The Explorer: Journal of Social Sciences ISSN: 2411-0132, Vol-1, Issue (3):66-68 www.theexplorerpak.org
PERCEPTION ON CLERICS’ ROLE IN RAISING RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM Tayyaba Sana, Shavan Shahzadi Department of Anthropology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi Corresponding Author: Shavan Shahzadi PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi shavanshahzadi@yahoo.com Abstract: Extremism is actions considered to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of people which violate common moral standards. Extremism can take many forms, including political, ethnic and religious. Throughout history people have practiced violence in the name of religion. To find out the part played by clerics in promoting religious extremism through information communication technology, data was collected from a sample of 50 respondents selected by convenient sampling using a semi-structured questionnaire. The locale was Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. The research was conducted over a period of one month. The findings of the study revealed that clerics provoking sectarianism and extremism are directly associated. Religious extremism supported by clerics was also significantly associated with obstacles being created in the way of women’s education. Thus over all, the religious clerics have been found to be the major root cause of terrorism.
Key Words: Religion, Extremism, Religious Clerics, Mufti, Developmental Sector INTRODUCTION Islamic extremism is attached to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam including the promotion of violence to achieve political goals. Religious extremism has grown to become one of the biggest security threats. Copra (1998) states that “The madras were considered center of higher learning. Traditionally madrasas education incorporated two parallel streams: the revealed knowledge and intellectual sciences the specialist of the former was known as Ulema while those of the latter were known as fudala and danishmand” this citation is quoted by (Ramzan and Rabab 2013). Muftis, an interpreter or expounder of sharia law, delivers his speech in the law of evidence. However, some religious clerics, making religion as base ban women from various social activities like working, earning a living, growing by gaining education and majorly decision making. Using the mask of religion the women are limited to the four walls of their houses. Confining their limits, depriving them from the basic human rights the extremist religious fanatics tarnish the name of Islam. The goal is to keep women controlled and powerless and thus is against of women participation in politics “law of evidence, venomous speech of some religious scholar from state sponsored media, and the attempt to confine women to chader and chardewari openly spoke of severe limits on women’s liberty and rights” (Mumtaz and Shaheed 1987). Some clerics are against all development courses like NGOs. They state it to be a fraud in the
name of human right, exploiting several religious values, spreading vulgarity and anti-islamic teachings. Politico- religious parties are threatened of NGOs as they feel that they are encroaching on the areas where they are operating, spreading conflicting values and interests in our society. On the other hand the madrasas of our country are not supported by our government hence it can be deduced that they also receive money from the foreign countries. “Religious extremists are willing to murder as they embrace the theology that sanctions violence in the service of god. They have no sympathy for their victim. Because they expect huge afterlife reward in return from martyrdom” (Lannaccone and Berman 2006). It is these religious clerics operational in various madrasas, performing the duty of brain washing. Major portions of the poor population is taken in control and given training spreading tyranny, and in return promised reward by Allah after this life. Most clerics do not have much knowledge about Islam and use Islamic texts against women. They prove their fatwa in the light of hadith. “Lack of religious education among the public allows the extremists to use Islamic texts against women. Hadiths are among the strongest weapon used to justify the marginalization of Muslim women from religious and social power” (Ahmed 1999). Some clerics promote their sects, hoisting prejudice to their groups, criticizing and creating conflicts. Moreover the clerics organize the population into various sectarian groups, promoting their own
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where a sample of 50 respondents was selected through convenience sampling. The sampling units included the students and teachers of the university. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table.1: Religious Clerics Contributory of Extremism, Sectarianism and Terrorism Dependent Independent Hypothesis
Chi-square value
Role of Cleric’s in sectarianism .
Clerics as obstacle in women education.
Clerics has a key role in spreading terrorism.
Clerics provoke extremism.
