Charles Taylor (1994) argues that the failure to recognise difference causes harm, and recognition of difference is necessary to create a just society. John Rawls (1991) concept of justice premises Kymlicka’s (1995) theoretical formulation on multiculturalism. While his focus is primarily language groups, the principle of recognition and how they are accommodated within multicultural federations is something that resonates with issues of religious accommodation in pluralistic societies. Irna Young (1997), however, suggests that that there is an imbrication of culture and economy and this point is repeated by Amartya Sen (2006) arguing that class accentuates cultural differences. In recent debates, multiculturalism has been critiqued- that the celebration of difference has resulted in creating segregated societies where communications and interactions between different groups are minimal. To counter these negative affects alternative theorization based on cultural capital theory emphasise intergroup engagement to foster inter-community harmony (Samad forthcoming 2013). 

Religious minorities in Pakistan suffer from inter-religious and intra-religious discrimination, disadvantage and violence. When the drivers of discrimination and disadvantage of religious minorities in Pakistan are considered, besides inequality which has a wide impact on all demotic groups, religious minorities are subject to inequalities and restraints that flow overtly and implicitly from legislation and state policies as well as discriminatory practises and behaviours from civil society (Samad 2011). As said earlier, debates around the management of difference in multicultural and multiethnic society raises issues of justice at the level of principle and social cohesion on the pragmatic level. Injustices to religious minorities in Pakistan are also indicative of injustices to other forms of minorities and women and violence is a common corollary. Reforms can be minimalist legislation and policies are tinkered with to remove the obvious excesses. Tinkering with Islamic legislation and state polices, an important driver of religious injustice, may deal with some of the overt forms of discrimination resulting in some arrangement equivalent to a modern millat system where religious minorities are unequal, autonomous, self-regulated communities, but the authority to regulate lies in the hand of the religious leadership (Modood 2007). Paralleling a similar arrangement within the majority community.

However, it raises the question that is it desirable for communities to be only constituted on religious terms and exclusively regulated by religious leadership. It does nothing for dissenters within communities or sectarianism and fails to engage with other forms of difference based on language for instance, which has been so problematic in Pakistan’s history. A maximalist approach would be more radical in repealing discriminatory legislation and polices, adopt a stance of equality to all religions and adopt legislation that proscribes discrimination on the grounds of religion and foster inter-community dialogue in the pursuit of religious harmony. The maximalist approach would easily accommodate ethnic and gender discrimination and move Pakistan towards building a just society and developing inter-cultural harmony. It should not be confused with secularism as there are examples of multicultural societies, such as the UK, that formally privilege a particular faith but proscribe religious discrimination.

References:

Kymlicka, W.1995, Multicultural Citizenship, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Modood, T. 2007, Multicultalism, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Rawls, J.1971, A Theory of Justice, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Samad, Y. 2011, Pakistan-US Conundrum: Jihadis, Military and the People – the Struggle for Control, Hurst & Co, London

Samad, Y. forthcoming 2013, ‘Community Cohesion without Parallel Lives in Bradford’, Special Issue on European Community Cohesion, Patterns of Prejudices.

Sen, A. 2006, The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity, Penguin Books, London.

Taylor, C.1994, ‘The Politics of Recognition’, in Goldberg, David Theo (ed.), Multiculturalism: A Critical Leader, Blackwell, Cambridge Massachusetts, p. 75.