Religious extremism has less to do with poverty and more to do with the desire for meaning and order
ISLAMABAD: It is often stated that the two main causes for religious extremism are poverty and ignorance. But in Pakistan, it has to do less with poverty and lack of education and more to do with the desire for meaning and order.
Pakistan is submerged in chaos and corruption, and Islamists promise clear-cut solutions to every problem through violence. They throw in a strong sense of victimhood and claim that they are not the ones responsible for the sad state of affairs.
It is high-time that we realise that poverty and lack of education isn’t the cause and our politicians need to stop blaming the West for the problems in our own state. We need to eradicate the endemic of corruption that destroys Pakistan from within.
Ahmed Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2017.
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