Religious conflict has played an important part in shaping mortal history, particularly in the last many decades with the proliferation of ethnoreligious violence. This examines the development of the relationship between religion and politics and also analyzes how leaders manipulate religion to gain political power. styles of cooptation include using religious tradition and symbolism, impacting religious institutions, restructuring the government, and changing state policy towards religion and religious sets.
In the politics of Pakistan whenever religion is mentioned, it is nothing more than a tool for manipulating and exploiting the religious sentiments common masses to gain political support. It is not wrong to say that religion is continuously used as a tool for political gains in Pakistan.
A recent example is the model of making Pakistan Riyasat I Madina was popularized by the former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. He used his religiopolitical narrative in his political campaigns in the 2018 elections and became PM.
According to the report of the World Value Survey, There is 98 percent Muslim domination in Pakistan. Religion has a significant role in the life of 90 percent of people. And 37 percent of the population is in high favor of governing system without political parties or elections and the system should be based upon religious laws and almost 27 percent population approve it good enough. In a country where a large number of the population is in favor, it is a democratic right that there should be religious representation in politics. The misuse of religion should be condemned and its right use should be appreciated.
So, is Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s use of religion in politics the same as that of Imran Khan’s, or other political leaders? Why is the use of religion in politics often criticized by certain segments? Can religion only be represented through the bully pulpits of religious leaders?
The question is not whether religion should be used as a political tool, the question is how religion should be used in politics so that it benefits society.
Things that make Imran Khan is that he took initiatives that materialize his religio-political narratives. His speech in the UN general assembly against Islamophobia and his efforts to make the UN designate March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia in the Muslim world. To provide empirical solutions for the social issues that are prevalent in Pakistan, established the Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Authority with renowned Muslim scholars.
He mainstreamed madrassahs and reprioritized Islamic education through the Single National Curriculum. Eventually, Khan’s marquee Ehsaas program, which has been lauded internationally, is the materialization of an Islamic weal state vision.
These enterprises are important to mention because they portray a political leader who uses religion for lesser social good than for particular political earnings. The unstudied review of religion in politics is also not without grave social counteraccusations. What happens when a strong social sentiment isn’t given space for expression? It finds expression through further revolutionist outlets. Just like the barred Baloch finds solace in militant Baloch outfits, the unrepresented ordinary Muslim finds retreat in religiously inspired revolutionist outfits, or further generally moment in the Tehreek- I- Labbaik Pakistan. The gradational rise of TLP shouldn’t come as a surprise when Islam has been constantly misused by political (and ‘non-political ’) actors only for it to be put away when their ends have been met.
In a speech on diversity to the UK House of Commons in 2017, the British- Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed reflected on the similarity between actors and politicians, “ We’re then to represent And when we fail to represent, people switch off. They switch off the TV and they switch off the ballot box, and they retreat to other borderline narratives, occasionally veritably dangerous. ” Where does the TLP get its support if not from the same ordinary Pakistani Muslim who has lost the stop-gap of representation in traditional political parties?
Against this background, Imran Khan’s PTI represents both the temporal and religious millions and is more inclusive than the utmost political parties in Pakistan moment. The use of religion in politics isn’t wrong in itself but depends on the ends for which it’s used. When religious-political rhetoric is backed by conduct that drives positive social change, it restores trust among the religious crowd, makes them feel represented, and prevents them from promoting the borderline narratives. Rejection of religion from mainstream politics will only advance further legality to the archconservative narratives propagated by certain religiously inspired groups. Allowing faith its due place in Pakistan’s political converse is critical for a progressive, popular, and cohesive society.
