Religious harmony as a tool of conflict resolution and pluralism in Tharparkar, Sindh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71085/rjhsa.04.03.106Keywords:
Religious Harmony, Conflict Resolution, Pluralism, Interfaith Relations, Thematic Analysis, Tharparkar, Sindh, PeacebuildingAbstract
This paper explored the concept of religious harmony as a practical mechanism of conflict resolution and pluralism in Tharparkar, Sindh where the communities of Hindus and Muslims inhabit the same settlements, use the same language, attend the same markets, engage in the same livelihoods and share the same cultural spaces. The approach used was a qualitative case-study orientation, which was achieved by using a structured interview corpus that was created based on a semi-structured guide with 44 statements. Six integrated themes emerged: lived neighbourliness and routine cooperation; shared culture, livelihoods interdependence and mutual support; containment of conflict through trusted mediation and restorative settlement; pluralism through dignity, religious freedom and respect of sacred spaces; peacebuilding agency of women and young people; community resilience and pressures from scarcity, inequality, misinformation and political use of identity. It is the conclusion that harmony is not the lack of conflict, but rather a social skill that is put in place and maintained, to ensure that no conflicts escalate into a communal conflict. A multi-layered response system was supported by elders, religious leaders, teachers, families, women's networks, youth volunteers, civil society, and local institutions for fact verification, rumour interruption, practical settlement, and relationship repair. The study adds an integrated process model involving shared culture and interdependence leading to relational memory, which in turn facilitates early dialogue and mediation, leading to reconciliation, pluralism and social stability.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sarmad Aftab Lashari, Dr. Khola Iftikhar Cheema, Dr. Irfan Katohar, Ghulam Muhammad (Author)
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