Final Draft Thesis Paper.pdf - Brandeis University

(Pakistan’s‘ArmyoftheProphet’sCompanions’orSSP,establishedin1984)anditsallies,theSunniTahrik(‘Sunnimovement’,establishedin1993),TehrikNifazShariat‐IMuhammadi(‘MovementforProtectionofMuhammad’sReligiousLaw’,establishedin1994),Lashkar‐e‐Jhangvi(JhangviArmy’,establishedin1990),Lashkar‐e‐Taiba(‘TheArmyofthePure’,formedin1997‐8),andTehrik‐IJafariaPakistan(‘Pakistan’sShiaMovement‘orTJP,formedin1979)anditsmilitantoffshoot,Sipnah‐e‐Muhammad(‘ArmyofMuhammadorSM,formedin1991)”(Nasr,85).IthasnothelpedthesituationthatmanyofthesegroupsreceivefundsfromoutsideofPakistan.SaudiArabiahasbeenknowntosendfinancialsupporttoSunnigroupsinPakistan,whileIranhasalsohelpedsupportandmobilizeShiagroupsintheregion(Nasr,32).ThesegroupspromoteasenseofbelongingandplacesforindividualswhofeeldisconnectedtothegovernmentinPakistan.ClashesamongSunniandShiagroupshavefurthergivenrisetothePakistaniTaliban(Nasr,85).ThePakistaniidentityhasbecomefragmented:“Ithasmetamorphosedfromreligiousschismintopoliticalconflictaroundmobilizationofcommunalidentity”(Nasr,86).Nowsectofreligionhasgivenwayasaformofpoliticalidentityandviolencehaseruptedbecauseofit.OnecaseofsectarianismoccurredinCentralandSouthPunjab,wherepoliticalschismsduringthe1970s,ledtoalotofresentmentamongthelocalpopulations.Sincepartition,thePakistanigovernmenthadignoredSouthPunjab.InbothCentralandSouthPunjab,theareasarepovertystrickenwiththeexceptionofafewwealthylandownerswhohavemaintainedtheirwealthovertheyearsbyturningtheirlandintoorchidsandthenusingmachinesinsteadofsomeofthe32