Abstract
A phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experience of Christian students in HEC recognized private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)to find outhow the religious belonging of Christian youth influencestheir lives within theiruniversity. Qualitative research method was used for this study. Using phenomenology as the strategy of inquiry,in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of six participants including three girls and three boys currently studying in the University of Management and Technology(UMT), Lahore. The findings of the study revealed that the university did not ask the students about their religion,specifically.So, thestudents did not experience any discrimination at the time of admission. However,due to the lack of information about religious minority students, theywere compelled to study Islamic studiesas a subject. Due totheirreligious belonging Christian studentsexperienced stereotypical behavior,such assome Christian students reportedthat their Muslim fellowsavoidedthem and hesitatedto share their meals with them after knowing their religious affiliation. Majority(4 out of 6)of the students did not experience any biased behavior from their teachers but some students did face biased behavior after revealing their religious affiliation. So,this study suggeststhat universities should ask students about their religious belonging and considering the needsof religious minority students, curriculum should seek input from religious minority groups. In order to promote religious tolerance at HEIs, universities should design curriculum for all students incorporatingcontentsof interreligious harmony.Higher Education Commission (HEC) should ensure the implementation of policy regarding religious minorities at institutional level.
Amna Farooq, TayyabaSohail. (2019) Conceptualization of Religious Belonging of Christian Youth in Higher Education Institutions, Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, Volume IX, Issue 2 .
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