Religious identity and politics: Exploring the causes of the political persecution of religious minorities in Kohat District, Pakistan
| Author | Jan Alam |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/2057891121997577 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | South Asian Politics |
Religious identity and
politics: Exploring the
causes of the political
persecution of religious
minorities in Kohat
District, Pakistan
Jan Alam
Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Pakistan
Abstract
Religious minorities are victims of political isolation and persecution in societies, where they are
subject to violence and discrimination. This study was undertaken in a terrorism-affected area to
explore those elements that subjugate and suppress religious minorities’ political participation and
representation. To conduct an in-depth analysis, a qualitative inquiry was used for data collection
and analysis. The researcher interviewed 13 Christians, seven Hindus, and six Sikhs, using a
purposive sampling technique and a semi-structured interview guide. The primary data were
analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. The researcher found that some of the underlying
factors behind the political persecution are leadership vac uum, political neglect, post-election
negligence, vote dislocation, political ignorance, and political subordination. This study pre-
sented a framework for policymakers to solve minorities’ political problems, and for researchers
to better understand the minorities’ political oppression on local and international levels.
Keywords
leadership vacuum, political persecution, poor representation, religious minorities
Corresponding author:
Jan Alam, Department of Social Work & Sociology, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, KPK 26000,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Email: janalam@kust.edu.pk
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
ªThe Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/2057891121997577
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
2022, Vol. 7(4) 790–804
South Asian Politics
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