The writer is an economic development professional based in Washington, DC. He is a graduate of Brown University
For those curious, observing this cultural milieu raises an interesting question: are modern societies of a predominantly Islamic character capable of developing to a point where they become of central importance to the global economy, attracting multi-ethnic visitors through commerce, logistics, tourism and financial services? Can new urban centres from the East rise again to assert their place on the world’s newly-emerging mercantile routes?
To some extent, this has been seen in Dubai. However, while Dubai’s achievements are highly significant, they are at times accompanied by a sense of artificiality. The central point here is that what is required within countries of the Islamic world are not exclusive zones which function inclusively, but rather the genuine and organic progression of economic and social structures, civic sense and the rule of law, which allows these countries to contribute enthusiastically to new patterns of trade and travel being catalysed by globalisation. Additionally, in countries where Islam is used as the basis for arguing against openness, there is a need for counter-narratives to emerge — ones which advocate humane development, using a language that can be absorbed by conservative populations and, at times, even by working with Islamic injunctions.
Istanbul in modern Turkey, with its secular tradition (though not without its own significant challenges), growing economy, high literacy and relative stability, does allow us a glimpse of what is possible if countries within the Islamic world were to become more inclusive and tolerant.
Is this shift possible amongst a wider group of countries, some would ask, pointing towards Pakistan and other usual suspects on the list of supposedly unfriendly geographies. Yes, it is in the long term. The important question is, how best can such a reform agenda be initiated and actualised.
The development of this agenda demands reflection upon the present economic and social trajectory of potential countries and their realignment with a vision aimed at attaining economic prosperity without compromising social virtues that such societies possess due to certain inclusive and communal traditions.
The execution of this agenda requires political will, backed by contextualised technocratic expertise. Contextualised, in this case, means having a thorough understanding of local political economies, underpinned by an appreciation of the history of the operative landscape. The likelihood of this political will emerging in countries, whose citizens choose to dispassionately wait for it to, is low. Rather, it has to be catalysed by the emergence of new partnerships between progressive individuals and institutions from countries of Islamic hue. These partnerships must include elements from civil society, academia, and the private and public sectors. Civil society and academia can play a leading facilitative role, building trust and piloting economic and social programmes which can show results, stimulating larger, sustainable partnerships amongst private and public actors.
Such societies, with greater internal harmony and confidence in their own identities, will be able to embrace the world with openness and add to its vitality.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (30)
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@Tariq: You obviously haven't been to Turkey. When I recently visited Turkey, our family found the Turkish people were very welcoming to Pakistanis; It has been so historically. They understand that there are good people and bad people everywhere but there is a genuine love between the Turkish people and Pakistanis. The Turkish people are informed enough to know that a minority of extremists have threatened Pakistan and that Pakistanis themselves have suffered the most from these terrorists. I may not agree with the harsh rule of the Turkish Premier Erdogan who is now being called a dictator but no one can dispute that he has done a good job of improving Turkey's economy. I just hope that he tries to deal with the anti government protesters peacefully. The PMs party may disagree with homosexuality, open alcohol, revealing clothing or nudity and many of the secular rights the liberal Turkish protesters are fighting for, but these rights are part of a secular state. Turkey should continue to tolerate everything which is why it is doing well now.
@Raza:
Turkish current AK leaders are more powerful than Kemal AtaTurk was , and the Ottomon sultan was more powerful than any of the monarchs in Europe, who relented to take over Wien, the capital of the capital, and instead agreed to accept the annual tributes from the Habsburger rulers of the holy Roman and German Empire
They all did their part in history, and we must do our part in history to advance and protect peace and civilisaton. Pakistan could clone a new Mohammad Ali Jinnah, science is available; But this will not help. People and people alone are the powers behind all great peoples of the world. The emerging power of youth will determine the future world, not people from the past. Leaders need foresight and do not rely on hindsight.!!!
Rex Minor
What awkward timing! Secular it maybe, but fascist? No thanks!
@S Ahmad
Turkey has achieved much more than us. Turks have little respect for us, they actually fear us. We are the opposite of a role model to them. They worry we will infect them with our Jihadi disease.
