In the same week that the son of a Pakistani Muslim bus driver became the Mayor of London, an advertising campaign for Ramadan aimed at Muslims was announced for buses in the capital and other cities around the UK.
The banner adverts will state “Subhan Allah” (Praise God) alongside the smaller message “Gather the rewards of Ramadan” and an appeal for donations.
The campaign is being run by Islamic Relief, one of the UK’s leading charities. It says it aims to encourage Muslims to donate during Ramadan as well as remind them how much their work has achieved.
Ramadan, of course, is not just the month of fasting, but of giving charitably. A survey by online donation platform JustGiving found that British Muslims donate more to charity than any other group.
While Muslims ought to have as much right to advertising as any other group, it seems legitimate to ask if religion and advertising can mix – and whether they should.
The answer is quite simple: of course they can, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t.
There have been religiously-orientated advertising campaigns. For example, in India Save Our Sisters ran a campaign to tackle the rampant problem of domestic violence. Images were created of female Hindu deities with bruising as though they had been beaten up.
And, of course, there are campaigns precisely promoting a critical view of religion. An atheist bus campaign by the British Humanist Association proclaimed “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
Far more interesting to explore is the cultural effect of advertising by religion- inspired organisations and the sophistication they need to demonstrate.
The way religions are allowed or not allowed to use advertising space reveals how sensitive and confused we are about the interplay between advertising and religion in our cultures.
Last year, a short advert depicting the Lord’s Prayer, a key recitation for Christians, was banned by a cinema company on the grounds that it would cause offence.
Now, Christians are complaining that the bus adverts featuring the word “Subhan Allah” can appear, but not the Christian adverts in cinemas.
Although buses and cinemas are regulated in different ways, Christians are saying they hope the bus adverts will allow greater space for Christianity to speak about itself publicly.
As a Muslim, I felt the cinema ban was wrong. In a diverse plural society like the UK there is no reason why the rules of advertising should be different for Christian inspired or Muslim-inspired advertising.
For those unfamiliar with Islam, the “Subhan Allah” campaign may feel alien. For Muslims already exposed to negativity the language of shared values is more important in the public space.
Religion and religious inspired organisations need to think like advertisers in finding the human vein of emotion that is in the zeitgeist. Otherwise, people feel excluded or alienated. Understanding the political and social context is the key.
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and blogs at www.spirit21.co.uk