Extremism in Pakistani society: A comparative study of universities and Madrasas

Abstract

This paper gives a comparison between the extremism in Pakistani universities and madrasas. The information has been gathered among the students, teachers, and administrators in public universities and madrasas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhaw. The research questions the hypothesis that the type of institution would be the most predictive of support of violent militancy compared with contact with sectarian groups, financial support, and social media circles. The analysis of the mixed research methodology indicates that 28 percent of students in madrasa are extremists. The blasphemy vigilantism and hate speech are more prevalent among university students. In the case of madrasas, foreign aid by Gulf nations and connections with mosque boards raise the extremist empathy by 2 folds. In the case of universities, this risk is heightened by their affiliation with student wings of religious parties. This paper takes the discussion beyond the confines of examining madrasas to considering the two systems side by side and provides a practical measure to change them simultaneously.