@I am a Khan: “The muslims thousand years ago were successful because they practiced Islam correctly.” @Rashid: Basically he is saying that for the last thousand years Islam has not been practiced or practical? Otherwise name a model Muslim state so we can follow them. Regards, M
A violent swing of the pendulum in Istanbul. Et tu author?
@I am a Khan: You are right; The Turks have made a joke of themselves in both the East and West. They have been begging to join the European Union for over 40 years but the Europeans just keep making up more excuses to keep them out. The EU want the Turks to give Kurds rights, allow freedom of speech against religion now, support gay rights, give up Cyprus stop any perceived bias against women, ban head scarves etc. No matter what Turkey does to please the Europeans, the Europeans just make up a new demand- but look at how quickly the backward countries of Eastern Europe were given EU membership! No wonder there is so much turmoil on the streets of Turkey now with riots and unrest. They are neither East nor West.
This article comes at a wrong time. Not sure if the author knows the trouble and chaos Turkey is going through at the moment. Can we say secularism has failed in Turkey? Can we say the secular extremists are on the streets creating havoc?
I would say Malaysia and Indonesia are probably better examples of Islamic countries that practice Islam and are progressing. There is absolutely no conflict between being a devout muslim and being progressive. In fact a truly devout islamic society can really be the most progressive society. We just need to look back a thousand years ago, which were the 'dark ages' of Europe and the 'Golden Ages' of the Islamic Empires. The muslims thousand years ago were successful because they practiced Islam correctly. As they started moving far from Islam, their decline started. Nowadays muslim countries do not correctly practice Islam, hence they are corrupt and full of crime and hence they have fallen behind.
Turkey managed to achieve this because it had a strong leader (Ataturk) who took the necessary steps and put the mullahs in their place; we have never had a strong dictatorial leader who can cleanse the fundamental problems that erode us today. As for those who're questioning the extent of Islam in Turkey; please we're nobody to judge others, because we're not a nation of good Muslims either; not with the levels of killings, corruption, hypocrisy, lack of welfare prevalent in our own ranks.
This is what Ataturk did.
1 Destroyed Caliphate as result Muslims being killed in Iraq, Bosnia, Palestine..etc. 2 Banned hijab in Turkey 3 Changed Arabic letters to Latin in Turkey, so that new muslim generation would be lost and have NO connection to the Islamic roots. 4 Cancelled all Islamic holidays. 5 He was NOT even a Turk, leave alone father of turks, he was born in Greece. 6 He Killed 1000s of Turks & Kurds who Rebelled (e.g. Seyh Sait rebellion in southeastern Turkey which claimed nearly 30,000 lives before being suppressed)
Now tell me is Turkey in any way Islamic.
@Titicalling @F, Turkey is secular like any other secular country with sky high churches and freedom of reliegen look around in America peoples take oath on Bible in india on Geetha and cows are not allowed to killed and eat. and American constitution made of bible techings Europe allways crys of christanity stays there identity and England flag shows how much they are secular so don't be too danm one sided. and we know how and why we muslims became like this after so called coloniez.....
Why not there is a pride of being a Pakistani. Why do we have to imitate anyone else, Turkey or whoever? Let Pakistan remain Pakistan.
Wrong timing for this article. @De: Let Islam or for that matter any religion, be everybodys own private affair.
Such intelligent writing would never have thought the writer studied at Brown
@Maria:
The real disease is being fooled by the British to think South Asia with over a billion people and many cultures is one country!
Ever heard of a country called India!?
This article does not tell us the whole story, at least not in its true context. It tells us about Turkey's secular constitution, but does not elaborate why this is still so. Attaturk made Turkey a secular state. Since then, the army has made sure that it remains so. But elections always showed a strong backing by religious parties and the army tried to 'control' the limits of these parties strength for the last so many decades. Eventually, with international pressure, the army let a religious party take power. The reason why this government has not changed the constitution to a religious one is simple. The government does not have a two third majority to do it. It appears majority of Muslims still prefer Islamic governments with sharia laws. So the conclusion the author must come to is this. YEs, Turkey is secular, but no thanks to the people of the country.
