پاکستان میں نوجوانوں میں بڑھتے ہوئے سیکولر رجحانات اسباب، مظاہر اور سماجی اثرات

The Dynamics of Secularization among Youth in Pakistan: A Study of Causes, Expressions, and Societal Outcomes

الملخص

This research paper provides a socio-ideological analysis of the rising secular and atheistic trends among the youth in Pakistan, a country with an overwhelming Muslim majority of over 96%. The study highlights that this ideological shift is not merely a superficial change but a profound structural and cultural crisis that has penetrated beyond the elite classes into middle-class youth through organized digital and social networks. The paper identifies three fundamental causes behind this crisis: the state-level failure to implement Islam as a viable, holistic system of life; the absence of counter-ideological training within educational institutions—rendering them breeding grounds for secular thought; and the intellectual stagnation of the traditional religious leadership in addressing contemporary socio-economic challenges. The findings demonstrate that the social impacts of these trends pose severe threats to Pakistan's traditional family structure and moral values, alienating the younger generation from their religious identity. To counter this crisis, the paper proposes strategic recommendations, including the establishment of an intellectual think tank to deconstruct secular fallacies, a comprehensive digital media campaign to address ideological skepticism, enhanced collaboration between universities and seminaries, and the revitalization of the institution of the mosque into a dynamic "social community center" based on successful Western Muslim models to bridge the gap between youth and religion.