Sufi-Barelvis, Blasphemy and Radicalization: A Critical Analysis

Pradeep Singh Gautam

Archive data: Person was Research Fellow at MP-IDSA Mr Pradeep Singh Gautam is an Indian Revenue Service (IT) officer of the 2008 batch. His work experience is in the areas… Continue reading Sufi-Barelvis, Blasphemy and Radicalization: A Critical Analysis read more

There is a trend of upsurge in radicalisation of Sufi-Barelvis and violence resorted to by them, particularly in Pakistan, based on their uncompromising stance on the issue of blasphemy. Apart from its roots in various socio-political factors, strong emphasis on veneration of Prophet Muhammad makes Sufi-Barelvis extremely sensitive to any allegation of blasphemy. From print-media and Urdu press to social media and internet, the revolutionisation of the medium of communication in recent times has also played a key role in this radicalisation. Such interplay of ideology and technology is catalysing the twin processes of mobilisation and radicalisation.