The Ilham Winter 2010

13THE ILHAM A Journal of Contemporary Digital Policy Today, the region is not growing technologically as quickly as the rest of the world, and engagement with other cultures is often curtailed by government edict or religious decree. Today, the region is still boundary bound. Allegiance to one’s tribe is still a strong force within the region.And innovation and entrepreneurship have failed to keep pace with the technological advances seen in the West. There are no factories,few centers of global trade,few stock markets and little encouragement for entrepreneurs to introduce their innovations to the world.This, despite the fact that Islamic law encourages innovation and business development.There are numerous contractual“templates” available to Muslim entrepreneurs in religious doctrine and cultural mores.The merchant class has an esteemed place in Muslim history,yet the growth of this class stagnates as the rest of the world moves forward at a quickening pace. Muslim history is one of engagement with other cultures.Trading outposts extended from Europe to Asia at the height of the Muslim Empire.This commerce was robust, expansive and based on contract – even if that contract was a simple handshake.The terms of commercial engagement with the Middle East were known beyond the empire’s borders. So, commercial enterprise is a part of Muslim history.There are numerous references to business best practices in Muslim religious writings (standard contracts and open engagement with others being some of those best practices) and Middle Eastern cultures have a long, proud tradition of commercial enterprise. Yet,today,the region is not growing technologically as quickly as the rest of the world,and engagement with other cultures is often curtailed by government edict or religious decree.The result?The slow growth of any kind of manufacturing base in the Near and Middle East region.There are few true industrial cities in the Muslim world.There are no computer or electronics companies.There are few manufacturing plants,even in countries with close ties to theWest. So,despite the acceptance of entrepreneurship and the encouragement of innovation in Muslim religious texts and within the cultural fabric of the region,the Middle East continues to lag behind the rest of the world in technological development.As long as this trend continues,the region will only grow more reliant on revenues derived from natural resources like oil and natural gas.