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The Social Dimension of the Shia-Sunni Split: A Study of the Northwest of

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Vol. 41, No. 2 Asian Profile April, 2013

The Social Dimension of the Shia-Sunni Split:

A Study of the Northwest of Pakistan

Sheraz Ali
Lecturer
Department of Development Studies
Gohar Ayub
Lecturer
Department of Statistics
and
Muhammad Imad Khan
Lecturer
Department of Economics
University of Swat
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Pakistan

Introduction

The widening dissent between the Shia and Sunni population in the Northwest of Pakistan is
making the ground conducive for two main purposes under the political patronage. One is the proxy
war and the other is the domestic legitimacy of many corrupt politicians. These politicians are both
from Shia and Sunni groups. This divide dates back to the era of General Ziaul-Haq, who attempted
to implement the Hanafi Fiq, which became the threshold in the sectarian violence. Hanafi Fiq is
the most practicing religious vogue descended from the Hanafi School of Thought, followed by
the Sunni population only. The implementation of the Hanafi Fiq was reprimanded by many Shia
scholars during the time of Zia, though not riotous at that time however this practice ripped the
social cohesion of the two ethnic groups as time passed on.
The conflict between the two major ethnic groups leapt due to two main factors. These factors
strengthened the opposing forces of Shia and Sunni. On the one hand the Iranian revolution
inspired the Shia population and contributed more to their social and economic power (Ashok,
2004), while on the other hand Saudi Arabia supported and built religious institutions with sectarian
affiliations. In these religious institutions only those religious saints were given the opportunity to
lead who showed their allegiance to Saudi Arabia. These religious saints became very influential
132 Asian Profile

by penetrating into the political setup and local administration. Such activities of the Sunni leaders,
with the passage of time, became unabated and gave birth to radicalization when ignored by the
successive governments.
According to Baxter and Charles (1997) and (1998) respectively the local religious institutions
particularly the Madrassahs in Pakistan were supported by the two foreign forces. Saudi Arabia
supported the Sunni group and Iran supported the Shia group. Strong links were built between
the Sunni Madrasshs and Saudi religious scholars and Shia Madrassahs and Iranian scholars.
Such bonds created strong networks of patronage, where in 1996, on average 70 percent of the
total number of religious institutions got support from foreign (Nasr and Myers, 2006) including
Madrassahs of both Shia and Sunni origin. Such support aimed to promote two main agendas; the
true Islamic intellect and culture and the Shia Islamic League. This patronage, on both sides with
different ideologies, furthered their activities and divided the two groups with hatred rising on each
side with no space for accommodation.

The Northwest

The Northwestern part of Pakistan is an assemblage of social problems arising from the social
sufferings of the local inhabitants with far reaching devastating injuries for the existing as well as
the generations to come. The rising atrocities are the result of the trauma and unending pain of the
groups of people fighting with each other in a state of total oblivion. The oppressors are the local
religious leaders with their membership in the local provincial and central government, penetrating
into the society and featured with same color, language, creed as well as social background.
The social milieu of the people in the Northwest is not the same. People from the Shia
community usually get engaged with their brethren, rather than Sunni. Similarly people from
the Sunni community accompany their co-believers in all walks of life and avoid the Shia. Areas
where majority of the people are Shia, Sunni feel hard to survive, even if they want to participate in
the rituals of the Shia community, but areas where majority of the people are Sunni, Shia people
have the opportunity to practice their rituals and even participate in the religious ceremonies of the
Sunni people.
Comparatively Shia people are more educated than Sunni people. Some of high level posts, both
in public and private sectors, are held by the Shia community and they are highly supportive of
their brethren. Sunni people do not support the people of their community, the way the Shia does.
Usually when there is competition in acquiring a particular post in public or private sector and the
employer is Shia, he prefers Shia over Sunni, even if he is not capable. This discrimination is seen
everywhere in almost all the organizations.
In social relationship, neither Shia nor Sunni trespass each other’s territories. Usually strong
kinship bonds in the Northwest are made by proper marriages, but this type of relationship is never
seen in Shia and Sunni communities. Marriage bonds are never made in both the communities and
even if there is any such cases, they are rare and such couples are made due to the involvement of
both the girl and boy in love. In such cases the couple is excommunicated by the community and
quite often somewhere shot dead, but these are the cases when the girl from the Sunni community
is eloped with a boy from the Shia community.