It is not just Turkey but also Malaysia where secular, Muslims, and non-Muslims all exist shoulder to shoulder. I have seen girls in mini skirt and people drinking on a table and next table women in Hijab with no problems whatsoever. There is pork sold and served in most Chinese places and nobody cares about that. In Turkey many eat pork without any problem and they drink regularly. Indonesia seems to be following Malaysia as well. In fact in Malaysia the govt imposes so much tax on alcohol that it is one of the biggest revenue generators and on the other hand it imposed death penalty for any drug no ifs and buts. In Pakistan all these things are plenty but govt does not get any revenue at all. The key word is tolerance and without that we are animals. We have to respect other people and their beliefs and leave it between them and their God.
@abc: The real disease is being fooled by the British to think South Asia with over a billion people and many cultures is one country! Go ahead and worship the British Lords who fed you this delusion but let Pakistanis follow their own belief in at least a two nation theory. Getting back to Turkey, the recent news of civil unrest in Turkey and the tussles between secular liberals and the ruling conservative Muslim party completely challenges this article.
Your definition of secular is not the same as that of multi ethnic and plural democratic societies in the non-muslim world. Turkey is overwhelmingly muslim. In 1921 - roughly 19% of the population was non-muslim, today it is 0.2%! Minorities in this "secular" state are few with debatable equal rights. The Kurds- 18% of the population are not granted any legal status at all. The "secular" government continues to tilt to the right. It is in the process of building larger and more mosques. Very similar story in just about every Muslim majority state.
Author, It is patently obvious to compare Turkey with Pakistan ( a product of TNT) !
On a different note it is very funny how muslims exaggerate and look with microscope, whine and moan about problems in pluralistic democratic societies where muslims live as minorities.
Look at the big deal you make on "secularism" and "tolerance" in Turkey which is 99.8% muslim:-(((
Disease is " Two Nation Theory" and everything else are just symptoms.
Sorry,I am not sure the point Ali Fahim,the economic wizard from Washington is making? The recessionary conditions in Europe were caused by the USA policies through their Banking sector, where Capitalism pure rules. The European Governments are consiered secular in as much as they function independent of the Church authority. Turkey is in the same league and ruled by the majority conservative muslim brotherhood, the only country in Europe whose economy is showing growth year over year.
The kemalists and the communists together with anarchists protesting against the alcohal rstrictios in certain cities, joined in the peaceful protest march of the environmental naturists against the redevelopment of the green old park in Istanbul city, which necessitated the removal of old trees. This was followed by the overreaction the police against th demonstrators, triggering of demonstratons by the youth and old in several cities.
The majority of turks are angry with the police overreactions, as well as with the authoritative Prime Minister Erdogan, who under pressure of the American adminstration and the lobbyist senators by going soft on Israel, and adopting a divisive course with Arab Governments.. It is time that his Government leaves.
Rex Minor
The Objectives Resolution of 1949, the failure to nip the Bonapartist tendencies of the military after a shameful surrender in Dhaka in 1971, the pandering to the mullah with the Second Amendment to the 1973 constitution, the rape of the constitution by Zia-ul-Haq in the name of Islam, the incorporation of stupid additions to the constitution like Articles 62 and 63, the foolishness of Musharraf's actions in almost a decade of rule, and now an overactive and misguided judiciary are just a few of the self-inflicted wounds that have destroyed the soul and body of Pakistan. The Turks, too, have had military rule but their ability to identify and cure the root causes of that have put them on an irreversible road to democracy and prosperity. Yes, there are some lessons to be learnt from that great nation. But the current situation in Pakistan calls for a very serious exercise in self-evaluation if the country is to avoid falling off the cliff.
Awkward timing. I am sure the irony would not be lost on the author if he has been reading the news coming out of Istanbul lately.
as usual, no comments for this sensible article.. while people in the streets have enough time to rally behind DPC and JUI.... shameful
I just read this in the Blog section and commented on it..........now its in the Opinions. ET you're like Istanbul half in the West and the other half in the East..........vaaah !!!
Just having a Muslim population doesn't mean there is Islam in Turkey. Turkey is completely secularized and Islam doesn't exist there. So there's no comparison. No point in taking Turkey as an example.