Shared training goals can transcend religious difference while still fostering curiosity about it.
Evidence
Not only is this a space where people encounter those whom they might not otherwise meet, it is also a place where people can learn about difference, through exposure to different ways of living. During Ramadan, for instance, people express genuine interest in why people are fasting and what it all means, whilst displaying admiration for those who continue to train without eating or drinking water. … Yacine: People show admiration. They say “credit to you for training through it”. They see it must be tough. People are a bit more aware and less ignorant, they talk about it a bit more, they know i can’t really give 100% when im fasting. The gyms accepting of my faith. But it doesn’t come into play that much. That’s as far as it goes and as far as it needs to go [Black-African fighter] … Yacine emphasises how within the gym people develop a greater cultural understanding of Islam than in the wider social world, that is characterised by increasingly normalised Islamophpbia (see Kundnani 2014). At the same time, he emphasises how his faith is not the most important or defining feature in the gym, noting that “it doesn’t come into play that much”. Their religious beliefs are not demaned or demonised. People show interest and offer encouragement, but at the same time, they are also not that relevant, as what bonds people is the shared pursuit of their fighting goals, not their religious leanings. The primary focus within the space is the mutual pursuit of honing the fighting body and aiding one another in reaching this goal. — Amit Singh, “Carnal conviviality” and the end of…, 50
Categorization
- DEFINE: Illustrates the mechanism behind ‘carnal conviviality’ — how bodily co-presence produces tolerance without demanding homogenization.
- XREF: Connects to Paul Gilroy’s concept of convivial culture and to the ADDENDUM article ‘Complaints About Immodesty Go Way Back’ on how bodily practice mediates cultural contact.
- corroborated: 4 independent passages support this claim — Amit Singh, “Carnal conviviality” and the end of…, 50