A Note for Teachers

• Facing History and Ourselves is an educational charity providing teaching resources to help young people develop as empathetic, critical thinkers, who understand the role they can play in shaping society for the better. We believe that civic agency is developed through intellectual rigour, emotional engagement and ethical reflection. Learn more about us on our website.

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• This PowerPoint presentation has been created to be used in a S1-4 and KS3-4 assembly to recognise World Religion Day.

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• While you may need to modify this presentation to meet the needs of your students, please note that Facing History and Ourselves does not endorse your changes that alter the presentation's content or original layout.

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World Religion Day

Assembly

Facing History UK Assemblies

#ChangeStartsWithMe

World Religion Day

What is World Religion Day and why does it matter?

Rodolfo Clix

What is World Religion Day?

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• World Religion Day takes place on the third Sunday in January. This year it falls on Sunday 18th January.
• World Religion Day is an opportunity to celebrate all religions, and to both acknowledge and promote the similarities between different religions.

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Rodolfo Clix

World Religions

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• There are over 4000 different religions in the world.
• 85% of the world’s population identifies with a religious group.
• Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are the biggest global religions.
• The term ‘religion’ comes from the Latin word ‘religio’ which means respect, duty and bond.
• Religions help people understand the purpose of their existence, answer questions about the origins of life and gain guidance on actions, behaviours and values.

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What do you find surprising or interesting about the information?

Think, Pair, Share

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• What is tolerance and what are the benefits of living in a tolerant society?

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• How is tolerance promoted within your school community?

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• Have you ever experienced intolerance? How did it make you feel?

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Statistics on Religious Hate Crime

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• 10,065 cases of religious hate crime were reported to the police in England and Wales in 2024/25.
• 45% of religious hate crime recorded by the police was against Muslims (4,478 offenses) – an increase of 19% compared with 2023/24.
• 29% of religious hate crime targeted Jewish people (2,873 offenses).
• 5% of religious hate crime targeted Christians (502 offenses).
• 2% of religious hate crime targeted Hindus (182 cases).
• 3% of religious hate crime targeted Sikhs (259 cases).
• Less than 1% of religious hate crime targeted Buddhists (28 offenses).
• In 11% of religious hate crime offences, the targeted religion was not known.

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Home Office, Official Statistics Hate Crime, England and Wales, 2024 to 2025

Think, Pair, Share

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• What do you find surprising or troubling about the statistics?

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• What do the statistics reveal about tolerance and attitudes towards religious groups?

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• What can we do to challenge and reduce religious hate crime?

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More in Common

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• On the next few slides, you are going to read about times people of different faiths have come together.

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• As you read the examples, think about what the individuals or groups did to challenge religious intolerance.

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More in Common

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In her maiden speech to Parliament, the late MP Jo Cox said:

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"Our communities have been deeply enhanced by immigration, be it of Irish Catholics across the constituency or of Muslims from Gujarat in India or from Pakistan, principally from Kashmir.

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While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us."

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BBC News, ‘Jo Cox MP: In Her Own Words’, 17 June 2016

Garry Knight from London, England, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

More in Common

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In 2016, following the murder of a priest in France, Muslims attended Catholic Mass in a gesture of solidarity.

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French Muslims were urged by France’s Muslim council (CFCM) to show “solidarity and compassion”. Anouar Kbibech, the head of the CFCM, said “We are all Catholics of France”. Services were held in Rouen as well as in Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral and following the services, the Archbishop of Rouen said “We’re very touched.”

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BBC News, France church attack: Muslims attend Mass, 31 July 2016

Peter Haas

More in Common

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“House of Religion” is a Swiss inter-religious institution in the city of Bern.

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In the House of Religion, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Alevi and Buddhists all have their own worship rooms. Jews, Bahá’í and Sikhs also take part in events run at the institute.

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A dargah, church, mosque, temple and Buddhist centre are connected by an open meeting place.

Photo by Ali Arapoğlu

More in Common

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Following a spike in hate crime after the Brexit result, faith and community leaders in Birmingham came up with the ‘Love your Neighbour’ campaign.

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The campaign encouraged Christians, Muslims, Jews and Sikhs to come together as a community and to spread kindness and understanding. As well as celebrating their diversity, the campaign encouraged people to think about the power of kind acts.

Image by reneebigelow from Pixabay

Discussion

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• What do you think Jo Cox meant by the phrase “more in common” and why does looking for commonality matter?
• Look around the room you are currently in. What do you have in common with your peers? Your teachers?
• What happens when we only focus on the differences between us?

Promoting Religious Tolerance

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• Do you currently do enough to promote religious tolerance? Think about your words and actions at school as well as at home.
• What are the benefits of learning about different religions?
• What could you do to promote religious tolerance in your school? In your local community?

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Exit Ticket

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Take a moment to think about the following:

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Religious tolerance is important because ____________________________________________�

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I can promote religious tolerance through _______________________________________________�

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Challenging religious intolerance is important because _________________________

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