Religious Identity Research Articles

Flourishing levels among health and non-health profession students in Saudi Arabian colleges

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the levels of flourishing among university students, compare these levels between students in health-related and non-health-related colleges, and identify factors that predict flourishing.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, involving 1,148 students from the first to fourth year across both academic sectors. Data were collected utilizing the self-reported Global Flourishing Study Questionnaire (GFS) during the period from September 2023 to June 2024. Multistage sampling techniques were employed to ensure a representative sample, with data collection facilitated through a self-administered electronic link on QuestionPro resulting in a response rate of 51.7%. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22, incorporating descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis to identify predictors of flourishing. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and Pearson’s correlation analysis.ResultsThe study included nearly equal proportions of students from health (51.0%) and nonhealth (49.0%) colleges. The average flourishing score was 85.6 (SD=18.6), with a slight increase in health colleges (85.7) compared with non-health colleges (85.4). Factors that significantly affected flourishing included gender, employment status, exercise frequency, experiences of abuse, and income. In the multiple regression analysis, well-being emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by external factors, disposition, and behavior. Gender exhibited a positive association with flourishing, whereas religion had a negative influence. Furthermore, employment and higher income levels were found to positively contribute to flourishing.ConclusionThis study revealed elevated levels of flourishing among university students in Saudi Arabia, with a notable average score of 85.6. Although the differences between students enrolled in health-related and non-health-related colleges were minimal, significant predictors of flourishing were identified, including well-being, external factors, disposition and behavior, gender, religious affiliation, employment status, income, frequency of exercise, and experience of abuse. These findings underscore the complexity of flourishing and highlight the necessity of considering a range of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors to promote student well-being.

In and out of the city: Generational disaffiliation among evangelicals in the age of mobility and religious choice

The intergenerational transmission effect reveals an important trend behind the current growth of ‘nones’ in Canada, the fastest-growing religious identity in North America. On the other hand, ‘dones’, who distinguish themselves from ‘nones’ in terms of non-religion, reveal another important facet of this trend. These are people who have distanced themselves from their religious affiliation. This article highlights issues of generational succession and religious transmission in the disaffiliation process. Drawing from qualitative interviews with 12 formerly self-identifying evangelicals aged 25 to 36 in Quebec, it argues that evangelical disaffiliations are also influenced by the religious choices of one’s parents. Like their children, parents’ conversion often involved disaffiliation from the religion of their upbringing, which in Quebec is mostly Roman Catholic. In the contemporary context, high geographical mobility also plays an important role in the disaffiliation of these young evangelicals, creating the conditions for a gradual erosion of social ties. At the same time, the emergence of new urban churches, combined with a sense of generational unity, has created a space for transition outside the traditional evangelical milieu. Taken together, these factors suggest that, even in evangelicalism, a religious movement that resisted decline until very recently, certain features of modern religious transmission are implicated in the disaffiliation process.

Comparing role of religion in perception of the COVID-19 vaccines in Africa and Asia Pacific

BackgroundIn the midst of the global COVID-19 vaccine distribution challenge, religion stands out as a key determinant of vaccine hesitancy and health choices. Notably, the multifaceted religious environments of Africa and the Asia Pacific remain under-researched in this context.MethodsUtilizing data from two survey waves conducted between 2021 and 2022, this cross-sectional study investigated the effects of religious beliefs on perceptions of compatibility between religion and vaccines and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Africa and Asia Pacific. Logistic regression models were employed, with interaction terms between socio-economic factors incorporated to account for variations among diverse subpopulations.ResultsAmong the eight religious groups identified, Atheists and Buddhists in the Asia Pacific exhibit the lowest agreement, with fewer than 60% acknowledging the religious compatibility of vaccines. Willingness to accept vaccines, however, is consistently higher in Asia Pacific by at least four percentage points compared to Africa, with the disparity widening further in the second wave. Impacts of education on vaccine perceptions vary across religious groups, while acknowledging vaccine compatibility with religion positively contributed to vaccine acceptance. Dynamics between region, religion, and other socio-demographic factors have changed substantially over time. All but Atheists and Muslims exhibit a higher propensity to endorse vaccines during Survey Wave 2.ConclusionsOur study reveals complex, context-dependent connections between vaccine attitudes and religion and the heterogeneous effects of time and education among different religious affiliations. Understanding the underlying drivers of these temporal variations helps inform tailored approaches aimed at addressing vaccine hesitancy, promoting vaccine uptake, and improving the well-being of each religious group.