Tribes in the Northwest

The most critical hotspots in the Northwestern province of Pakistan are Kohat, Thal, Hangu,
Parachinar and Kurram Agency. Kohat is a frontier region while the rest is part of the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas. Kurran Agency shares its border with Afghanistan in the West. Majority
of the dominant Shia groups are the residents of this area, where ethnic conflicts have been a
challenge to the local provincial government.
 Asian Profile 133

Pashtun tribes living in the hotspots of the Northwest:

Tribes History

Turi / Turai Turi or Torai is one of the main Shia groups of the Twelver sect of Islam.
This tribe originates from the Paktia province in Afghanistan, beyond the
Durand line and living in Kurram Agency in Pakistan. This tribe is nomadic
in nature and travels far in Afghanistan as seasonal migrants.

Bangash Bangash is one of the prominent Pashtun tribes living in Eastern Afghanistan
as well as Northern Pakistan. Bangash are living mainly in Kohat, Thall,
Hangu, Parachinar and Kurram Agency of Pakistan. Majority of the Shia
population are the descendents of this tribe.

Baizai Baizai is subdivision of Bangash, mainly living in Kurram Agency and

Kohat with Sunni in majority and Shia in minority.

Miranzai Miranzai is also the subdivision of Bangash with majority of Sunni and Shia
in minority, living in Hangu, Thal, Parachinar and Kohat.

Samelzai Samelzai tribe is dominated by Shia pashtuns, living in Kurram Agency,

Parachinar, Kohat and Hangu.

Objectives of the Study

• To collect the data on the main variables in the hotspots of the Northwest of Pakistan.
• To investigate what exactly the relationship between social participation and ethnic conflict is.
• To recommend a strategy based on the existing results of the tests for resolving the issue on
permanent basis.

Research Methodology

This study employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques with more focus on
participatory research methods through two main approaches; face to face interviews and group
discussions. The main target group of this research was local communities in the Northwest of
Pakistan, particularly in Kohat, Thall, Hangu, Parachinar and Kurram Agency. The area, from
where the data was collected, used to be the hotspots of ethnic conflicts. This area is partially
linking directly and partially indirectly with Afghanistan in the West. This area has been featured
with huge ethnic conflicts.
A total of two hundred samples, hundred each from Shia and Sunni groups, were collected.
Fifteen percent of the samples from each group were collected from the females but all of these
females were living in urban areas, because women in the villages were not accessed due to cultural
constraints. All the samples were collected randomly and no questionnaire was filled through
internet, because only those people who were educated, used internet but they were unwilling
to answer the questions posed electronically. Social network was used to access the people,
particularly the Shia, living in the villages. All the samples were collected from only those people
who fell victims to conflict but questions about the loss of lives or property were not answered.
134 Asian Profile

In interviews, both personal and impersonal, a simple pre-tested questionnaire, pertinent to

the objectives of the study, was prepared. Questions of the interview, their wording and sequence
were in accord with the structure and schedule of the interview. All the interviews were carried out
personally. The entire population was sufficiently large therefore carefully chosen samples were
used to represent the population. The sample included the characteristics of the population from
which it was drawn.

