Abstract
Aim. The aim of this research article is to verify waves of fanaticism among thefollowers of the Barelvi sect, a branch of Sufi Islam along with continuation of violentextremist activities by the followers of the Deobandi brand of the Muslim religion inPakistan. It has been evidenced that Pakistan’s society has been badly infl uenced byreligious extremism since the 1980s (Gul, 2012). Fitzgerald (2011) termed the religion asa force of nature which is absolutely appropriate for the case of religious extremism inPakistan. The religious extremism in Pakistan can be examined through the concept ofsocial constructivism which emphasizes characterisation of human identity, values andnorms in the society (Sajjad, 2015).Method. The qualitative method of research was employed to analyse circumstancesrelated to growing Sufi ’s fanaticism in Pakistan. The data was collected from differentsources including books, scientifi c journals, research articles, newspapers and websites.Results. By using various valuable references, it has been verifi ed that support of thestate in the 1980s caused growth of Deobandi extremism, as well as support by the state inorder to counter some of the Deobandi fanatic groups in the 1990s and 2000s led to occurrenceof Barelvi fanaticism in the country.Conclusion. The study confi rms that Pakistan, which was already witness of Deobandimilitancy, is facing the more challenging fanaticism of Barelvis, having strong tendencies toward radicalization and extremism on the religious issues like blasphemy.
Highlights
Pakistan’s society has been badly inßuenced by religious extremism since the 1980s especially after the initiation of the Afghan Jihad (Gul, 2012)
This study examines consequences related to religious extremism in Pakistan and prospect of viable measures for countering the menace
There are many factors involved in growth of extremism and militancy in Pakistan
Summary
Pakistan’s society has been badly inßuenced by religious extremism since the 1980s especially after the initiation of the Afghan Jihad (Gul, 2012). These steps were taken to counter Deobandi extremist groups active in Pakistan, at end of the Afghan war or Afghan jihad, as well as after the collapse of Taliban rule in Afghanistan These measures included the politicizing of the SuÞ brand of Islam (Barelvi sect) in order to handle the Deobandi extremism in the country during various periods specially in the post 9/11 era. The emerging tendency of Barelvi extremism especially on the issue of the blasphemy law has shaken the society in Pakistan and resulted in many terrible incidents across the country Once again, it was madrassa which played a signiÞcant role in mobilizing the agitation call by the religious Þgures belonging to the Barelvi school of thought. The religious extremism in Pakistan especially creates tussles between the state and the extremist groups that can be examined through the concept of social constructivism (Sajjad, 2015)
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