PSICOLOGIA DA RELIGIÃO: VERTENTES DA ESPIRITUALIDADE INTEGRADAS À PSICOLOGIA

The presence of spirituality in the daily life of society is indisputable, even those who say they have no religious affiliation believe in the existence of a God or a superior force that helps to deal with traumas, conflicts and/or decision-making. Psychology comprises a branch of fundamental questions with in-depth discussions about the integrative aspects of the human being. Spiritual questions aim to establish answers to the invisible, in the belief and faith of the community, presenting themselves as a tool for integration in therapeutic management. The study is highly necessary, as it addresses the bio-psycho-social-spiritual being that resides in each man and woman. On the other hand, reaffirm that spirituality cannot be ignored when it is manifested in the therapeutic environment, as the aforementioned manifestation comes from the subjective element of that being.

Public Support for the Accommodation of Religious Diversity: The Interplay Between Religious Identification, Threat Perception, and Cross‐Group Friendships

AbstractAccommodating new religious communities has become a central issue in Western Europe. However, the role of religious identification in shaping intergroup relations still needs to be better understood. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the factors influencing public support for the accommodation of religious diversity, drawing on two statistically representative surveys conducted in Catalonia, Spain. The results revealed that religious identification moderates the relationship between the perception that religions other than Catholicism threaten society's way of life and the level of support for accommodating religious diversity. Contrary to initial assumptions, practicing Catholics were more supportive of religious accommodation than nonpracticing Catholics and nonbelievers, regardless of the level of threat they perceived. Moreover, cross‐group friendships mitigated the negative impact of perceived threat on support for religious accommodation, particularly among nonbelievers. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of cross‐group friendships in fostering more inclusive societies and provide valuable insights for religious governance.

Franz Kafka and Antisemitism: The Historical Context of Der Prozess

Abstract Franz Kafka’s novel The Trial (1915) is open to many interpretations. One aspect, however, which has not been taken sufficiently into account, is its relation to the antisemitic trials of his times, where Jews were accused of treason or ‘ritual murder’: the trials of Tisza (Hungary, 1882), Dreyfus (France, 1894–9), Hilsner (Czechoslovakia, 1899–1900), and Beiliss (Russia, 1912–13). Kafka knew about them and made comments in his correspondence or diaries. This ‘Jewish moment’ is essential for the understanding of the novel. However, Joseph K. has no religious or ethnic identity: Kafka discovers in the Jewish experience the quintessential human experience of Injustice.

Ethnic Peculiarities and Inter-ethnic Parallels in the Traditional Material Culture of the Hungarians of Ugocsa

The Hungarians living in the present-day Transcarpathian region have lived peacefully for centuries together with the majority Ruthenian/Ukrainian population, as well as with the Romanian, German, Roma and other ethnic groups, who live in a similar minority to the Hungarians. Ethnographers and tourists visiting the region are convinced that these nationalities have retained the characteristics of their culture to this day. At the same time, it is worth observing how this long historical coexistence is reflected in the way of life and mentality of these people. The parallels between Ruthenian and Hungarian language and folklore, folk customs are excellent examples of interethnic relations, but I have also encountered similar examples when researching the traditional material culture of the villages in Ugocsa. In the field of folk architecture, for example, the gate called tőkés kapu, as well as the abora, aszaló [the dryer] and the barn. Interethnic phenomena between Hungarians, Ruthenians and other nationalities of the region can also be observed in folk costumes (the guba, or the shoes called bochkor). Throughout history, in Transcarpathia, which belonged to different state formations, it was noticeable that culture was not strictly tied to peoples. Thanks to the tolerance shown towards each other, the nationalities of the region have preserved their ethnic and religious characteristics and identity, but we can also find many similarities in their cultures. When studying the interactions that mutually enrich each other's culture and provide a colorful and attractive image to the region, it is often impossible to find out who borrowed from whom and when. During the ethnographic research of the local communities, the main point is to take into account the ethnic interaction of the nationalities living here, as the folk culture of the local Hungarians is determined by the aggregation of the cultures of different ethnicities.

Research Synthesis Related to Oncology Family Caregiver Spirituality in Palliative Care.

