Religious Extremism: The Case of Pakistan

In Pakistan, even today, there is an overt acceptance of extremist interpretations of Islam reflecting the bigoted mindset that inspires radical tendencies. By confusing religiosity with religion, religious extremists are easily tempted towards posturing and have threatened to take over both the state and the secular faith. To further complicate the situation in Pakistan, the military-intelligence complex has deliberately encouraged extremism and manipulated it for regime survival, extort more international support, manage domestic crises and to expand influence in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Socio-political complexities and the internal contradictions make it difficult for combating religious extremism in Pakistan. In the present circumstances, promoting and strengthening secular democracy is an appropriate answer to the problem.