My Introduction to World Religions

When looking into my course options at NUS I was compelled to take a module about world religions, not only to enhance my own understanding of the major religions, but also as Singapore is a mixing pot of many cultures, religions and ethnicities. I have found the most enriching part of the course to be the tutorial sessions that take place every other week. My group is made up of a diverse range of students who are both religious and non-religious and it is lead by a lecturer who is Catholic. Our discussions have ranged from looking at Jesus as a political figure to whether or not members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) can be considered Muslims given some of their recent actions. During debates we have been placed on sides and have thus had to form arguments based on external material provided by newspapers and documentaries. These exercises have forced me to formulate opinions on the spot that do not always reflect my personal stance on the subjects. Having not done this whilst at UCL, I have been inspired to push my own limits and reconsider what it is to be ‘open-minded’.

In other sessions we have studied the Hindu story Ramayana. After being put into groups we were then asked to re-enact the most important scenes and then perform them to our classmates. Initially I found this task slightly strange as an undergraduate studying social sciences, however it allowed me to engage with the text and as a result have a better understanding of this Hindu epic. Part of the course's assessment involved writing an essay entitled “Is religion incompatible with romantic love?”. One of themes I focused on was how homosexuality is perceived in religion, and in particular Islam. Scott Kugle is one of the leading scholars and key thinkers on this subject and has published the book ‘Homosexuality in Islam’. One aspect of his work that interested me was his investigation into young homosexual Muslims who as a result of their sexuality are often forced to “put religion behind them” (Kugle 2013: 194) and consequentially find they feel more connected to gay and lesbian communities. Kugle’s overall belief is that “the Qur’an accepts the existence of diversity in sexuality and sexual orientation” and it is perhaps modern day perceptions of Islam that have negatively altered how Muslims approach homosexuality (2003:197).

Learning about the world’s major religions is something that compliments what I have studied throughout the past two years at UCL. The fact that religion is so heavily tied up with politics and conflict has led me to reflect on the Geopolitics course I took last year. This is relevant in particular when considering war, and how women experience it in different ways to men. This led me to reconsider some of the literature I read last year. For example, studying Islam has given me a better understanding of Nadje Al-Ali’s paper ‘A feminist perspective on the Iraq War’, as she has written about challenging the thought that Islam is to be blamed for social injustice, conservative views and a lack of women’s rights. Overall the course is expanding both my knowledge and the way that I absorb new concepts and ideas.

Kugle, S (2003) ‘Sexuality, Diversity and Ethics in the Agenda of Progressive Muslims’ in Safi, O (ed) Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender and Pluralism, Oxford:Oneworld Publications, 190-234.