Background: Family caregivers are central to the delivery of serious illness care and also have needs related to their role and experience. One aspect of the family caregiver quality of life (QOL) that has received less attention is caregiver spirituality. Objectives: The research objectives for this analysis were (1) Describe spirituality in oncology family caregivers. (2) Determine the impact of palliative care interventions on spirituality and related variables in oncology family caregivers. (3) Describe findings from the research literature related to spirituality in family caregivers. The authors include two nurse researchers (BF, TB) and a physician (MK) who conducted these studies and a board-certified chaplain (PG) who contributed his expertise in chaplaincy. Design: This study synthesized data from seven earlier studies by the investigators from their research in family caregiving and also compared findings to the literature. Setting/Subjects: Subjects were family caregivers (n = 1039) of patients with cancer from studies conducted primarily in the Western United States. Measurements: The key spirituality instruments used were the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy tool and the City of Hope QOL tool. Results: Spirituality was identified as important to family caregivers and most caregivers reported a religious affiliation. Living with uncertainty was consistently reported as the worst aspect of QOL/spirituality. Having a sense of purpose and meaning was the highest rated area. Conclusions: The authors' research synthesis and the literature support the importance of additional research and clinical focus in family caregiver spirituality in serious illness care.

General Self-efficacy and Other Predictors of Grade Point Average (GPA) in College Students of Kathmandu, Nepal

General self-efficacy refers to individuals' belief in their ability to manage their functioning and influence life events. It can be influenced by various factors such as personal achievements, observed experiences, encouragement, and emotional states. We aimed this study to examine the relationship between general self-efficacy and other demographic factors in predicting Grade Point Average (GPA) among college students. The power analysis indicated minimum of 385 data points for unknown population, however we followed the rules of thumb that more data equals better results. This cross-sectional survey involved 527 college students from the Kathmandu Valley, representing various age groups, genders, ethnicities, religious affiliations, marital statuses, residential locations, education levels, faculties, and years of study. We targeted only two colleges to collect the data; however, the online portal of data collection allowed students to provide the data from other institutions as well. Students were selected through opportunity sampling, and data were collected using the General Self-Efficacy Scale between September 8 and November 2, 2022. Our findings indicate no significant relationship between general self-efficacy and GPA. Ethnicity (Janajati), religion (Buddhists), education level (high school), faculty (management), and institution type (private) were identified as significant predictors of GPA, while gender, age, marital status, and residential location did not predict GPA. The study provides valuable insights into how demographic factors, rather than self-efficacy, influence academic performance, offering useful information for educational strategies aimed at improving student outcomes.

Religious Nationalism and The Legal Rejection of LGBT Rights in Zambia: Examining the Intersection of Religion, Law, And Social Exclusion

In the 21st century, national identities are shaped by more than just belonging to a nation-state; factors such as ethnicity, culture, gender, and religion also play a significant role. Individuals can align themselves with imagined communities, where national identity exists only in the mind. However, when religion becomes a symbol of national identity, it often leads to the rejection of beliefs that contradict religious values. This paper explores the influence of religious nationalism on the social rejection of LGBT rights in Zambia. Through a review of various theories of nationalism and an analysis of the conflicts between state, ethnic, and religious nationalisms, the paper highlights how strong religious identities can foster hostility toward LGBT communities. Zambia, a Christian nation by constitutional declaration, exemplifies how religious nationalism enables the criminalization of homosexuality, described as an unnatural offense punishable by imprisonment. The conclusion demonstrates that religious nationalism not only conflicts with LGBT rights but also fuels social rejection, leading to stigma and legal consequences for LGBT individuals in Zambia.

Attitude toward virginity and its determinants among girls in Tabriz: Iran

BackgroundWe aimed to assess the attitude of unmarried girls towards virginity, and its determinants, comparing three age cohorts (born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s) in the city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey among 700 girls residing in Tabriz in 2021 employing a population-based cluster sampling based on health clinics and households. We collected data using a pilot-tested instrument, which comprised socio-demographic questions, and statements to assess attitudes towards virginity and its importance, the meaning of virginity, ways of losing virginity, and perception of the hymen. The data was analyzed using SPSS, version 21. Analysis of variance and independent t-test was used for bivariate analysis and linear regression was used to identify the determinants of the attitude. A p value under 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsOnly about one-third (35.2%) of unmarried girls considered preserving virginity as an important issue for girls before marriage in current days. About 27% were uncertain and about 38% believed it was unimportant. The importance of virginity (score range 7–35) was significantly greater for girls born in the 70s than for girls born in the 80s and 90s (p < 0.05). In the multivariate linear regression model, the determinants of the importance of virginity were older age, greater religious affiliation, living with both parents and lower consumption of the internet and social networks for sexual information.ConclusionsThis study indicates significant shifts in sexual attitudes among young females which may have important implications for marriage age and the culturally and age-appropriate sexual health interventions of young people.

