ICTs and poverty alleviation in Muslim societies

Poverty remains amongst the most important challenges facing Muslim countries today. Although poverty is a relative concept, in economics, it is measured as the income required to meet an individual´s basic needs. On average, a Muslim earns about US$2000 per annum or less than half of the world average. Almost one third of Muslims live on less than US$2 a day reflecting the extent of deprivation and the state of underdevelopment in Muslim societies. Poverty is a product of man´s failure to allocate resources in an equitable manner. Unlike Western modernity, economic development in Islam promotes equity through sharing of resources and providing equal opportunity to participate in development. To this end, poverty is due to the failure of macroeconomic policies, market imperfections, inequalities as well as an inability of Muslim governments to enhance productivity. This paper examines the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on poverty alleviation in Muslim countries. Empowering nations with ICTs could increase productivity, promote human development, create knowledge, disseminate information and reduce poverty. The paper highlights the importance of building ICT capacity for both promoting human development and enhancing capabilities of people to participate in the economy.