‘Normalization of Violence’ in Public Discourses: Implications for Mental Health of Religious Minorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

This study is the second phase of a postdoctoral research
project on the normalization of violence in public discourses,
conducted at the Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic
University Islamabad. Religious minorities live under constant
threat of prejudice and discrimination. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP
thereafter), the target killing of Sikh religious minorities spark a
public discussion on the rights of religious minorities and how they
could survive in an apparent conservative society of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Very few studies have focused on the mental health
of religious minorities in KP. This study asked the following
questions: How does normalization of violence in public discourse
affect the lives of religious minorities? What coping strategies are
used by religious minorities to deal with normalization of violence
in public discourse? This qualitative study employed interviews and
focus group discussions (FGDs) with members of Sikh, Hindu,
Christian, Bahai, and Kalasha communities in Peshawar. Findings
indicate that religious minorities experience minority stress and
generalized fear, leading to coping mechanisms such as silence and
assimilation.