Religion and responsibility in international relations: Thatcher, Mahathir, and The Satanic Verses

Abstract The crisis over Salman Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses exposed the contrasting ways Western and Muslim actors understand the place of religion in international order and the responsibilities of states in religious controversies. No other Muslim national leader supported Ayatollah Khomeini’s call for Rushdie’s death in 1989, but many Muslims expressed anger and disbelief that Britain and Western powers could not restrict a book that caused so much international disturbance. This paper seeks to understand this discord through the overlapping but conflicted language games of Western and Muslim national leaders. It analyses a previously unreported exchange of letters between British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, along with other recently released archival material from the diplomatic crisis. These letters reflected different unwritten rules informing the actors’ understandings and practices of international order, despite their shared acceptance of the sovereignty of national states. For Mahathir, the Western world was itself a religious identity, and its collective propagation of The Satanic Verses compounded a religious insult to the Muslim world. But Thatcher and other British actors did not see religious identities, especially their own, as basic elements of international relations, instead reasserting the secular primacy of national states.

Perioperative medication therapy for Muslim patients in Germany undergoing oncological surgery: a retrospective study

PurposeEngagement of healthcare professionals with patients from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds is crucial in our multicultural society, where miscommunication and errors in medical history taking can lead to incorrect treatment. In particular, Muslim patients may present unique considerations due to their specific cultural and religious beliefs, which can significantly impact treatment outcomes. This study focuses on perioperative medication therapy for patients undergoing upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and pancreatic tumor surgery, specifically examining whether Islamic beliefs were duly considered in medication selection compared to a matching patient cohort.Materials and methodsData from January 2004 to July 2023 were analyzed. Muslim patients were identified using the onomastic method and matched with non-Muslim patients at a 1:3 ratio based on age, gender, and procedure. Analysis included examination of subcutaneous, oral, and intravenous medications, with attention to ingredients and compatibility with Islamic principles.ResultsAmong 5272 patients, only 5 met the study’s inclusion criteria as Muslim patients, undergoing procedures such as anterior rectum resection, gastrectomy, and pancreatic head resection. Their religious affiliations were not documented in the admission records. According to the matched-pair analysis, consistent treatment was performed regardless of religious beliefs. All patients received subcutaneous medication, primarily enoxaparin, instead of fondaparinux, an Islam-compliant alternative. Intravenous heparin was used once for short period. Contrary to Islamic dietary restrictions and the availability of alternatives, capsules containing animal-derived gelatin and other non-compliant medications were administered orally.ConclusionThis study underscores the importance of acknowledging Muslim patients’ cultural and religious backgrounds in the perioperative setting, as failure to do so may lead healthcare professionals to overlook their potential alternative medication needs, which are essential for providing tailored medical care in modern societies. Integration of diversity-related topics into medical curricula is essential for better preparing physicians for clinical practice and ensuring patient-centered care.

Tradeoffs between privacy and screening efficiency for air passengers – Implications for tourism supply chain management

ABSTRACT This study employs the stated preference method to explore airline passengers’ choices during security screening and examines their trade-offs between privacy and efficiency. We compare two Asian economic hub cities (i.e. Hong Kong and Shanghai), with 500 business and leisure travellers sampled from each city. A generalised mixed multinomial logit model is estimated. The results suggest that travellers display varied levels of privacy concerns, including biometrics, biographical data, identifiers, and behavioural information. The participants from Shanghai expressed a willingness to go through fingerprint scanning and to provide facial images. The travellers in Hong Kong displayed notable reluctance to receive iris scans and disclose political and religious affiliations, and they were particularly hesitant about sharing medication records. Despite some differences between the two markets, both groups strongly opposed smartphone tracking, including access to search history and GPS location. In general, business (vs. leisure) travellers, men (vs. women), individuals with higher education levels, and those with higher personal monthly incomes strongly preferred fast-track schemes that utilised personal data. Our findings highlight the possibility of making more effective transitions to high-tech screening methods that meet the changing expectations of travellers if total screening time can be significantly decreased.

