Militant Secularism Comes to Britain? Problematic Approaches to Islam, Muslims and Islamic Law in the ‘Prayer Ban’ Case

In this article, we critique the English High Court’s decision in R (On the Application of TTT) v Michaela Community School, where a school’s ban on ritual prayers during school hours was upheld. Subjecting the case to a close and critical analysis, we contend that the reasoning and rhetoric in this case reflect enduring racialised conceptions of Islam and Muslim identity and resurrect dismissive (post)colonial juridical approaches to Islamic jurisprudence. Complicating the court’s invocations of the principle of secularism to justify the circumscription of religion freedom, and highlighting secularism’s deeply Christian roots, we critically examine the role that selective applications of militant forms of secularism play in underscoring the un-belonging of Islam and Muslims. Finally, we end by warning that this decision sets a troubling precedent for the religious rights and very sense of belonging of British Muslims, especially the younger generations that could have harmful and far-reaching consequences.