Hypotheses

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant relationship between social participation and ethnic
conflict.
Alternative Hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between social participation and
ethnic conflict
Social participation was measured in terms of social inclusion or exclusion, where two
main variables were used for this purpose. One variable was education and the other one was
employment, because education and employment are the main determinants of social participation.
The way the samples were selected for the study are shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3.
Table 1 shows the location of the sample respondents. Among the respondents 71.5 percent
were from the city and 28.5 percent were from the villages. In cities it was easy to access the people
but in villages it was not feasible in some of the areas where Shia population was in majority. In
addition, in villages people were reluctant to respond as compared to people in the city. In villages
some of the areas were dominant by the Shia population but had strong groups in cities as well.

Table 1
Location of Respondent

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid city 143 71.5 71.5 71.5

village 57 28.5 28.5 100.0

Total 200 100.0 100.0

Table 2 shows the education level of the sample respondents. The respondents were categorized
into three different levels; illiterate, tertiary and higher. Among the respondents 35 percent were
illiterate, including female, 29 percent had tertiary education and 36 percent were highly qualified.
Among the highly qualified people majority had attained master degrees, while other had bachelor
degrees. Majority of the highly educated people were living in the cities, because in villages or in
far flung areas, people had no access to college education. Most of them depend on the agriculture
sector for subsistence. These people are home sick and do not have any tendency to go out either in
search of jobs or education.
Table 3 shows the employment of the sample respondents. Among the respondents 61.5 percent
were unemployed and only 38.5 percent were employed. Among the employed, majority of the
respondents were highly educated. Those who were employed but not highly educated, they were
living in cities. Among the employed respondents majority were from urban areas. In villages
only few young people were educated but they had employment in city not in village. Among the
unemployed in rural areas, majority were farmers or daily wage workers.
 Asian Profile 135

Table 2
Education of Respondent

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid Illitrate 70 35.0 35.0 35.0

Tertiary 58 29.0 29.0 64.0
Higher 72 36.0 36.0 100.0

Total 200 100.0 100.0

Table 3
Employment of the Respondent

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid Employed 77 38.5 38.5 38.5

Unemployed 123 61.5 61.5 100.0

Total 200 100.0 100.0

Data Analysis and Interpretation

In this study, for test of significance, we used chi-square distribution. The chi-square distribution
is the most commonly used method in inferential statistics. For social participation we focused on
two main variables; education and employment, because education and employment have been
the main determinants to know how an individual is socially included. Socially included people
from both sides of Shia and Sunni communities revealed symmetric results. Those who were
highly educated showed no resistance to ethnicity and majority of them, though passed through the
conflict, however they did not consider ethnicity as the only reason of the conflict.
Among the respondents a total of 83 persons were illiterate. They did not access even primary
education. Among the illiterate 74.7 percent agreed that the only reason of the conflict was their
ethnicity and only 25.3 percent agreed that ethnicity was not the only reason of the conflict
worn out their families. It means 25.3 percent of the illiterate were aware of some other factors
responsible for the conflict, though they were socially excluded, however they did not believe
in ethnicity as the only reason of the conflict. Social awareness was high among those who were
literate as compared to those who were illiterate, but here 72.3 percent of the illiterate were from
the city, where comparatively these people had access to electronic and printed media through
which they were more enlightened about their social surroundings as compared to those who lived
in the villages.
Those who were highly educated did not reveal ethnicity as the only reason of the conflict they
experienced. Among the highly educated respondents 83.1 percent agreed that ethnicity was not the
only reason of the conflict and 16.9 percent said that ethnicity was the only reason of the conflict
they passed through. Among the highly educated respondents 81.35 percent were employed and
18.65 percent were unemployed or self employed. These people were up to a greater extent socially
included or their social participation was more than those who were illiterate and unemployed.
136 Asian Profile

