Why I Wrote This Book

Out of my 36 years in the Indian Foreign Service, I spent 23 years in Arab Muslim countries – Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. The societies in these countries were out of sync with the modern world, despite prosperity and contemporary infrastructure based mostly on export of raw materials like oil gas and phosphate. The political, social, cultural, and intellectual foundations of modernity were missing.

The political system in all cases were authoritarian. This created many problems. In the absence of a process for peaceful transfer of power regime change mostly took place by violent coup d’état. This would often result in the death of hundreds of innocent people belonging to the previous order. This violent change would mean loss of talented and experienced manpower. Appointments to positions were made based on loyalty to the leader rather than merit. In the absence constitutional governance, a feeling of uncertainty prevailed, detrimental to the stability, progress, and prosperity of the country.

One obvious result of authoritarian governance was the absence of a free press. People did not have the right to their own opinion and its expression.  Consequently, the prevailing shortcomings in the political and social system were not discussed. Issues were suppressed not resolved. They festered until the point of explosion.

Absence of intellectual freedom had a deadening effect on the creativity of the people. This is so obvious from the minuscule number of people from the Arab and Muslim countries in the list of Nobel laureates. Absence of freedom suffocated intellectual activity. No wonder there has been little contribution from Arabs and Muslims in the matter of innovations in business and finance, discoveries in science and inventions in technology and medicine. Today progress and prosperity come from people’s intellect and skill and for these to flourish freedom is indispensable. Despite their unparalleled contributions to science, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine in the first five centuries after the advent of Islam, Arabs and Muslims have produced very little intellectual property in recent centuries.

One also noticed absence of rule of law with all its implications – full freedom and rights to women as well as other ethnic and religious minorities. Absence of full rights to women meant that the vast reservoir of female talent and skill could not be harnessed for the benefit of the people. Denial of full rights and opportunity to ethnic and religious minorities to participate in the political and economic programs of the country meant dissatisfaction amongst them expressing itself in rebellious conduct thereby weakening the country and hampering progress.

I lived amidst a lot of violence in the region: internal as well as external. Since the end of World War II, the predominantly Muslim region of the Middle East has seen more conflicts than any other region in the world resulting, in 7-8 million deaths – direct and indirect – and incalculable economic loss and damage. A careful study will show that the inability to resolve internal as well as external issues including the Palestinian Israeli dispute is due to the absence of good democratic institutional governance in the societies. The priority of the unelected leaders is often the perpetuation of their rule rather than conflict resolution and prosperity of the people.

The preconditions for a robust industrial economy are missing in these societies. Industrial economy requires strong financial institutions which in turn require modern banking and interest. Without resolving the controversy over interest these societies cannot have their own solid financial institutions. Is modern banking with interest compatible with Quran? This was a question that often came to my mind.

Since the Quran for Muslims is the most basic document for their guidance in life, I studied it to see how far democracy, freedom of thought, equal rights to women, equality before law for all citizens irrespective of race or religion, modern banking and interest are compatible with it. A holistic study clearly shows that they are compatible and their absence in Muslim societies is due to historical reasons not related to the scripture. When the Muslims became rulers of a vast empire, they followed the logic of empires in those times – authoritarian rule with the principle of primogeniture for succession. The Muslims continued with this authoritarian system until the collapse of the Turkish Empire. After the First World War power was grabbed by authoritarian rulers, often with the support of ex-colonial rulers, instead of adopting the long, hard, and challenging path to democracy. Muslim societies are in a bind. It is difficult to break the status quo as it benefits very strong vested interests. The first step to start the path towards modernity is to agree that democracy is both good for the people as well as compatible with the Quran.