Communal Violence

Communal Violence Definition

Communal violence denotes widespread, often murderous attacks by one group — usually defined by religion or ethnicity — on its neighbours, where what is contested is not national boundaries but the relative power and prestige of groups within the same state.

Community and Its Downside

The concept highlights the dark side of community: the strength of social bonds inside a group is frequently matched by ill-feeling towards those outside it. The solidarity that binds members together can thus become the very source of hostility and violence directed at neighbouring communities.