Sectarianism and Its Impacts on Social Tolerance: A Case Study of University Students of South Punjab

Abstract

1979 unveiled political events of the Iranian Revolution, the siege of Mecca, and the Afghan war that entirely shaped the political dynamics of the Muslim world, including the struggle for regional influence between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Issues like sectarianism, insurgency, humanitarian crisis, violation of women's rights, and uprisings in different parts of the Muslim world ensued. The paper is an attempt to understand the radical legacy of 1979: its impact on social tolerance and the sectarian rift between Shias and Sunnis in Pakistan. The data was collected through questionnaires from the students of public and private sector universities of South Punjab in Pakistan. A quantitative analysis of the data gauged the students' tolerance for the opposite sect and their perception of external influences on the sectarian divide in the country. The study revealed that students in the universities of Southern Punjab are not generally hostile to their out-of-sect social connections. It is recommended that students be made aware of issues like sectarianism in Pakistan and the role of regional politics to prevent them from falling prey to extremism.