Study Warns of Stagnation in Arab Societies

Arab intellectuals specializing in sociology, economics, and cultural life have compiled the Arab Human Development Report 2002 which uncovers the obstacles to development in the Middle East. The report, which is the result of a year of planning, was initiated by Rima Khalaf Hunaidi, director of the United Nations Development Program's Arab regional bureau. Ms. Khalaf Hunaidi put the following question to all the authors who contributed articles: “Why is Arab culture, why are Arab countries lagging behind?” The answer, in part, is that Arab societies suffer from “a lack of political freedom, the repression of women, and an isolation from the world of ideas.” Specific examples of stagnation include the fact that per capita income growth has fallen and productivity has declined despite the wealth generated by oil production. Meanwhile, half of all Arab women still cannot read or write and “the maternal mortality rate is double that of Latin America and four times that of East Asia.” In terms of culture, “the whole Arab world translates about 330 books annually, one-fifth the number that Greece translates.” But not all is bad. The report notes that the Arab world still has a higher life expectancy than the world average and education spending is higher than in other developing countries. While the report does not point fingers at Islamic militancy, or blame others, Ms. Khalaf Hunaidi believes that the criticism is inherent in the report’s discussion of repressive social conditions. – YaleGlobal