Jordan Times
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Muslim scholars cite Islam's potential in solving development issues
By Ahmad Barakat
AMMAN — Muslim scholars presenting research papers on the second day of the International Islamic Conference agreed that development in the Muslim world faces major issues, highlighting Islam's potential to solve such problems.
“Political situations in Muslim communities — although in different degrees — stand as an obstacle in the way of development,” said Mohammad Azarshab, secretary general of the Arab-Iranian Friendship Society, explaining “political situations” as the relationship between governments and citizens, democracy, and freedom of expression.
“The participation of the whole nation is one basic condition to make any development or progress a success,” Azarshab told The Jordan Times, adding that governments should reach a concord with their respective people to ensure the fulfilment of development goals.
Abdul Aziz Douri, an Iraqi historian from the University of Jordan, stressed that development should be based on a comprehensive national plan that engages effective grassroots participation.
Douri noted that several Arab and Muslim countries have launched development attempts, in particular economic, which have, in broad terms, followed Western models for development.
However, former Algerian Education Minister Mustapha Cherif said international and domestic democracy in Muslim countries are indispensable prerequisites for development.
“Any type of reform or progress can only be made possible if it springs from within, which does not rule out suggestions, advice and partnership from the outside,” he added.
Egyptian Minister of Awqaf Mahmoud Zaqzouq said domestic challenges such as lagging behind other nations in all fields had turned the global Muslim population into mere consumers of current achievements.
According to Zaqzouq, illiteracy rate among Muslims stands at 46.5 per cent, and 60 per cent among Muslim women in some countries.
On the economy, Zaqzouq cited official figures of the Islamic Bank for Development, which indicate that the trade volume between Arab and Muslim countries stands at 8 per cent of the total amount of their volume of trade with the rest of the world.
In their remarks, some Muslim scholars said many of the research papers on the table were descriptive of current problems and challenges, but did not suggest solutions.