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Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all.

-John Paul Jones

Islamocapitalism

At TCS Daily, Turkish Writer Mustafa Akyol asks; "Is Islam compatible with modernity?"

He notes that most Islamists would say it is not. But he argues that this is primarily because they don't know much about capitalism, science, and other aspects of modernity.

When you look at anti-capitalist rhetoric in Muslim circles, you will see that it is focused on sexual laxity, prostitution, drugs, crime, or the general selfishness in Western societies. Yet these are not the inherent elements of capitalism, they would be better explained by the term "cultural materialism" -- the idea that material things are the only things that matter. Most Muslims who abhor capitalism simply confuse it with materialism.

Such worried Muslims would be quite surprised to discover that some of the most outspoken advocates of the free market in the West are also staunch defenders of religious faith, family values and the healthy role of both in public life. Unfortunately, the synthesis of democratic capitalism with Judeo-Christian values -- which is basically an American, not a European phenomenon -- is not well known in the Islamic world. The America of churches and charities is poorly represented in the global mass media. Quite the contrary, what most Muslims see as standard Americans are the unabashed hedonists of MTV and Hollywood.

I am a former unabashed hedonist myself, but I agree with Mr. Akyol. However, I would like to point out that most Westerners, too, would say that Islam is not compatible with modernity. But again, most Westerners don't know much about Islam - or capitalism, science, and other aspects of modernity, for that matter.

Posted by Wulf on June 21, 2006 at 05:54 PM

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Comments

Have you read anything by Thomas Friedman? Also, there's a book out there about "Islam and Modernity," which I read a few years back - can't recall the author but it was a very thorough examination of the history and development from basically the middle ages onward.

Or... DeSoto's "The Mystery of Capital," might also be topical. From what I recall, it focuses more on latin america, but he does apply the principles to the middle east and africa, too.

Posted by: doinkicarus at June 21, 2006 10:28 PM

Actually, I have never read a Friedman book, or DeSoto, though I would like to.

Is this the book you are talking about? It looks interesting, and the introduction notes that it doesn't address 9-11 because the book was written before then, even though it was published later. That sounds right up my alley.

Posted by: Wulf at June 22, 2006 8:38 AM

Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all.

-John Paul Jones

Islamocapitalism

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