Whenever we come across the word extremism we tend to associate it only with religious extremism, though that is not the case, as almost every form of bias can lead to extremism. Extremism is basically a very charged mental state in which logic is overshadowed by sentiment and it is inevitable that judgment gets clouded.

Religious bias was almost non- existent and people were not suffering from an epidemic known as a “Holier than thou” attitude

Pakistan till the seventies was almost free from many kinds of extremism and people were leading simple lives. Religious bias was almost non- existent and people were not suffering from an epidemic known as a “Holier than thou” attitude. Religion was practiced, yet nobody looked down upon the other person’s beliefs and there was no “moral brigade”, forever vigilant and ready to condemn. Religion which is basically a way of life was treated as a way of life and not as a means for proving superiority, which eventually led to bias and created divisions.

The liberals take it upon themselves to blow issues out of proportion and make trivial issues a matter of life and death.

In the present day we are not only beset by religious extremism but also the liberal extremism. The liberals take it upon themselves to blow issues out of proportion and make trivial issues a matter of life and death. Every action is labeled and if you call yourself a liberal you have to react in exactly the same way as all liberals, else there is a danger of being ostracized, as you are considered disloyal to your cause.

Feminists are an extended version of the liberals and at times even a simple comment or a joke cracked by an individual who happens to be a man is considered a violation of female rights. They are at times over defensive and base decisions on the gender of the accused instead of the facts.

The result is the loss of independent thinking and people start behaving like a flock of sheep, following one shepherd.

The problem starts and divisions are created when people label themselves and feel that unless they express themselves in a blatantly exaggerated manner they would not be perceived as true to their cause. The result is the loss of independent thinking and people start behaving like a flock of sheep, following one shepherd. There is a blind following, emotions are charged easily and even acts of violence are justified, as they are considered the need of the hour.

This leads to a divided society and very often there is an unnecessary conflict even if both parties agree on a particular issue, yet since they are labeled differently they feel the need to project themselves differently. A very good example are the Aurat March and the Haya March, both basically focusing on injustice towards women, yet divided due to being labeled differently.

In the presence of so much injustice and social issues a consolidated effort, without focus on which group we represent is required.As an individual it is our responsibility to eliminate this extremist approach by breaking these barriers which have divided us, respecting every worthwhile cause unanimously and treating it as a common challenge.