Islam vs Capitalism: Will it work?

Lots of people believe that Gaza and the West Bank are nothing more than concentration camps, keeping millions of hungry, weak, diseased and besotten refugees in squalor and filth, and it is, of course all due to those evil Jews and America.  Nonsense.  That is liberal/Islamic propaganda designed to demonize Israel and create a false victim class.  Here are a few points I would like to make, see the entire article here.

Read it all.

“Oh those poor Palestinians and their plight in the worlds largest concentration camp” has been the rallying cry of the left for years.  Always the victim of the nakba, or catastrophe, the Palestinians, we are told are suffering greatly, all due to those evil Israelis and their handlers, America.  Stacy Perman, writing for Time magazine(Oct 10) and Christopher Hitchens, writing in The Mail on Sunday(Oct 11) would seem to contradict what has been the dominate propaganda in the media.

   As of today, Gaza and the West Bank are enjoying economic growth unseen in western countries for almost two years.  All manner of upscale appearance abounds: gleaming villas on the hillsides, new car dealerships rivaling anything in Beverly Hills, new multi-story shopping centers carrying name-brand products and wouldn’t you know, there are lattes available to go with your workout in the new high-tech gym.

   Ms. Perman in Time notes that “Multistory villas fronted by ornamental porticos and columns are rising on Ramallah’s hilltops along with glass and marble office buildings.”  Time reports the West Bank needs more new cars “Outside Nablus, new car dealerships sell everything from BMWs to Hyundais.”  One will also find “…the first movie house to open in 20 years, Cinema City, is hugely popular.”  Outside Jenin, a place once reported to be as much the prison as anywhere, now has “…the Hirbawi Home Center, a five-story shopping mall selling luxury items like plasma TVs…”

   What happened?  Where did the barbed wire, guard towers, growling dogs and armed guards go?  How could this happen in the worlds biggest refugee camp?  One man: Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, an American-educated economist.

   Fayyad has moved the PA away from foreign-donor aid, instead focusing on programs that attracts direct investments which in turn have spurred private-sector growth.  So much so that the IMF predicts an 8% growth rate in 2010.  How many “concentration camps” have an economy which shows an 8% growth rate?

   Fayyad has improved security, sweeping the streets of rogue militants, which has eased the movement of people and goods. Israel has responded by dismantling numerous checkpoints that also inhibited commerce and the free movement of goods, thus increasing the growth rate.  One of the greatest improvements came in the form of loans to the small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) that are the backbone of the Palestinian economy. These SME’s make up roughly 95% of enterprises, 84% of the private sector and 55% of the GDP.  President Obama, are you listening?

    Christopher Hitchens also sees the improvements for the refugees, saying “It is lunchtime in the world’s biggest prison camp, and I am enjoying a rather good caffe latte in an elegant beachfront cafe. Later I will visit the sparkling new Gaza Mall, and then eat an excellent beef stroganoff in an elegant restaurant.”  He goes on to observe “Can anyone think of a siege in human history, from Syracuse to Leningrad, where the shops of the besieged city have been full of Snickers bars and Chinese motorbikes, and where European Union and other foreign aid projects pour streams of cash (often yours) into the pockets of thousands?”  One cannot, and that is the lesson we need to learn was we hear about the plight of the refugees.

   There are many reasons why the refugees have suffered for the last 60+ years, most notably the selfishness of their leaders.  There are many complaints of how Hamas is turning more towards sharia and fundamental Islam and away from the more humanistic pursuits.  There is still much corruption within the governments, and the growing middle class is being caught between secular capitalism and theological leadership wanting nothing to do with western values.  Giving the people of the camps hope in the form of capitalism, allowing them to be their own boss and providing an atmosphere of co-operation and growth between Israel and themselves can bring about peace.  Even if it is merely a beginning peace between bank accounts, it is a good place to be.

A new, multi-story mall in Nablus