CGIS Knafel Building, Room K354, 1737 Cambridge Street, K450, Cambridge, MA 02138
Abstract: A deeply disturbing wave of religious majoritarianism is seeping through Pakistani society and its state structure with the blasphemy narrative at its core. As both structural and cultural violence manifest themselves, the talk seeks to address the following questions: first, why does the blasphemy issue, in both its structural-legal and cultural-discursive forms, find increased resonance in recent times? The question of context. Second, the majoritarian project as a socially constructed phenomenon is inextricably linked with the performativity of a new religious-political actor, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). How and in what ways has the TLP monopolized blasphemy politics to its organizational and electoral advantage coupled with an emotional, everyday language that speaks to the Muslims’ identity anxieties and insecurities? The question of agency. Third, blasphemy politics as a majoritarian project does not only function on the Othering principle but is also aimed at homogenizing and bending the majority Muslims to its own will. Given that episodes of mob lynching and violence have resulted in the deaths of both Muslims and non-Muslims, how can we move past the ‘new’ normal of dehumanization and hate speech? More importantly, how can we begin to envision an inclusive national identity that embraces diversity? The question of norms.
Bio: Farhan Hanif Siddiqi is Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Currently, he is associated with the Global Scholars Network on Identity and Conflict (GSNIC) as a core member. His research interests border on ethnic conflict, identity politics, conflict analysis/resolution, and security dynamics in South Asia and the Middle East. He is the author of, The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan: The Baloch, Sindhi, and Mohajir Ethnic Movements (Routledge, 2012). His latest publication is a co-authored textbook, Introducing International Relations: Concepts, Theories, and Practices (Oxford University Press, 2023). Professor Siddiqi has been awarded research grants from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC).