How Islamic are Islamic Countries?

Does identifying as an Islamic country necessarily mean that a nation's policies reflect Islamic principles? This research paper investigates that question through an empirical comparison of countries, examining the relationship between religious teachings and measurable economic, political, legal, and social practices.

About the Book

How Islamic are Islamic Countries? by Scheherazade S. Rehman and Hossein Askari is a research paper published in the Global Economy Journal in 2010.

The study examines whether countries commonly identified as Islamic actually implement policies consistent with principles derived from Islamic teachings.

The authors begin by considering the complex relationship between religion and economic, political, and social behavior.

They observe that researchers disagree about whether religious commitment shapes national institutions or whether political and economic conditions influence religious behavior.

Before investigating these relationships, the authors propose a more fundamental question: how closely do national policies correspond to Islamic principles?

Their analysis considers countries associated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference, while also including non-Muslim-majority countries in the wider comparison.

The research proceeds in two stages.

First, the authors identify characteristics they believe should define an Islamic society, drawing upon the Qurʾān and the teachings and practices of Prophet Muḥammad.

Second, they develop an empirical measurement system called the IslamicityIndex, or I2.

This index evaluates 208 countries according to their adherence to selected principles associated with Islam.

The methodology uses four principal areas of assessment: economics, legal institutions and governance, human and political rights, and international relations.

This approach distinguishes religious identification from measurable institutional performance.

The authors' framework is interpretive, since the selection and measurement of Islamic principles depend upon their methodological judgments.

Nevertheless, the paper offers a structured attempt to examine religious ideals through comparative national data.

What You Will Discover

• The distinction between Islamic identity and policy performance.
• The relationship between religion and national institutions.
• Principles derived from the Qurʾān and Prophetic teachings.
• The development of the IslamicityIndex.
• A comparative assessment involving 208 countries.
• Measurements concerning economics, governance, rights, and international relations.

Who Is This Book For?

This paper is suitable for economists, political scientists, researchers in Islamic studies, and students of comparative governance. It is particularly valuable for examining attempts to measure the relationship between religious principles and national institutional performance.