nep-ara New Economics Papers
on Arab World
Issue of 2009‒03‒07
two papers chosen by
Quentin Wodon
World Bank

  1. Finance and Growth: The Role of Islamic Contracts By Ismail, Abdul Ghafar; Tohirin, Achmad
  2. Ottoman De-Industrialization 1800-1913: Assessing the Shock, Its Impact and the Response By Sevket Pamuk; Jeffrey G. Williamson

  1. By: Ismail, Abdul Ghafar; Tohirin, Achmad
    Abstract: Although, Islamic law has been in existence for more than fourteen hundred years, but its implementation have been subjected to the willingness of the rulers in the passage of history and civilization. Although, the study on financial contracts has been extensively reviewed, the role of Islamic contracts is not highlighted, except those in the historical institutional and contract theory literatures. The study that link finance and growth takes many dimensions. One of the dimensions is law and finance view. In the beginning, the studies that link the former only look at the finance variables and economic variables. Further development analyses the relationship at the system level, i.e. discussion whether bank-based vs. market-based matters on growth. Islamic finance comes up with its distinctive contracts and products of profit-loss sharing. It may give different character and notion in the financial system in particular and in the economic system in general. This paper is aimed at discussing Islamic laws which are relevant to finance. Most importantly the aspect of contracts as foundation for the distinctive Islamic financial products, i.e. the one resembling profit-loss sharing nature containing cooperative spirit, will be analysed to establish a strong connection with financial stability as pre-requisite to achieve the economic growth.
    Keywords: Islamic law; finance; profit-loss sharing
    JEL: K2 G2 K4
    Date: 2009–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:13744&r=ara
  2. By: Sevket Pamuk; Jeffrey G. Williamson
    Abstract: India and Britain were much bigger players in the 18th century world market for textiles than was Egypt, the Levant and the core of the Ottoman Empire, but these eastern Mediterranean regions did export carpets, silks and other textiles to Europe and the East. By the middle of the 19th century, they had lost most of their export market and much of their domestic market to globalization forces and rapid productivity growth in European manufacturing. Other local industries also suffered decline, and these regions underwent de-industrialization as a consequence. How different was Ottoman experience from the rest of the poor periphery? Was de-industrialization more or less pronounced? Was the terms of trade shock bigger or smaller? How much of Ottoman de-industrialization was due to falling world trade barriers -- ocean transport revolutions and European liberal trade policy, how much due to factory-based productivity advance in Europe, how much to declining Ottoman competitiveness in manufacturing, how much to Ottoman railroads penetrating the interior, and how much to Ottoman policy? The paper uses a price-dual approach to seek the answers. It documents trends in export and import prices, relative to each other and to non-tradables, as well as to the unskilled wage. The impact of globalization, European productivity advance, Ottoman wage costs and policy are assessed by using a simple neo-Ricardian three sector model, and by comparison with what was taking place in the rest of the poor periphery.
    JEL: F1 N7 O2
    Date: 2009–03
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14763&r=ara

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