Radicalization and deradicalization in Pakistan: A case of Madrassah’s from security, psychological and sociological perspective

Abstract

This paper will discuss the way radicalization in Pakistan has been strengthened and sustained as a result of the self-reinforcing process of socio-economic deprivation, sectarian identity politics, socialisation through madrasa schools, and external geopolitical interventions. It combines the Frustration-Aggression hypothesis (the perceived injustice and blocked opportunities, which direct aggression to violence), the Staircase to Terrorism (the cognitive steps between the grievance and the militant action, which are explained by the Social Identity Theory). Based on the madrasa ecosystem in Pakistan as a case study, the paper contends that limited curricula, closed peer groups and grievance-oriented discourses have the potential to transform deprivation and political marginalisation into moralised violence particularly when mediated by sectarian entrepreneurs and localised conflicts. This analysis leads to the conclusion that lasting mitigation efforts need to be based on coordinated reforms in the security sector, education and social policy and not periodic crackdowns.