quartz/content/Notes/Islamic Studies/Muslim world and its contemporary challenges.md

Muslim world and its contemporary challenges

16-07-2025 Islamic Studies religion

Internal Challenges

Intellectual crisis and stagnation

Most Muslim governments fail to prioritize general (secular) education. High illiteracy rates from Indonesia to Algeria. Rational sciences still based on Greek models; modern sciences largely ignored.

• According to the World Bank (2023), the average literacy rate in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries is approximately 70%, compared to over 90% in developed countries.
• In Afghanistan the situation is even worse where 80% of school-aged girls are out of school, primarily due to Taliban-imposed restrictions (UNICEF, 2024).
• Muslim-majority countries lag in scientific research output. As per the UNESCO Science Report (2021), OIC nations contribute less than 2% of the world’s scientific publications despite comprising nearly 25% of the global population.

Political disunity of Muslim world

Saudi Arabia claims religious authority via Mecca, Medina, and Hajj. Shia Iran and other sects challenge this claim. Economic power of Saudi Arabia supports its religious dominance, but oil wealth is finite. Fruthermore, many Muslim countries suffer from political instability, civil wars, and foreign interventions.

• Syria (2011–present): Over 500,000 deaths and 13.5 million displaced (UNHCR, 2024).
• Yemen (2015–present): Civil war between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition. 23.4 million people require humanitarian aid, including 12 million children (UN OCHA, 2024).
• Palestine (Ongoing): Over 37,000 deaths in Gaza since October 2023 due to Israeli military operations (UN Human Rights Office, early 2024).

Sectarianism and Intra-Muslim Divisions

There is a rise in intra-ummah fragmentation. Extremists resist pluralism and dynamic jurisprudence and accuse the opposite sect of apostasy (takfir) which further fuels violence among Sunni and Shia communities. Most intra-sectarian debates are aimed at defending sectarian superiority rather than seeking truth or unity.

• Iran and Saudi Arabia support opposing sides in conflicts like Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria.
• Internal divisions have also intensified in Pakistan, Iraq, and weakening social cohesion.

Fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism

While the literal meaning of Jihad is "struggle" (primarily spiritual, sometimes defensive military action under strict rules), extremist groups misuse the term to justify violence. Groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram has cost tens of thousands of lives and damaged Islam’s image globally.

This in turn leads to Islamophobia and discrimination of Muslims around the world. Public misperceptions link Islam with violence; educational films help counter this narrative.

Islam has also been criticized regarding women's rights, however, the oppression of women in some Muslim societies is due patriarchal cultural practices rather than Islamic teachings.

The Shariah law is commonly misrepresented as a rigid, violent legal system. Rise of anti-Muslim sentiment has led to laws and policies targeting Muslims (e.g., anti-sharia legislation).

Economic underdevelopment and poverty

The rich Gulf states show lavish spending while there is prevalent proverty in other Muslim regions. There is a plague of massive unemployment, urbanization, and poor redistribution of wealth due to lack of intra-ummah economic solidarity.

• Youth unemployment in MENA is over 25%—the highest globally (World Bank, 2024).
• Intra-OIC trade constitutes only 7-10% of total trade, highlighting weak economic cooperation.

Most of the wealth flows to Western economies due to better infrastructure and stability.

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External Challenges

Globalization

National interests of many Muslim countries outweigh pan-Islamic unity. Muslim states are divided in their geopolitical orientations. Some states (Malaysia, Pakistan) are pro-West while others (Iran, Libya) are anti-West. This lack of ideological alignment impedes collective action on global issues.

Cultural erosion and challenges of Muslim identity in the West

Muslim communities often struggle to balance Islamic identity with integration into Western societies. Building mosques in Western cities has sometimes led to public opposition rooted in fear or misunderstanding.

• Second and third-generation Muslims in the West often experience identity confusion, oscillating between cultural traditions and assimilation.

Economic Challenges

Economic dependency on the West

Islamic world heavily reliant on the West for technology.

• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) depend heavily on oil exports, with over 80-90% of their revenue coming from hydrocarbons (World Bank, 2023).
• Most capital is invested in Western economies which leads to wealth drain.
• Less than 1% of oil revenues are then invested in R&D.

Debt crisis and financial instability

Countries like Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Lebanon are on the brink of a severe debt crisis. The crisis stems from rising public debt, global economic challenges, and the withdrawal of unconditional support from wealthy Gulf countries. The crisis threatens economic growth and sociopolitical stability in the region.

• In Egypt, public debt exceeds 93% of GDP, and external debt hit $165 billion in 2023 (International Monetary Fund and Structural adjustment programs (SAPs) Fiscal Monitor, April 2023).

Mind Map

!contemporary challenges faced by islam and muslims mindmap.excalidraw

Related Ideas

Islamic Culture and Civilization

References

Contemporary Issues on Islam Islam and Contemporary Issues Islam and its Challenges in the Modern World [Parts of the Middle East and North Africa stand at the brink of a debt crisis](Debt Clouds over the Middle East by Adnan Mazarei)