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ref:In Pakistan, Islamic banking is a fast-growing trend - The Washington Post
Salaam.....
Islamic banking is a fast-growing trend in Pakistan
Pamela Constable, Published: April 30
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan When it comes to money, Pakistan has a troubled image. Its business establishment is known for chronic tax evasion and loan defaults, and many of its politicians have been implicated in corruption scandals that exposed their cozy relations with bankers and bureaucrats.
But Islam, the national religion, offers an alternative form of financing that claims to be both more ethical and more equitable. Islamic banking represents only 8 percent of banking activity nationwide, but it is a fast-growing trend that appeals to many Pakistanis who want to be financially successful but also religiously correct.
.Business experts say the burgeoning popularity of Pakistans Islamic banks where deposits have gone from about $3 billion to nearly $4 billion in the past year reflects both a reaction to the turmoil afflicting Western financial systems in recent years and a surge of religious feeling in an overwhelmingly Muslim society in which many people believe their faith is under assault from the West.
Islamic banks have existed on the fringes of the banking industry for many years, but the global financial crisis has brought them into the limelight, said a recent report in the Business Recorder, Pakistans daily financial newspaper. Today, it said, Islamic banking is in fashion and has earned a shine that continues to attract funds.
Meezan Bank, the largest of a half-dozen Islamic banks in Pakistan, draws Muslim consumers to its 54 branches by promising the best of both worlds. Its brochures advertise quick car loans that are halal, or in accordance with religious rules, and new-home mortgages that are riba-free, meaning that no interest is charged.
Interest is a curse that must be eliminated from society, said Irfan Zulqernain, a Meezan officer who has an MBA and a vision of Islam as a socially transformative force. We dont treat money as a commodity, which just makes a few people richer and everyone else poorer. Our way generates economic activity and spreads money throughout society.
Islamic finance is based on a system of asset leasing and partnerships rather than outright moneylending, which Islam bans. The bank is allowed to turn a profit, but it does so by charging extra fees rather than interest a distinction that critics say is virtually meaningless and intended solely to make Muslim customers think they are doing the right thing.
Religion as selling point
Banks are not the only businesses to capitalize on the new religious mood among consumers. More and more products are labeled halal even when there is no religious blessing involved. At a leading bookstore here in the capital, one of the hottest-selling items is a digitalized miniature version of the Koran that sells for $80.
This is a precious object for us, and now it as easy to use as a mobile phone. You can just press a button and listen to any verse, said Samira Imran, a customer who was buying one for her mother. Our parents like to recite the Koran all the time, but this is a way to connect the new generation as well.
Salaam.....
Islamic banking is a fast-growing trend in Pakistan
Pamela Constable, Published: April 30
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan When it comes to money, Pakistan has a troubled image. Its business establishment is known for chronic tax evasion and loan defaults, and many of its politicians have been implicated in corruption scandals that exposed their cozy relations with bankers and bureaucrats.
But Islam, the national religion, offers an alternative form of financing that claims to be both more ethical and more equitable. Islamic banking represents only 8 percent of banking activity nationwide, but it is a fast-growing trend that appeals to many Pakistanis who want to be financially successful but also religiously correct.
.Business experts say the burgeoning popularity of Pakistans Islamic banks where deposits have gone from about $3 billion to nearly $4 billion in the past year reflects both a reaction to the turmoil afflicting Western financial systems in recent years and a surge of religious feeling in an overwhelmingly Muslim society in which many people believe their faith is under assault from the West.
Islamic banks have existed on the fringes of the banking industry for many years, but the global financial crisis has brought them into the limelight, said a recent report in the Business Recorder, Pakistans daily financial newspaper. Today, it said, Islamic banking is in fashion and has earned a shine that continues to attract funds.
Meezan Bank, the largest of a half-dozen Islamic banks in Pakistan, draws Muslim consumers to its 54 branches by promising the best of both worlds. Its brochures advertise quick car loans that are halal, or in accordance with religious rules, and new-home mortgages that are riba-free, meaning that no interest is charged.
Interest is a curse that must be eliminated from society, said Irfan Zulqernain, a Meezan officer who has an MBA and a vision of Islam as a socially transformative force. We dont treat money as a commodity, which just makes a few people richer and everyone else poorer. Our way generates economic activity and spreads money throughout society.
Islamic finance is based on a system of asset leasing and partnerships rather than outright moneylending, which Islam bans. The bank is allowed to turn a profit, but it does so by charging extra fees rather than interest a distinction that critics say is virtually meaningless and intended solely to make Muslim customers think they are doing the right thing.
Religion as selling point
Banks are not the only businesses to capitalize on the new religious mood among consumers. More and more products are labeled halal even when there is no religious blessing involved. At a leading bookstore here in the capital, one of the hottest-selling items is a digitalized miniature version of the Koran that sells for $80.
This is a precious object for us, and now it as easy to use as a mobile phone. You can just press a button and listen to any verse, said Samira Imran, a customer who was buying one for her mother. Our parents like to recite the Koran all the time, but this is a way to connect the new generation as well.
