On 20th June, a tourist from Sialkot was killed by a mob in Madyan, Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over allegations of desecrating the Holy Quran, according to police. Despite police trying to save him by arresting him, the mob came into the police station, lynched the man, burned him alive and set the police station on fire. Throughout this debacle, the police were reduced to being silent observers and couldn’t do anything.
Pakistan has witnessed many incidents where people were lynched and non-Muslim communities were attacked. Properties, churches and temples were destroyed, homes looted and people were harmed or killed and police couldn’t intervene. The last 40 years of jihad and the subsequent ‘war on terror’ have deeply affected Pakistani society. The Pakistani government is struggling to address this phenomenon through short term solutions and finds itself without any obvious solutions.
What is mob violence and how does it occur?
Mob violence has been studied by scholars and various theories have been proposed to explain it. One of the prominent theories is the concept of deindividuation, which tries to explain the violence of crowds and the irrationality of mobs. This theory is explained in detail in "Online Hate and Harmful Content" by Keipi et al. published in 2016. According to this theory, once in a crowd, individuals may feel a reduced sense of personal responsibility and may behave in ways they wouldn’t otherwise. The concept of collective violence like rioting and pogroms is described as “mob action” where individual responsibility is diffused into mass behavior.
The rise in mob induced violence, often triggered by blasphemy allegations, shows the issues of social marginalization and scapegoating in countries like Pakistan and India.
Historically, academic studies on rioting have portrayed it as a pathology of criminal or irrational mobs. But newer theories challenge this view, suggesting that mob psychology can create a mindset more extreme than any individual in the mob. This shows the complexity of mob behavior and the psychological processes at play during such events. Moreover the role of socioeconomic status and vulnerability has been explored in mob violence. For example, research has shown that individuals from lower socioeconomic background like African American men are more vulnerable to lethal racial mob violence. This vulnerability is due to lack of support and protection from the state during interracial conflicts. Mattias Smångs has explored this in his 2017 study "The Lynching of African Americans in the U.S. South: A Review of Sociological and Historical Perspectives."
Mob violence in societies like Pakistan is a complex phenomenon. Studies show that mob violence is a deliberate act, often fueled by misinformation spread through social media or word of mouth. This deliberate manipulation of information can incite mob fury, especially when there are vested interests involved. The rise in mob induced violence, often triggered by blasphemy allegations, shows the issues of social marginalization and scapegoating in countries like Pakistan and India. These dynamics are explored in K. Ali’s 2020 study “Social Marginalisation and Scapegoating: A Study of Mob Lynching in Pakistan and India.”
In Pakistan, extremist ideologies have taken root in our society and we are seeing injustices and violence against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Ahmadis. To prevent mob violence against individuals and religious minorities in Pakistan both civil society and the government have a role to play.
The role of civil society
Civil society organizations can play a significant role as watchdogs, advocating for minority rights and raising awareness about the importance of religious tolerance. They can actively work to prevent and combat violence by working with religious and political leadership to promote tolerance and interfaith harmony through advocacy and action for minority rights.
Civil society organizations can also build tolerance and interfaith harmony by working directly with grassroots communities. Through educational workshops, community dialogues and collaborative projects, they can address misconceptions and prejudices that lead to violence. By empowering local leaders to promote peace and coexistence messages, these organizations can build a foundation of mutual respect and understanding across different religious and ethnic groups. This grassroots approach educates and strengthens community bonds making tolerance and harmony a part of societal norms.
Engaging parents in bringing up their children, especially sons, to promote tolerance and accept diversity is key. Parents can be encouraged to model good behavior, start conversations about different faiths and expose their children to different cultures through community events and literature.
Civil society organizations can partner with schools to teach tolerance and peaceful coexistence to young students. By including diversity and empathy in the curriculum, they can lay the foundation for a more inclusive future and a culture of harmony from an early age.
Creating community led forums at the grassroots level is an effective way to proactively detect and address intolerance and prevent mob violence against individuals and religious minorities accused of blasphemy. These forums are platforms for open dialogue where community members can discuss grievances and misconceptions and respond proactively to potential conflicts and commit to protect vulnerable groups.
Engaging parents in bringing up their children, especially sons, to promote tolerance and accept diversity is key. Parents can be encouraged to model good behavior, start conversations about different faiths and expose their children to different cultures through community events and literature. By creating an open minded environment at home parents can help inculcate empathy and acceptance in their children from an early age.
The role of the government
The government has to reform and implement laws to protect religious minorities and prevent discrimination. It has to ensure that all acts of violence are met with immediate legal action, with a well equipped and unbiased police force trained to handle communal violence and a judicial system that prosecutes offenders quickly, so that mob violence is rejected.
The government should also put in place mechanisms to address violence and prosecute the perpetrators. Moreover the government has to work on policies that promote inclusivity and religious pluralism, so that all vulnerable groups and religious minorities can live peacefully. The government should also develop support systems for victims of mob violence, financial aid, legal assistance and psychological counseling so that communities can recover and rebuild trust in institutions.
Including lessons on religious tolerance, cultural diversity and history of different faiths can give students a deeper understanding of what it means to be a citizen in a diverse society.
Political parties misuse blasphemy accusations against opponents, even against Muslims. The government should work with all mainstream political parties to have a united stance against this, implement severe punishments for false accusations and launch public awareness campaigns for tolerance and justice.
Revising and updating the education curriculum in Pakistan is essential for minorities. Including lessons on religious tolerance, cultural diversity and history of different faiths can give students a deeper understanding of what it means to be a citizen in a diverse society. By promoting mutual respect and understanding from an early age, the education system can play a big role in reducing prejudices and preventing discrimination against minorities and make society more harmonious.
Both civil society and the government has to work together to address mob violence especially against religious minorities. Civil society can provide the inputs and grassroots support, and the government can implement policies and laws to protect minority rights. By working together, they can create a more tolerant and inclusive society - where mob violence against religious minorities is prevented and everyone can practice their faith without fear of being persecuted.