Pakistani Conceptualization of Shari'a and Support for Militancy and Democratic Values: A New Empirical Approach

Abstract

In this paper, we argue that empirical studies of the relationship between popular support for Islamism and support for democracy and violence have yielded inconclusive results, largely because scholars inadequately operationalize respondent support for sharia. Focusing on Pakistan, we demonstrate how using different conceptualizations of sharia has direct impacts upon the observed correlation between such support and support for democratic values and Islamic militant groups. We use data derived from a carefully designed survey instrument that offers unique insights into how Pakistanis define a sharia-based government. We find that formalizing an Islamic government as one that implements sharia by providing services and security for the people is associated with increased support for democratic values, whereas conceptualizing an Islamic government as one that implements sharia by imposing hudud punishments and restricting women's public roles is associated with increased support for militancy. These results suggest that depending on how individuals within a particular context and time period construe a