agendas. The groups are made to form strong affiliation bonds with one another and thus the groups completely blinded follow their religious leaders to any extent. So in short many sectarian groups come into existence “The differences among various religious sects soon became evident leading to intolerance and sectarian violence, which disrupted the pattern of society. This trend leads to a proliferation of sectarian organizations”(Iqbal 2006). The purpose of this country was to spread peace and Islam. Our elders fought from India and British to get this country, with the motive to get a liberal state in order to live their lives according to the teachings of Islam. But the clerics divided the people into different religious groups disrupting peace. “Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan as a tolerant, modern Islamic democratic state was later hijacked by religious elements who found in the new state an opportunity to advance their causes along conservative religious lines” (Murphy and Malik 2009). Extremism is spread through information communication technology, like face book television program, speeches of some religious scholar. There are many pages and group that propagate violence and hatred in all religious belief specially targeting the Islam and Muslims. Different sects have their own websites where they post their ideologies and views. In this way people become prejudice. The religious programs that run on TV spread sectarian emotions among public. In this way if audience belongs to other sect they become bigotry and are not ready to listen to other sects. “Social identity theory for investigating Islamic extremism in the Diaspora state that there is little doubt that the surge in scholarly interest in violent Islamic extremism and Islamic extremism is partial result of the securitization of political Islam as potentially one of the largest threat facing Europe in the 21 century” (Al Raffie 2013). Anthropological studies of religion have been largely concerned with belief, ritual, and the general integrative significance of religious institution for a society. Since there is a close relation between power and religious affiliation the root causes of extremism and terrorism can be easily understood in the light of power struggle. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study focused on religious extremism and the role of religious clerics in promotion of extremism and terrorism. The locale of the study was Quaid-e- Azam University, Islamabad from
H0: There is no association between the two variables H1: There is an association between the two variables H0: There is no association between the two variables H1: There is an association between the two variables H0: There is no association between the two variables H1: There is an association between the two variable.
.000
.002
.001
The statistical analysis, using chi-square the results revealed that religious clerics play a significant role in provoking religious extremism. The association between the clerics and provocation of sectarianism was found to be significant as the value was .000 which is less than 0.05 thus H0 and H1 reflecting that there is association. The majority of the respondents i.e. 86 percent agreed on the fact that clerics provoke extremism. According to the view of the respondents the clerics provide the major public with guidance in regard with religious issues, however they are not educated neither are they completely aware with the religion about which they provide guidance. They support their own specific sect to fulfill their own benefits.
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“Clerics, the ulama (literally, learned ones), individuals have an enormous effect on what Muslims believe and do” thus, they can be accounted for the disruption created (Nielsen 2014).The interrelation between clerics and women education has been significant as the value is .002 which is less than 0.05. 56 percent of the respondents agreed that clerics create obstacles in women education. According to general views the clerics are not in the favor of empowerment of the women because they are not fully aware with the religion, which made education obligatory. “The Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) commands that acquiring knowledge is obligatory for every man and woman” (Ali 1987). They impose their ideas on people with their limited thoughts. Further the clerics were found to be playing key role in spreading terrorism. The finding reflects a strong association between the variables by accepting H1 as the significant value was .001 which less than 0.05. 70 percent of the respondents agreed that the clerics play key role in spreading terrorism. According to them many clerics twist the Islamic teachings and push people towards extremism which in turn gives rise to terrorism. There are many mosques and madrasas that are unregistered. Many clerics collect money in the name of charity; which is used to train new apprentices. Respondents believed these clerics as agents of some other countries which are opponent of Islam or Pakistan, with the help of whom they use the religion to destroy us secretly by spreading terrorism and sect based conflicts. “Clerics includes people like Usama bin Laden and Sayyid Qutb who lacked formal training, but who produced documents that they claimed were fatwas (bin Laden) and Quranic exegesis” (Nielsen 2014). CONCLUSION The study reveals religious clerics to be the major root cause of increasing sectarianism, extremism and resulting terrorism. The clerics since are not supervised by the government, organize the populace into various segments and groups leading to faction formation and conflict creation. REFERENCES Al Raffie, Dina 2013 Social Identity Theory for Investigating Islamic Extremism in the Diaspora. Journal of Strategic Security. 6(4): 67-91. Ahmed , Sadia 1999 Islam and Development: Opportunities and Constraints
Somali women. Tylor and francis 7(1):6972. Ali, Choudhary Rahmat 1987 Woman’s Plight (Divine Guidance why). Islamic Publications, Lahore. Chopra, P. N. 1988 Society and Culture during the Mughal Age, Delhi: Agarn Prakashan. Iqbal, Muhammad Asif 2006 The Ideological Divide of the Nonprofit Sector in Pakistan. Presented at the International Conference of the International Society for Third-Sector Research, Bangkok. Lannaccone, Laurence R., and Eli Berman 2006 Religious Extremism: The Good the Bad and the Deadly. Springer, Public Choice 128: 109-129. Murphy, Eamon, and Ahmad Rashid Malik 2009 Pakistan Jihad. The Making of Religious Terrorism. IPRI Journal (9):17- 31. Mumtaz, Khawar and Farida Shaheed 1987 Women in Pakistan: Two Steps Forward One Step Back. Lahore. Vanguard Books. Nielsen, Richard A. 2014 Networks, Careers, and the Jihadi Radicalization of Muslim Clerics. MIT Open Access Policy. Ramzan, Dr Shazia, and Ainee Rabab 2013 Madrassa Education in the SubContinent-Myths and Realities. Madrassa Education in the Sub-Continent. Al-Idah 27:33-50. © 2015 “The Explorer” Journal of Social Sciences-Pakistan
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