Ahmet T. Kuru: ISLAM, AUTHORITARIANISM AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT

Cengiz Günay in conversation with Ahmet T. Kuru





ISLAM, AUTHORITARIANISM AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT


A Global and Historical Comparison





Why are Muslim-majority countries often associated with
authoritarianism and underdevelopment? Ahmet T.
Kuru delves into this question, challenging conventional
explanations and uncovering fascinating historical insights.


Kuru argues that the roots of today’s challenges lie not in Islam
itself nor in Western colonialism, but in a pivotal shift during
the 11th century. The alliance between orthodox Islamic scholars
(ulema) and military rulers marginalized intellectuals and
economic innovators, stifling creativity and progress—a legacy
that still shapes politics and development in Muslim societies.





Ahmet T. Kuru, Director of the Center for
Islamic and Arabic Studies and Professor of Political Science at
San Diego State University. Kuru is the author of Secularism and
State Policies toward Religion: The United States, France, and
Turkey (Cambridge University Press, 2009). He is also the
co-editor (with Alfred Stepan) of Democracy, Islam, and
Secularism in Turkey (Columbia University Press,
2012).  His recent book, Islam, Authoritarianism, and
Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison (Cambridge
University Press, 2019) won academic awards and was included in
Times Literary Supplement’s Books of the Year. It has been
translated into thirteen languages, most recently into German by
Springer VS.


 


Cengiz Günay, Director of the Austrian Institute
for International Affairs (oiip), lecturer at the University of
Vienna. His research focuses on Turkey and the MENA region,
author of The History of Turkey and From Islamists to Muslim
Democrats?