Democracy and Development in the Muslim World: A Global Analysis (Ahmet T. Kuru)

Providing a history of comparative economic and democratic political development across the Islamic World, Dr. Ahmet T. Kuru (Director of the Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies, San Diego State University) argues that two of the primary reasons why there has been a lag of these forms of development across this region since approximately 1200 A.D. are the alliance between ulema (recognized guardians and educators of Islamic religious knowledge) and nation-state governments and the resulting significant decrease in an independent set of scholars and merchants. After an enlightening explanation of specific actors and historical moments that illustrate this causation, Dr. Kuru answers questions regarding economic and political diversity within the large Muslim World region, how these forms of development square with public opinion in some portions of the area, how his thesis relates to the history of Islam as a religion, and possibilities for policy reform to better incentivize and allow for independent scholarship in the region.
Hosted by Brandon M. Chapman (Instructor and Department Chair of Anthropology and Sociology - Rowan College at Burlington County). Recorded on March 24, 2023.