About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

Special Issue 2018 J. Pol. Stud. 1 (2018)

handle is hein.journals/jlo2018 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Political Studies, Special Issue, 2018, 1:13 Enlightenment and the Challenge of Extremism in Pakistan Moonis Ahmar Abstract The surge of religious extremism in Pakistan is not a new phenomenon and it got an impetus after 9/11. Back to back events like the U.S led war in Afghanistan; frequent drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan; the Red Mosque operation of July 2007 against religious extremist elements; military operation in Swat and North and South Waziristan deepened the level of religious anger, antagonism, intolerance, violence and terrorism. Yet, extremism, whether religious, political or ethnic existed even before 9/11 but its scope and intensity was limited. Religious extremist groups got an impetus during the martial law regime of General Zia-ul-Haq because of the free hand which was given to those who preached their own brand of Islam under the pretext of Shariah and coerced others to adhere to their way of life. Hence, there is a greater degree of contrast between extremism which existed in Pakistan before the Afghan Jehad and after, as militancy and intolerance before 1979 existed but it was in a low profile whereas after 1979 it permeated in the societal structures and even state institutions couldn't escape from the ramifications and the surge of extremism. The proliferation of inter and intra sectarian violence in the backdrop of Afghan Jihad sharply divided Pakistani society and unleashed a cycle of violence resulting into colossal physical losses. Keywords: Extremism, radicalization, Pakistan Introduction One plausible way to deal with the menace of extremism, whether religious, sectarian or ethnic is by following an enlightened approach and thinking particularly on the part of those who wield power. Enlightened approach means a way of thinking which is broad and based on reasoning. Furthermore, enlightenment, which emerged as a movement in parts of Europe during 17th and 18th centuries led to scientific innovations, individualism, moderation and tolerance. The movement of enlightenment adequately dealt with decades of religious wars in Europe which ultimately led to the separation of Church and State as envisaged in the treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Viewed in the context of Pakistan where religious extremism and fanaticism seem to destabilize state and society of the country, such issues can effectively be dealt when an enlightened approach based on reasoning, rationality, moderation and tolerance is pursued at the societal level. Certainly, it is through the culture of reasoning, research and better education that the minds of people are opened and discourse and debate launched instead of conformity to established norms. *Author is Meritorious Professor, International Relations and Former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most