Highly educated people were socially more integrated, where social integration reduces the degree
of inequality in the receipt of government services, as explained by James and Smith (2003).
Appendix 1 shows a significant relationship between ethnic conflict and education level,
where p-value falls below .05. It means the variance in ethnic conflict and education is different.
Here we reject the null-hypothesis that there is no relationship between ethnic conflict and social
participation. It means education level shows the degree of involvement of individual in the society
as well as his level of satisfaction from the local social environment. This concept is also explained
by Andrea and Shannon (2011) that there is a positive relationship between the degree of social
satisfaction and the degree of social participation. An increase in the number of people to access the
educational institutions means an increase in their social satisfaction and a reduction in the chances
of them to fall in ethnic discrimination. Ethnic discrimination at every level results in widening
the gap between the two communities and tears up their relationship at tribe, family and individual
levels. It means ethnic differences are at the lowest level among the highly educated people and at
the highest level among the illiterate.
Appendix 2 shows a significant relationship between employment and ethnic conflict,
where p-value falls below .05, therefore we reject the null-hypothesis that there is no significant
relationship between social participation and ethnic conflict. It means the more a person is socially
integrated, the less will be the chances of him to fall in ethnic differences as compared to the one
who is socially disintegrated. The concept is also explained by Harold L. Wilensky (1961) that
employed persons have more social contacts and they are more integrated socially as compared
to the ones who are unemployed. It means socially integrated people are less vulnerable to
ethnic conflicts, because they quite often come into contacts with people of different origins and
background in the organizations where they work. They are comparatively socially more stable than
those who are unemployed. In addition socially integrated people are socially supportive (Enrique
and Juan, 2003), irrespective of any communal or ethnic association. Among the socially supportive
people, ethnic differences recede and they do not intend to fall in ethnic conflicts.

Gender and Ethnicity

Women on both sides showed somewhat similar results but these samples were collected only
from the urban areas, because women were not accessed in the villages. A total of 30 samples,
15 from each group, were collected. Among the Shia, 94.4 percent of the women agreed that
ethnicity was not the reason of the conflict they passed through and only 6.6 percent of the Shia
women agreed that ethnicity was the only reason of the conflict they passed through. In Sunni
population, 13.3 percent of the women agreed that ethnicity was the only reason of the conflict
they experienced and 86.7 percent of the women said that ethnicity was not the only reason of the
conflict they passed through. In Shia population, one in every fifteen women is against the Sunni
people and in Sunni population, two in every fifteen women are against the Shia people. Appendix
3 shows a significant relationship between gender and ethnic conflict, where p-value falls below
.05, therefore we reject the null-hypothesis that there is no relationship between gender and ethnic
conflict. The variance in both the variables is different, means female population in both Shia and
Sunni groups do not show any resistance to ethnic discrimination.
In the Northwest, females usually get themselves engaged in all social activities. In cities,
educated women are employed and even those who are uneducated are also socially included and
aware of their neighborhood. Almost all the women, irrespective of any ethnicity or communal
association, keep good relationship with one another and happily participate in every social event,
particularly marriages, births and other social festivals. Women are comparatively more satisfied
of their social environment than men, particularly from their neighborhood. They have proper
interaction everywhere, whether they are in the streets, bazaars and even other places of common
formal and informal gatherings.
 Asian Profile 137

Conclusion

This study has found a positive approach on the part of the women who regard one another as
friends on both sides. It is due to their satisfaction from the local social environment, irrespective of
any unwanted events they have witnessed. Both educated and uneducated women showed the same
results up to a greater extent and they did not regard their ethnicity as a barrier in their relationship.
They believed in their neighbors and trusted them, irrespective of their ethnicity.
Highly educated people also did not regard ethnicity as a hurdle in their relationship from
both sides and believed in their company and unity. Socially integrated people preferred not to
consider ethnicity as a difference in them, but illiterate people on both sides regarded ethnicity as
a main difference in them and this difference was the main reason of the conflict they experienced.
They wanted one another subdued and socially degraded. Among these viewers majority were
illiterate and unemployed. Jobless and illiterate people from both the groups and locations revealed
similar views.
The area where this research was conducted, had been the center of ethnic differences and the
two major groups in this area were Shia and Sunni. There was no ethnic group, other than Shia and
Sunni, therefore ethnic conspiracy had been always on the surge in this area, particularly during the
time of Muharram (the sacred month of Shias). Only those people did not resist to ethnicity who
were socially integrated.

