What’s Really Holding Islamic Nations Back

Ever since the September 11 attacks, questions about the backwardness of Islamic countries have acquired a new urgency. In this article, economist J. Bradford Delong tries to answer what factors may have contributed to the bad economies of the Islamic world. He first cites the case history of the Industrial Revolution – how the Revolution touched almost all parts of the world but the Islamic nations. However, in this current age of globalization, too, the Islamic world is falling behind. Professor Delong argues that economic development requires change, but if those in power are not happy about the change and its consequences, "they will systematically obstruct it, which rulers in the Middle East proceeded to do for centuries." Poor governance has indeed played an important part in holding Islamic nations back, he says, but the most important reason still seems to be lack of education. He concludes that "universal literacy and a large class of people with industrial-technical skills are key resources” to break free of poverty and backwardness. – YaleGlobal