Socio-Political Impacts of the Contemporary Religious Movements in AJK Pakistan: an Empirical Study on Competing Visions of an Ideal Islamic Society
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Socio-Political Impacts of the Contemporary Religious Movements in AJK Pakistan: An Empirical Study on Competing Visions of an Ideal Islamic Society Thesis submitted to The University of Gloucestershire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By MUHAMMAD ISHAQ On Social Movements Markfield Institute of Higher Education December, 2016 i Abstract The aim of this study was to explore the emergence of the three main religious movements in AJK Pakistan and empirically investigate how they utilise social and public spaces to achieve their vision for this society. These groups are recognized as Islamic revivalist movements; therefore, the study aims to explore and understand how religiously motivated values function as social visions to shape or transform a society. As AJK society is largely based on the biraderi or caste system, it is important to explore how the above mentioned religious groups, reconcile their religious ideals to address a socially-segregated society. The role of religion, or more specifically, Islam and Islamic activism, is examined by applying sociological methods; the socio-religious and socio-political activities of the Islamic movements are analysed within the paradigms of the Social Movement theory. The study focusses on three main research questions, (i) the emergence of the Islamic movements, (ii) how they utilise or mobilise resources and (iii) how the movements disseminate their values and message into society. Aside from contemporary India and Pakistan, Kashmir has its own very long history of religion, politics, and independence as a kingdom. It consists of a Buddhist kingdom, a Brahman caste structured society, and a Sufi-oriented Muslim state, while the image of post- colonial Kashmir is totally different, which is divided, governed by foreign rules, and holds differing religious and secular ideologies. There are many active Islamic movements who are working in the name of revivalism, or reform, and who aim to bring changes to the society to make an ideal Islamic society according to their own perceived visions. The focus of this study was upon the three social-religious movements that are seeking to bring changes to the AJK society. Jamat-e-Islami (JI) is a well-known Islamic revivalist movement in the subcontinent; which has more than six chapters in six South-Asian ii countries. The movement uses many strategies to achieve its social, political and religious goals. In AJK, it is actively using different networks, such as education, health, welfare and politics. Minhaj-ul-Qur’an (MQ) is a comparatively new movement, however, the strategies and methods it deploys are quite like those of the JI Movement, but differ in its application of ideology, vision and rhetoric. Khanqah-e-Fatihiya, or Hadhrat Sahib of Gulhar Sharif (GS), is an apolitical movement that has evolved from within AJK. This movement represents the popular Sufi forms of Islam prevalent within AJK society. However, over the last 30 years, its substantial changes demonstrate elements of an internal revival within the AJK tasawwuf sects, which also emphasise ‘economic and religious emancipation’. The study highlights how these movements adopt different tactics to promote their ideologies through a variety of means, hence, how socio-religious and socio-political strategies are operating in a society which is mainly based on the caste system. As an exploratory, qualitative and ethnographic study, the research is based on three case studies centred on the above mentioned Islamic movements. The study concluded that all three movements had different goals and focus in AJK, for example, JI uses a state-centric approach, MQ mainly concentrates on society, whereas, the Sufi tariqa is an individual-centric movement. All three movements utilise an individual movement structure and apply differing methods to convey their message, in AJK. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writing a Ph.D. dissertation is a long and laborious process. Throughout these years, I have benefited from the help and support of numerous teachers, colleagues, friends, family members and institutions. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisors, Dr. Ian G. Williams and Dr. Abdullah Sahin, whose expertise and wisdom added considerably to my research experience. Dr. Abdullah Sahin’s guidance enabled me to undertake empirical fieldwork, whereas, Dr. Ian Williams’s support has been crucial to polishing my understanding of social theories and related research frameworks. The intellectual engagement I shared with both has been crucial for the development of my research abilities and knowledge. This research revolves around the participants of the three movements from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and U.K. I thank all the interviewees and other participants who participated in this research, as well as, all those extraordinary people in AJK and Pakistan, who helped me to carry out my fieldwork. How can I forget their hospitality and especially some of those who so kindly paid my taxi fare when I visited their homes for the