This article explores the Taliban’s insurgency (2007–2009) in Swat Valley (northern Pakistan) and the multiple meanings of violence in this context. A thematic analysis of data collected through qualitative fieldwork finds that the violence experienced by the victims was understood in three ways: physically as bodily harm, psychologically as terror and fear, and socially in the form of humiliation and dishonor. By delving into the experiences of civilians, the article offers a victim-centered approach and argues that instances of violence were characterized by harm as a “core referent.” It further argues for a context-specific understanding of harm and explicates that this notion is also determined by the local culture of Swat Valley, Pashtunwali.
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