We often hear a word “Extremism” in our daily routine read in newspapers and frequently hear on news channels but, what actually Extremism is? Extremism is a complex phenomenon, although its complexity is often hard to see. Most simply, it can be defined as activities (beliefs, attitudes, feelings, actions, strategies) of a person or group far removed from the ordinary. In conflict settings it manifests as a severe form of conflict engagement. However, the labeling of activities, people, and groups as "extremist," and the defining of what is "ordinary" in any setting is always a subjective and political matter.
Question emerge that where does extremism come from? There are a variety of schools of thought on the sources of extremism some believe that adverse conditions (poverty, inadequate access to healthcare, nutrition, education, and employment), a denial of basic human needs (for security, dignity, group identity, and political participation), unending experiences of humiliation, and an ever-widening gap between what people believe they deserve and what they can attain leads to extreme acts.
Now keep that above discussed meaning in mind one can contemplate that the extremism has a cause-effect relationship in Pakistan. Extremism in Pakistan is driven by multiple factors and occurs on three levels. Firstly, among lower-income groups, mainly in poorly governed areas including the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and nearby districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as parts of southern Punjab and interior Sindh, where poverty, inequality, and loose administrative structures spur extremism.
Secondly, the level and trends of extremism are different in the middle-income group. The drivers of extremist are mainly political. These trends are influenced by both internal and external political developments and promotion of an extremist narrative by groups as well as the media. Almost every religious group-whether its ambitions are political, sectarian or militant - maintains wings with a particular focus on women, traders, lawyers, doctors, and teachers, among others. These wings have a key role in promoting extremism among middle-income groups and have an array of tools at their disposal to increase their influence.
Extremism is not only a dilemma of East and Middle-East but of west too, Specially USA. There were almost as many terrorist attacks by right-wing extremists as compare to Islamists extremists. In USA from 2008 to 2017 according to a report, there were 201 terrorist incidents form and 115 incidents were by right-wing extremists from white supremacists to militia to “sovereign citizen”. When it comes to right-wing extremism attackers are also ‘mostly men’ and purely white and were also mere deadly. The reality is the most significant domestic terror threaten west, especially USA have right-wing extremism.
How can we approach to address these extremists? There are a variety of approaches used by leaders, diplomats, military experts, third parties, and others to address extremism, which fall on a continuum from total elimination of extremists to total engagement. The choice of such strategies is usually determined by the perspective taken on the primary sources of extremism (from individual pathologies to social, political and economic conditions) as well as the level of representation of the larger population's legitimate interests that the extremists are able to secure. It is a mistake to imagine extremists as isolated actors. One can strategized aimed to address extremism by eliminating them by simply the use of information, the law, and force to identify, locate, and apprehend (or destroy) extremists or key leaders of extremist groups. Sometimes this entails using legal maneuvers to tie up economic resources, thereby crippling the ability of such groups to organize and function. The strategy of isolation is often used by more moderate members of a community who disagree with the tactics of their more extreme members. In situation of a protected conflict, One often find moderates (pro-negotiation camp), hardliners (anti-negotiation camp), and extremists (anti-other camp) on each side. This strategy is an active attempt to establish the conditions which grow the more moderate (and even hard-line) segments, thus attracting the more moderate members of extremist groups toward a position of tolerance and away from a commitment to the destruction of the other.
Question emerge that where does extremism come from? There are a variety of schools of thought on the sources of extremism some believe that adverse conditions (poverty, inadequate access to healthcare, nutrition, education, and employment), a denial of basic human needs (for security, dignity, group identity, and political participation), unending experiences of humiliation, and an ever-widening gap between what people believe they deserve and what they can attain leads to extreme acts.
Now keep that above discussed meaning in mind one can contemplate that the extremism has a cause-effect relationship in Pakistan. Extremism in Pakistan is driven by multiple factors and occurs on three levels. Firstly, among lower-income groups, mainly in poorly governed areas including the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and nearby districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as parts of southern Punjab and interior Sindh, where poverty, inequality, and loose administrative structures spur extremism.
Secondly, the level and trends of extremism are different in the middle-income group. The drivers of extremist are mainly political. These trends are influenced by both internal and external political developments and promotion of an extremist narrative by groups as well as the media. Almost every religious group-whether its ambitions are political, sectarian or militant - maintains wings with a particular focus on women, traders, lawyers, doctors, and teachers, among others. These wings have a key role in promoting extremism among middle-income groups and have an array of tools at their disposal to increase their influence.
Extremism is not only a dilemma of East and Middle-East but of west too, Specially USA. There were almost as many terrorist attacks by right-wing extremists as compare to Islamists extremists. In USA from 2008 to 2017 according to a report, there were 201 terrorist incidents form and 115 incidents were by right-wing extremists from white supremacists to militia to “sovereign citizen”. When it comes to right-wing extremism attackers are also ‘mostly men’ and purely white and were also mere deadly. The reality is the most significant domestic terror threaten west, especially USA have right-wing extremism.
How can we approach to address these extremists? There are a variety of approaches used by leaders, diplomats, military experts, third parties, and others to address extremism, which fall on a continuum from total elimination of extremists to total engagement. The choice of such strategies is usually determined by the perspective taken on the primary sources of extremism (from individual pathologies to social, political and economic conditions) as well as the level of representation of the larger population's legitimate interests that the extremists are able to secure. It is a mistake to imagine extremists as isolated actors. One can strategized aimed to address extremism by eliminating them by simply the use of information, the law, and force to identify, locate, and apprehend (or destroy) extremists or key leaders of extremist groups. Sometimes this entails using legal maneuvers to tie up economic resources, thereby crippling the ability of such groups to organize and function. The strategy of isolation is often used by more moderate members of a community who disagree with the tactics of their more extreme members. In situation of a protected conflict, One often find moderates (pro-negotiation camp), hardliners (anti-negotiation camp), and extremists (anti-other camp) on each side. This strategy is an active attempt to establish the conditions which grow the more moderate (and even hard-line) segments, thus attracting the more moderate members of extremist groups toward a position of tolerance and away from a commitment to the destruction of the other.
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