Article Analysis Essay on Development Under the Threat of War in the Arab World

After reading the article Development Under the Threat of War in the Arab World written by Kadri and initially published in the Viewpoint Magazine, colonialism and neo-colonialism is a significant issue in the world both in Africa and the Middle East Muslim Majority Countries. I observe that many states have stagnated for a long time regarding human development. Although the European nations have provided a helping hand, their influence has led to colonization through imperialism and capitalism (Kadri, 2018).

A Relationship of the Observations with Applicable Theories

The European countries have intervened through foreign institutions to spur human development that can translate to economic growth. However, their efforts have instead led to exploitation of the Muslim Majority Countries hence assuming some form of slavery (Hasan, 2012). According to the world systems theory, the European countries create the development of the underdeveloped in the Arab world thus killing human development. The rise of underdevelopment comes about since adequate policies are not formulated by European nations to help understand the country`s political and socio-economic history. The source of the underdevelopment scenario is as a result of the European countries serving own interests when they offer help in MMCs. The fact that the nations have stagnated means that the human development in those countries is low. Furthermore, it indicates there are high gender inequality index and low gender empowerment. Thus, the surge in poverty in Muslim majority nations does not seem to eliminate the ideologies of the grievance theory that were prevalent during the colonial era (Hasan, 2012).

My Review of the Issue

Human development is essential in any economy. Although the geographical realism theory bases its argument about development to the physical position of a nation, the Arab countries need to focus much on their political structures and relationships. In the bid to realize a better economy through economic realism, social and political relationships play a huge role in determining the developmental fate of Arab countries. The interaction between states at various levels is helpful, and the cooperation between European nations is revolutionary provided that these European countries do not go to the Arab world to seek wealth, hegemony and spiritual conversion (Hasan, 2012). As such, Arab countries are in a position to spur human development through the growth model if the political institutions are firm to stop European colonial influence (Niblock, 2015).

References

Hasan, S. (2012). European Colonization and the Muslim Majority Countries: Antecedents, Approaches, and Impacts. In The Muslim World in the 21st Century (pp. 133-157). Springer, Dordrecht.

Kadri, A. (2018). Development in the Shadow of Imperialism. In The Cordon Sanitaire (pp. 73-109). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Niblock, T. (Ed.). (2015). Social and economic development in the Arab Gulf (RLE economy of Middle East). Routledge.