Final Draft Thesis Paper.pdf - Brandeis University

inabilitytoestablishastrongnationalidentityhasleadmanyindividualstoturntojihadandotherterroristmethodsintheirsearchforidentity(Jaffrelot,7).3.1ProblemsFromtheStartItisobviousthatthereareclearreasonsforwhyPakistanishavechosenterrorism,opposedtootherwaysinwhichtoaddressissuesofPakistaniidentitywithinthecontextofPakistaniandIndianconfrontation.Firstly,manyPakistanisstillblameIndiaforinternalproblemsandlackofbelongingbasedonthelinesofIslamandHinduism.Thereisarealsenseoflongingforpower.PakistanisfeelspowerlessagainsttheIndianstate,whichisbigandstrongandnoteasilymoved.W.HowardWriggensdescribedtherelationshipbetweenIndiaandPakistanas:“thesimplefactofsizeandstrategicandeconomicasymmetry…HoweverunjustifiedIndianleadersmayhavethought,Pakistan’sover‐ridingconcernvis‐à‐visIndiawasfear,fearofIndia’ssize,thesizeofitsarmy…andfearcompoundedoutofinfrequentpublicstatementsbyprominentIndiansregrettingthetragedyofpartitionandreiteratingtheinherentunityofthesubcontinent”(Hussain,267).InmanywaysthetensionbetweenthetwocountriesisnecessaryinorderforPakistantofunctionasacountry.Bycreatingaformofcoldwar,PakistanishavefoundacommonthreatinIndia.PartoftheproblemhastodowithPakistan’sconfusionoverthenationandnationalism.“Nationalismisanideology,beitbasedonterritorialorethnicnotions”(Jaffrelot,7).TheFrenchSociologistMarcelMauss,describedthenationas:“asocietymateriallyandmortallyintegrated,withstableandpermanentcentralized27