Recommendations

• The diversification of educational institutions is inevitable in those areas which are far from
the cities and been the centers of ethnic conflicts. In rural areas there is lack of access to basic
education which has been affecting the local people quite negatively, and this lack of access
to basic education has been the main determining factor in the spread of ethnic differences.
Once access to basic education is guaranteed, change would automatically take place.
• In order to make the population engaged in jobs and sports, they should be provided proper
facilities of sports centers and jobs. Once they get engaged into such activities there would
be less opportunities for them to get involved into ethnic conflicts, as both the rural and
urban areas in the Northwest are lacking such sports centers and job opportunities.
• For religious harmony, there should be a common religious council consisting of religious
scholars of both the groups so that their matters of daily life could be discussed and decided
openly by these councilors. This would create harmony in both the groups and there should
be no involvement of the common men in ethnic conflicts particularly on religious matters.
• Since the state is not active in resolving these differences therefore there would be an
informal dispute settlement mechanism where both the groups would be given representation
on equal basis. All types of social matters would be decided by this council and the state
would give proper support and weight to the decisions taken by the council.

References

Behuria, A.K., 2004. “Shia-Sunni Relations in Pakistan: The Widening Divide,” Strategic Analysis, Vol. 28, No. 1.
Baxter, C. and Charles H. Kennedy, 1997 and 1998. Pakistan, Harper Collins, New Delhi, India.
Dassopoulos, A. and Shannon M. Monnat, 2011. “Do Perception of Social Cohesion, Social Support and Social Control
Mediate the Effects of Local Community Participation on Neighborhood Satisfaction?” University of Nevada, Las
Vegas, United States of America.
Gracia, E. and J. Herrero, 2003. “Determinants of Social Integration in the Community: An Exploratory Analysis of Personal,
Interpersonal and Situational Variables,” Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 14, Issue 1.
138 Asian Profile

Herald, L. Wilensky, 1961. “Orderly Careers and Social Participation: the Impact of Work History on Social Integration in
the Middle Mass,” American Sociological Review, Vol. 26, No. 4.
James, J. Heckman and Jeffrey A. Smith, 2003. “The Determinants of Participation in Social Program: Evidence from a
Prototypical Job Training Program,” National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series, 1050 Massachusetts
Avenue, Cambridge.
Vali, N. and Joanne J. Myers, 2006. “The Shia Revival: How Conflict Within Islam will Shape the Future?” CARNEGIE
Council, The Voice for Ethics in International Affairs, http://www.cceia.org/resources/transcripts/5400.html/:
pf_printable
 Asian Profile 139

Appendix 1
Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 53.488a 2 .000

Likelihood Ratio 56.108 2 .000
Linear-by-Linear Association 42.999 1 .000
N of Valid Cases 200

Note: a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 25.23.

Appendix 2
Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. Exact Sig. Exact Sig.

(2-sided) (2-sided) (1-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 1 1.083E2a

.000
Continuity Correction 105.283
b
1 .000
Likelihood Ratio 120.089 1 .000
Fisher’s Exact Test .000 .000
Linear-by-Linear 107.770 1 .000
Association
N of Valid Casesb 200

Note: a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 33.50.
b. Computed only for a 2x2 table

Appendix 3
Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. Exact Sig. Exact Sig.

(2-sided) (2-sided) (1-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 31.051a 1 .000

Continuity Correction
b
28.865 1 .000
Likelihood Ratio 33.620 1 .000
Fisher’s Exact Test .000 .000
Linear-by-Linear 30.895 1 .000
Association
N of Valid Casesb 200

Note: a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 13.05.
b. Computed only for a 2x2 table
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