interviews? My sincere thanks go to those in AJK who assisted me to make contacts and drove me for miles, in particular, my brother Muhammad Liaquat for sacrificing a huge amount of time and efforts to transport me over days and nights, and to my friends Banaras Raheem and Abdul Majeed, for making themselves available whenever I needed them. Also in Nottingham, where I spent years of study and personal growth, there are innumerable people to whom I would like to express my gratitude. I sincerely thank my cousin and friend, Muhammad Farooq, and Mrs. Razina Farooq, for supporting and encouraging me throughout my studies. Special thanks are owed to my cousins Zaheem Koli, and Arif Koli, also my uncle (late) Haji Shabbir Kalis the most concerned person about me in the UK also brother iv Saleem Kalis and sister Tazeem Sleem. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Ali Qamar and Dr. Sameen Ali for encouraging me and demonstrating how to work on a Ph.D thesis. Throughout these years Muhammad Rasheed, Chief Accountant at Imperial Accounting Nottingham, has been a great source of encouragement and support special thanks go to him. I am also grateful to Dr. Imran Khan Suddazai and Mrs. Chiara Khan for revising my text and offering me invaluable advice during the last phase of my work. I also thank my colleague, Muhammed Zaheer, whose discussions helped me to revise many ideas, as did my classmate, Shameem Salim, for her help with literature from Pakistan, and reading my thesis chapters many times. My sincere appreciations go to Sayyed Lakhte Husnain and Muhammad Maqsood Shah at Muslim Hands for partially financing this research, also to the Ebrahim Bawany Memorial Scholarship and Muslim Aid for offering a partial scholarship towards my tuition fees. This study would not have been possible without the continued support and cooperation of the Markfield Institute of Higher Education and its staff, including the principal, Dr. Zahid Parvez, the Islamic Foundation’s Library staff, especially brother Abdul Hayee, who passionately helped to acquire most needed literature, and the staff at Nottingham University library, Boots library at Nottingham Trent University, the University of Gloucestershire, and Warwick University and SOAS Library London. Last but not least I would like to thank my whole family for their continues support throughout my studies in many ways; I specially thank Bilal Hussain for offering me innocent advices and reading my work with great excitement. I dedicate this thesis to my father whose moral example has been a constant source of inspiration for me. Also to my grandmother who undertook responsibility for me following the untimely death of my mother. v DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my late father Haji Muhammad Hassan on the 10th anniversary of his death, who sacrificed his today for my tomorrow. I am grateful to him for teaching me to believe in myself, in Allah, and in my dreams, by demonstrating the power of honest earnings and of moral values. To The gentle soul of my mother, who nurtured in me the boundaries between good and evil, and right and wrong - before leaving this world when I was only a child. To My beloved grandmother who taught me how to love unconditionally, how to dedicate your comfort (when you needed the most) for someone you love. May your souls rest in eternal peace. vi DECLARATION I declare that the work in this thesis is carried out in accordance with the regulations of the University of Gloucestershire and is original except where indicated by specific reference in the text. No part of this thesis has been submitted as part of any other academic award. The thesis has not been presented to any other educational institution in the United Kingdom or overseas. Any views expressed in the thesis are those of the author and in no way represent those of the University. Signed Date. 31-12-2016 vii ABBREVIATIONS AC – Assistant Commissioner AJK- Azad Jammu and Kashmir AK- Azad Kashmir ATI- Anjuman Talaba-e-Islam DC- Deputy Commissioner FIR- First Investigative Repot GB- Gilgit Baltistan GS- Gulhar Sharif IAJK- India Administered Jammu and Kashmir JI- Jamat-e-Islami JK- Jammu and Kashmir JKAT- Jammu & Kashmir Awami Tehreek JKLF- Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front JTI – Jamait Talaba-e-Islami JUP- Jami‘at Ulama-e- Pakistan KPK- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa LOC- Line of Control MC - Muslim Conference MQ- Minhaj-ul-Qur’an NGO- Non-Governmental Organisation NSMT- New Social Movement Theories PAJK- Pakistan Administered Jammu and Kashmir PAT- Pakistan Awami Tehreek PM- Prime Minister PML- Pakistan Muslim League viii PMLN- Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz PP- People’s Party PPP- Pakistan People’s Party PSF - People Student Federation PTI- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PTV - Pakistan Television RM- Resource Mobilization RMT- Resource Mobilization Theory RWP- Rawalpindi SHO - Station House Officer SJO- Semi Jamat Organisation SMO- Social Movement Organisation SMT- Social Movement Theory UK - United Kingdom UN- United Nations US - United States ix TRANSLITERATION I use the transliteration of Arabic according to current usage in the relevant literature as simply as possible to prevent any confusion.