Biryani with the Golden Girls: Muslim South Asian-American women’s food voices

ABSTRACT Muslim women communicate through food to express family and community belonging. This paper applies Hauck’s concept of the “food voice” (1992) as a tool to unpack multiple aspects of identity for Muslim Indian American women. Cooking together, eating together, and preserving these recipes and dishes is an important part of resistance work for women of color, and the history of racialized women in the United States (Williams-Forson 2006, Abarca 2006). For the Muslim Indian women in Florida with whom I spoke, halal food reveals ethnic, religious, political, and gendered identities. Using charlas culinarias or kitchen chats with a small group of Muslim Indian women, I learned about Muslim women’s contribution to maintaining their ethnic and religious identities in Tampa, Florida, through their food voices.

RUSSIA’S HYBRID WARFARE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIES AND PROXY ACTORS

This paper examines Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics against the Western Balkans, focusing on using direct and indirect methods to exert influence in the region. The study delves into Russia’s strategic use of media manipulation, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, alongside its employment of proxy state and non-state actors such as Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Leveraging historical, cultural, and religious ties, Russia seeks to destabilize the Western Balkans and prevent closer integration with NATO and the European Union. Special attention is given to the geopolitics of elections, where Russia manipulates electoral processes in countries like Montenegro and North Macedonia to favour pro-Russian or anti-Western political forces. By analyzing key case studies, this paper explores how Russian hybrid warfare exploits regional vulnerabilities—such as ethnic divisions and weak political institutions—while employing tactics of soft power and military cooperation. The findings indicate that Russia’s hybrid warfare, including electoral manipulation, poses a significant threat to regional stability and international security, underscoring the need for strengthened Western engagement to counter Russian influence. This study offers critical insights into the evolving nature of hybrid warfare and its implications for the geopolitical landscape of Southeast Europe.

The impact of geopolitical processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina on urban development and cultural identity

The historical-geographical development of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) in the area of the fusion of Western and Eastern Christian civilizations and the Orient resulted in ethnic and religious heterogeneity, occasional political crises and ethnic conflicts that shaped the cultural identity and character of the entire development. BH was separated from the Yugoslav community in the conditions of the civil war. After the war in 1995, a complex administrative-territorial organization of the new state was established, based on the ethnic and religious affiliation of the population. At the same time, the transition of the socialist social system took place, as well as other geopolitical processes and social changes in the Western Balkans initiated by globalization. The paper focuses on cultural disintegration and changes in urban identity and development of cities through the analysis of the six largest urban centers as indicators of social changes in BH. The results of the analysis suggest that there has been a cultural differentiation of society, which is reflected in changes in the ethnic and religious structure of the population and their spatial distribution. Economic stagnation and depopulation of urban centers, as a consequence of the civil war and social reforms, were confirmed by a comparative analysis of statistical indicators of economic and demographic development. Cultural changes were determined by relevant scientific methods and approaches: historical-geographical method, comparative analysis of statistics of demographic indicators and changes in spatial distribution, ethnic and religious structure of the population, and economic changes by analysis of employment in sectors of the economy. The scientific results of previously published papers devoted to some of the mentioned problems, primarily economic development and population dynamics in BH and its large cities, were also taken into account. In this paper, social changes are observed through the cause-and-effect relationships of geopolitical and cultural processes (political, economic and cultural disintegration), social and economic reforms (ownership transition and deindustrialization) and their manifestations on cultural identity and the development of urban centers.

Identity work responses to workplace stigmatization: Power positions, authenticity, religious coping and religious accommodation for skilled practising Muslim professionals

AbstractDespite the challenges Muslims face because of their stigmatized religious identity, little is known about how they navigate that identity in the workplace. Adopting an interpretivist perspective of identity work, this study investigates this issue by building on two‐round in‐depth interviews (35 in round‐one and 21 in round‐two) with skilled practising British Muslim professionals. It extends work on power positions to show the privileges those in senior managerial positions have, including assertiveness and control over workplace interactions and outcomes. It further advances understanding of authenticity, revealing that, despite their experiences of stigmatization, these professionals tend to remain true to their religious identity, openly practising their religion in the workplace. They perceive identity re‐interpretation to be part of authenticity, and a responsibility to contest religious stigma. Importantly, this study conceptualizes proactive religious coping as an identity work response to workplace stigmatization, theorized in this organizational context as turning to God and religious rituals for meaning, comfort, resilience and reconciliation, whilst also being proactive and fighting to challenge experiences of stigmatization. However, unlike for other stigmatized groups, inclusive organizational practices, particularly religious accommodation, are not a driver for authenticity, but rather a signal for environment‐fit and authenticity is instead driven by religious identity.

