Two people at #aarsbl19 have asked how I, as a Sikh, could teach Buddhist history.

"Seems like a conflict of interest," he joked.
"But you're not even Buddhist." she said.

Here's the thing: Many in our field don't practice the traditions they teach. So why the double-standard?

This is racialized. Our field is primarily white. I'm not. I'm also visibly religious.

Would people comment if I was a white scholar? Nope.

Were their comments malicious? Probably not.

Yet it shows that Orientalist and white supremacist outlooks are engrained in us. #aarsbl19

I got comments like this often while teaching Islamic Studies in Texas.

I understand the question coming from folks outside the academy.

But it strikes me as bizarre coming from religious studies scholars.

I wanted to ask, “Don’t you understand what we do?!” #aarsbl19

To be honest, I don’t mind terribly.

I wish it weren’t this way, but I also understand that we all have unconscious biases.

Just hopeful that sharing this reflection will make us all a bit more aware and will help eliminate some of the inequities in our field. #aarsbl19

I ended up writing about this experience what it tells us about the continuing legacy of colonialism in the study of religion.

Please read and share. #aarsbl19 https://religionnews.com/2019/11/26/the-scandal-of-a-minority-american-teaching-a-religion-not-his-own/