Religious Extremism

Muhammad Haris
Causes of religious extremism envisage a variety of social, economic, moral, and cultural constraints in Pakistan. Social setup of this country is based on radicalism and irrationalism which eventually give rise to religious extremism. Most religious debates end with animosity in Pakistan. Furthermore, the clerics in this country have skyrocketed the religious extremism by the use of false interpretation of Islam. Unemployment and extreme poverty have also painted a gloomy picture of Pakistan by compromising the legitimate rights of citizens.This sense of deprivation among masses morphs into extremist groups and suicide bombers. As the famous philosopher Aristotle stated, “economic inequality leads to revolution”. Moreover, the debacle of moral values has been added an insult to injury by echoing hatred slogans among different religious groups. People are devoid of morality, ethics, and norms while discussing religious matters in mosques and public places. Last but not least, there are a number of cultural constraints which provoke religious extremism in the country. Cultural diversity encompasses different ideologies about the concepts of islam. That diversity has nosedived the social cohesion in Pakistan due to antagonistic approaches towards the teachings and practices of islam. In a nutshell, Pakistan is facing religious extremism due to a plethora of challenges. However, there is dire need to chalk out certain strategies to root this evil from bud.