English passing off as Thai in twenty-first century Thai linguistic landscape

ABSTRACT With deepening globalisation and increased people-to-people contact, English is becoming more relevant in Thailand, which boasts a sizable expat community and tourists from around the world. While various scholars have explored the more overt, explicit, and obvious aspect of English glocalised in the Thai context (e.g. expressions such as ‘same same but different’), the more implicit, covert and hidden aspect has rarely been examined, that is, how the all-powerful English becomes disguised in the Thai script and becomes taken for granted and even passes off as ‘local’ in various settings in an inter-scriptal manner. In a context of change, linguistic landscape represents an important venue to observe the development and evolution of English in action. Drawing on authentic real-world data taken from Thailand’s linguistic landscape, this study points to the pervasive nature of English being disguised, through transliteration, in the Thai script in Thailand’s twenty-first century linguistic ecology. Beyond discussing the reasons and ideologies behind this interesting hybridised variety, this study also attempts to document the phonological changes and phonetic features exhibited when English is glocalised and (re)contextualised in the distant and seemingly incompatible Thai script, which symbolises a vastly different sociocultural and religious identity.

Language policy and linguistic landscapes in the internationalization of a non-Anglophone university

PurposeInternationalization strategies that have been issued for a decade affect non-Anglophone higher education institutions (HEIs) in the clash of importance in preserving national language or using international languages. One of the observable objects of this dilemma is the inconsistent language display of universities’ public signages as a linguistic landscape (LL). To address these issues, the presence of language policy is urgent unless the preservation of the national language is no longer the responsibility of HEIs. However, rigorous discussion about language policy in non-Anglophone HEIs remains limited. This study aims to address the gap by providing a critical analysis of the existing language policy documents in an Indonesian higher education institution that has a multilingual environment and its effect on the LL.Design/methodology/approachThis case study used document analysis and LL analysis. The setting was an Islamic university in Indonesia that represents the trial importance of building religious identity, preserving the national language and engaging with international demands. The data were collected from National Law Enforcement websites, which provided various national policy documents and the institutional documents that were retrieved from the university website by using the document analysis method by Bowen (2009). The secondary data were 216 visual images of public signage in an Islamic university in Indonesia as the representation of multilingual phenomena. The additional data were gathered from a pilot interview with a lecturer and a student.FindingsThis study found that both the national government and institutional administration in Indonesia do not have a language policy that regulates LLs or language preferences in public places for HEIs. The university tends to solely refer to international accreditation policy by using either bilingual English-Indonesian or monolingual English in the public signage. However, the limited use of the Arabic language in specific venues such as mosques and musallas shows that Arabic serves neither as symbolic identity nor communicative functions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study sets a single case study in an Islamic university, and the policy documents were limited to the Indonesian Government and institutions as the representation of non-Anglophone countries. Further studies are expected to have a bigger and larger size of data and settings.Practical implicationsThis study implies that non-Anglophone countries’ governments should start to design and enforce a language policy that preserves national language and facilitates major national and international language communities, such as Thai, Arabic, Javanese and Malay, without being absent in international competitive labeling. A practical implication for religion-based and cultural-based universities is that the function of their Holy Book or local languages can be used as communicative functions to strengthen the religious and local identity.Social implicationsThis study implies that non-Anglophone countries’ governments should start to design and enforce a language policy that preserves their national language without being absent in international competitive labeling.Originality/valueGiven the fact that there is limited awareness to bring the discussion about LL patterns into language policy issues in non-Anglophone countries, this study was originally conducted as a case study to pilot the discussion about the absence of language policy as represented through LLs in Indonesia. This case study was brought up as a pilot discussion to urge non-Anglophone countries lawmakers to issue language policy at the university level. This message is meant to respond to internationalization programs that can potentially jeopardize the existence of the linguistic and cultural diversity of non-Anglophone countries.