Democracy has become a global aspiration, yet it remains elusive in much of the Muslim world. According to the 2024 Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, only 4.0 per cent of the 50 Muslim-majority countries – namely Indonesia (7.03) and Malaysia (7.24) – qualify as flawed democracies, with scores above 6.0. In contrast, approximately 65 per cent of the 93 non-Muslim Global South countries are classified as flawed or full democracies, with an average score of around 5.8 compared to 3.5 for Muslim-majority states.
This stark disparity is not a coincidence but a product of history, economics, and the manipulation of religion for political control. While Islam as a faith is not inherently anti-democratic, the entanglement of power, faith and external influence has stifled democratic progress in many Muslim-majority nations.
A key consequence is the stagnation of scientific innovation, as breakthroughs in science thrive in environments that foster open inquiry, critical thinking, and inclusive participation. Despite comprising nearly a quarter of the global population – approximately 1.9 billion people – the Muslim world has produced remarkably few globally recognized scientists over the past three centuries, a stark reflection of the barriers imposed by restrictive cultural and religious norms. Empowering women and embracing intellectual freedom are essential to unlocking the immense potential of these societies and driving transformative contributions to human knowledge.
Pakistan stands at a precipice, its future hanging by a thread woven of crises – economic, political, and social. To chart a way forward, its intelligentsia must look to history’s great turning points, the Renaissance and Reformation, not as distant European relics but as mirrors reflecting the power of ideas to reshape nations.
These eras, spanning the 14th to 17th centuries, were not just about art or religion; they were about dismantling rotten systems and unleashing human potential. Pakistan, mired in mediocrity and elite capture, needs this lesson now more than ever.
And let’s bury the lazy lie that nations like the UK owe their greatness to colonialism – a myth that distorts history and chains Pakistan to a victim’s mindset.
The Renaissance was a rebellion of the mind. Born in Italy’s city-states, it revived classical learning, placing human potential above dogma. Thinkers like Erasmus challenged the Church’s stranglehold on truth, while Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo turned art into a language of possibility. The printing press, Gutenberg’s revolution, flooded Europe with books, making knowledge a public good. Literacy surged, and with it, science – Copernicus upended the cosmos, proving the Earth wasn’t the universe’s centre.
This wasn’t about wealth; it was about courage to question. The Renaissance gave birth to modern science, universities and secular governance, setting Europe on a path to progress by trusting in ideas rather than tradition.
The Reformation, sparked by Martin Luther in 1517, was a dagger to the heart of a corrupt Catholic Church. His 95 Theses exposed indulgences – salvation sold like market goods – as a scam. Luther and later Calvin demanded faith rooted in scripture, not papal greed.
The result? A fractured Christendom, with Protestantism giving voice to the individual. People learned to read to understand the Bible, which drove literacy and local governance. Yes, it sparked wars, such as the Thirty Years’ War, but it also compelled Europe to grapple with pluralism, laying the groundwork for modern democracy. The Reformation wasn’t just a religious movement; it was a social earthquake, showing that challenging power can reshape nations.
The impact of these eras was profound. The Renaissance gave Europe the intellectual tools to question, innovate, and govern. It fueled the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution, with figures like Newton building on its foundations. The Reformation decentralised authority, empowered individuals and made literacy a tool of liberation. Together, they transformed Europe from a feudal swamp into a crucible of progress. They weren’t perfect – conflict and exclusion persisted – but they demonstrated that societies advance by investing in people and ideas, rather than by clinging to power and maintaining the status quo.
Now, let’s torch the colonial myth. Some claim the UK’s rise – its industry, its global reach – came from looting colonies. This is half-truth dressed as gospel. Colonialism brought wealth, no doubt – Indian textiles, African gold, Caribbean sugar. But to say it was the engine of progress is to ignore the deeper roots. The UK’s parliamentary system, its scientific advances, and its universities were not born in Calcutta or Lagos.
Consider this: Oxford University, founded in 1096, and Cambridge, established in 1209, were already thriving centres of learning centuries before the British Empire’s colonial ventures. These institutions, nurtured by the Renaissance’s spirit of inquiry and the Reformation’s push for individual thought, had been debating ideas and producing scholars long before colonial wealth began to flow in.
Newton’s laws didn’t need colonial ships to sail; the steam engine, the industrial revolution’s heart, was a product of intellectual capital, not just stolen riches. Crediting colonialism alone is lazy – it erases the centuries of internal transformation that made such wealth exploitable. Worse, it traps nations like Pakistan in a narrative of victimhood, implying progress comes from plunder, not people.
Pakistan’s intelligentsia must reject this myth and embrace the Renaissance-Reformation playbook. Our nation, with nearly 50 per cent literacy and half its population below the poverty line, echoes Europe’s pre-Renaissance stagnation. The Renaissance teaches us to invest in education, not as a luxury but as a weapon. Pakistan’s schools churn out rote learners, not thinkers. Build curricula that spark debate, science and creativity, as Gutenberg’s press did. The Reformation demands we confront dogma – religious, political, military.
Pakistan’s elite, like the old Church, hoard power while the people suffer. Decentralise governance; empower provinces and local bodies to break this stranglehold. Embrace pluralism – Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadis and Christians are not threats but assets. Utilise technology, with 80 million internet users, to disseminate ideas and combat ignorance, just as the printing press did.
Our cultural heritage – Mughal art, Sufi poetry, Indus Valley relics – cries for a renaissance. Celebrate it, not to glorify the past but to inspire the future. The colonial narrative says progress is external, stolen. History says otherwise: it’s internal, earned. Pakistan’s crises – economic fragility, sectarian strife, elite capture – are not unique. They’re the same shackles Europe broke centuries ago. Our intelligentsia must lead, not lament. Question power, educate the people and unleash the potential of our people. The Renaissance and Reformation weren’t miracles; they were choices. We must make ours.
The writer is former head of Citigroup’s emerging markets investments and author of ‘The Gathering Storm’.
