ICRCG2018 International Conference on Religion, Culture and Governance In The Contemporary World

Development is a matter of growth as well as continuity and it consists of four dimensions: improving quality, capability, equality, and institutions to create stability in human life (Hasan, 2012). The availability of human, material, political and technological resources are essential for development in the modern era. Underdevelopment on the other hand, is not just failure to develop, but rather a created condition of active process of impoverishment (Frank, 1995). But there are debates on identifying factors that promote development or impoverishment, focusing on certain issues such as role of religion, culture and governance of a particular society. While some analysts argue that religion and culture and in particular Islam and its norms and values (Shariah) are antithetical to development considered standard today, Muslims are still relatively poor, whether the comparison is done to the world-wide standards of living at the individual or national level. Muslim majority countries (MMCs) in the world have relatively low levels of economic development as measured by the per capita GDP (Kuran, 2004). For these analysts, underdevelopment in MMCs lead to unrest and the rise of extremism in these countries. In contrast, some economic analyses “provide no support for the notion that Islam is a drag on growth” and these studies in fact “reinforce the notion that the impact of Islam is positive” for economic development and growth (Noland, 2005:122). Other analysists argue that the failure in the development and growth of Muslim majority countries is “not for religion but for the failure of government in promoting values of good governance, and implementing strategies of development by motivating the Believers to convert their narrow personal and political interests to public interest (masalih al-mursalah) (chopra, 1993; Hasan, 2012). They further argued that the absence of an Islamic vision and path to development that include simple living, sense of belonging, well-being for all, concerns for others, human solidarity, and sharing (within and among the communities) are the main causes of impoverishment and instability in the Muslim societies. According to Pryor (2007: 1823), the systems retarding human and economic development in Muslim countries appear to be the results of economic, political and social forces unrelated to the religion. Another group of analysts (Evan, 1995; Gran, 2004; Bertsch et al. 1978) argued that underdevelopment, which acts as a catalyst in yielding unrest and radicalism in MMCS, has its roots in economic and political institutions introduced or reinforced by their colonial masters in poor countries, including Muslim countries in Africa and Asia. Most countries in the Muslim world which lack human rights, good governance, democratic political institutions and process – all have colonial legacies (Armstrong, 2002:133).

However, emphasis on development following the example of the Western capitalist models and excluding religion and ignoring indigenous characteristics of traditional societies such as their culture, socio-economic and political realities and administrative cultures has produced varied reactions in MMCs. Such reactions include widespread social alienation and accelerated unhappiness, promotion of restless competition rather than cooperation and environmental imbalances alarmingly threatening symbiotic relationships between humans and nature. All these realities raise some unavoidable questions and debates that need to be properly addressed both from theoretical and practical perspectives. This also warrants a serious academic attention to address the problem of development or impoverishment in the developing countries in general and Muslim countries in particular. A refocused attention at the philosophy of development and modernization in light with the role of religion, culture and value-laden governance system and their impacts on human life and society, politics, administration and governance in the globalized and technology-driven world is an important endeavor to undertake. As expected, such an undertaking involves looking into the issues from multidimensional and multidisciplinary perspectives. Thus the main objective of this international conference is to bring researchers, academics and practitioners together who are actively engaged both in theoretical and practical aspects of religion, culture and governance and encourage them to submit their original research papers for consideration in the conference. Another objective of this conference is to organize a “Research Colloquium”, inviting in particular graduate/ postgraduate students to present their research findings.