From Interfaith Contact to Support for Coexistence: The Mediating Role of Islamic Pluralism Orientation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64984/ijcd.3.1.2026.31Keywords:
interfaith contact, contact quality, Islamic pluralism orientation, peacebuilding orientation, structural equation modelling, mediationAbstract
Religious diversity makes interfaith encounters routine in many societies, yet the mechanisms linking such contact to peace-supportive civic orientations remain unclear. This study examines whether the quantity and quality of interfaith contact are associated with peace building orientation/support for coexistence, indirectly through Islamic pluralism orientation, defined as an identity-compatible endorsement of equal civic respect and cooperative coexistence. Using survey data from 220 Muslim adults in Pakistan, confirmatory factor analysis supported the distinctiveness of key constructs. Structural equation modelling showed that both contact quantity and, more strongly, contact quality were positively associated with Islamic pluralism orientation, which in turn was positively associated with peace building orientation. Bootstrapped indirect effects indicated that pluralism orientation statistically accounted for the association between contact (quantity and quality) and peace building orientation. Findings are interpreted as indirect association patterns rather than causal mediation. Overall, results highlight an identity-compatible pluralism orientation as a theoretically grounded pathway through which everyday interfaith contact, especially high-quality contact, relates to civic support for coexistence.
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