001 Census
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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Interfaith Marriages
As a multi-faith society expands there will be people from different religions who fall in love and
want to marry. But, does it matter?
• Religious wedding services are
difficult as each religion has its own
unique style.
• The religion of any children may
cause conflict.
• Funeral services will be a problem
for family members from other
religious traditions.
• Some family members may feel a
person has betrayed their faith by
marrying a person with an opposing
view.
• Most religions encourage equality -
why not in interfaith marriages also?
• Interfaith marriages might
encourage religious tolerance
between families.
• Children will have a wider
understanding from which to choose
their own faith.
• Islam allows men to marry
Christian or Jewish women without
them reverting to Islam.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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Film/
White Girl
Issue
Community cohesion – A white family move into a predominately
Asian Muslim area and have to adjust to the more diverse
surroundings.
Why is the issue
important?
Community cohesion and how different religions and races get
along with each other
Was the
presentation fair
to religious people
and beliefs?
Fair:
 The Muslim family are portrayed well as caring, loving strongly
religious family
There are strong Muslim role models throughout the film
They should the importance of prayer in the film
The mother of the man character is a loving mother who struggles
to do the best for her kids.
Does present problems and prejudices that communities may have
of other another.
Unfair
 While the Muslim family is positively portrayed in the film the
extended family of the main character is unfairly portrayed as racist,
drug dealing drunks.
Generally the white characters in the family are portrayed badly and
so this would not be a fair representation of the white community.
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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Film/
Programme watched
East is East
Bend it like Beckham
Issue
Community cohesion – how modern life conflicts with
traditional values of parents
Why is the issue
important?
This reflects the difficulty people can have growing up part of a
different faith and culture from mainstream society
Was the
presentation fair to
religious people and
beliefs?
Fair:
 Families were loving and generally happy
 Parents wanted what was best for their children and
thought the traditional way was best
 Religion was not really the source of conflict but culture.
Dad’s were worried what other people and families
thought of their kids rather than the right thing to do in
their faith
Unfair
 Dad in East is East seemed out of touch and a hypocrite.
 Kids in East is East were disrespectful to Islam did not
show the value of Islam in community cohesion
 Forced marriage is against the teaching of Islam this was
not clear in the film
Unit 4: S4 Religion & Community Cohesion
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