Religion & Belief
At LUU, we want our staff to be confident and feel safe to share their faith at work. As an organisation, we see the benefits of religious diversity and we want all staff to be able to understand more about others faith and beliefs. As staff, you may have seen members of staff and students observing their faith, but how much do you really know about their beliefs? Having cultural competency and interfaith initiatives are vital in empowering our employees - which is one of our values here at LUU.
THE PRAYER ROOM
The Prayer Room is located on Level 1 opposite the Gryphon Office. This room was created by our REACH Network. It is a multi faith space for you to reflect, relax, pray or gather your thoughts. All staff are welcome to use this space. At the end of 2023, we worked with Serish Shah, former REACH Network leader, on making some improvements to the Prayer Room. Here are some of the new additions:
Qibla Direction
Frosting on the windows for privacy
A hanging rack for your shoes and personal belongings
Hooks in place to hang your coats up
Increased cleaning schedule
A shelf to fold and place the prayer mats on after use.
If you have any questions for improvements to this room, email The People Team at unihr@leeds.ac.uk.
EDUCATION
Love to Learn - Religion and Discrimination
This course is designed to give you an insight into people's experience with discrimination and what can be done to support one another and celebrate EDI. By the end of this course you will have an understanding of the types of discrimination people have experienced due to their religion and beliefs and explored ways you can be an ally and help stop discrimination.
Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
Every year we run classroom based sessions in the summer on Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. If you would like to be notified of the next training session dates then please contact unihr@leeds.ac.uk. This training is open to all LUU staff.
RESOURCES
Five Things for a Friday
Gemma Rudette has shered with us resources on the Jewish Holidays:
Did you know? Leeds University Jewish Society is one of the largest in the UK. Check out their instagram.
The Festive Period
In the UK, we often refer to the festive period as Christmas, but we are a multicultural society so this can mean different things to different people, depending on their faith or religion.
Read: Christmas Time for people of faith.
Check out: LUU's Cultural Calendar for celebrations like Kwanzaa and Los Posadas.
Religious Diversity
Inclusive Employers address the benefits of religious diversity in the workplace. Click here to read.
Ramadan - How to Support Your TeamRamadan
This is observed by Muslims on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It involves fasting, prayer, community and reflection. The celebration of Eid follows Ramadan.
Read: What Ramadan is and why it is important to Muslims by Serish Shah, former REACH network leader.
ALLYSHIP
To be an ally towards interfaith, we must step beyond our own needs to uplift people of different faiths. There are many simple actions that you can take to show up as an ally:
Know the Places of Worship in Leeds, and learn about the different practises and beliefs people have.
Acknowledge holidays by using LUU's Cultural Calendar. Reach out to your colleagues of different faiths during key holidays and ask for example "How is Ramadan going? How was your iftar last night?".
When planning big events such as Leeds Ball, Welcome, the Rileys, ensure you consider the timing and ensure there is an appropriate space for prayer and signage to the prayer room.
Show your support. If you know about any recent discrimination towards religious groups, ensure that staff from those communities are supported. Previously at LUU we have organised vigils.
Look for opportunities to share stories. If you read something on social media, share it with others on your story, or repost it to raise awareness.
Listen to understand other people's faiths, and be respectful towards their beliefs and practises.