TIMUR KURAN

Democratic rights develop when the ruled demand them and have the means to prevail.

The doctrine of Islamic economics is simplistic, incoherent and largely irrelevant to present economic challenges…. The real purpose of Islamic economics has not been economic improvement but cultivation of a distinct Islamic identity to resist cultural globalization.

The Middle East was once an economically advanced region of the world, as measured by standard of living, technology, agricultural productivity, literacy or institutiontopmeal creativity. Only China might have been even more developed. Subsequently, however, the Middle East failed to match the institutional transformation through which western Europe vastly increased its capacity to pool resources, coordinate productive activities and conduct exchanges.

Democracy requires checks and balances, and it is largely through civil society that citizens protect their rights as individuals, force policy makers to accommodate their interests, and limit abuses of state authority.

Democracy requires checks and balances, and it is largely through civil society that citizens protect their rights as individuals, force policy makers to accommodate their interests, and limit abuses of state authority.

The Middle East was once an economically advanced region of the world, as measured by standard of living, technology, agricultural productivity, literacy or institutiontopmeal creativity. Only China might have been even more developed. Subsequently, however, the Middle East failed to match the institutional transformation through which western Europe vastly increased its capacity to pool resources, coordinate productive activities and conduct exchanges.

The doctrine of Islamic economics is simplistic, incoherent and largely irrelevant to present economic challenges…. The real purpose of Islamic economics has not been economic improvement but cultivation of a distinct Islamic identity to resist cultural globalization.

Democratic rights develop when the ruled demand them and have the means to prevail.