Business in Islam

There are many different things to consider when doing business with Islamic countries.  There are a lot of differences as unlike the United States there is not a separation of church and state (Lesson 7).  Knowing that they follow the Qur’an as law means that the way they do business is different than the way we in the US are used to.  In Islamic countries their religion is as much law as it is religion, but it is also important to remember that not all areas interpret it the same (Moran, 2014).  There are several reasons as to why it is important to understand these differences of culture when doing business with Islamic countries.

One of things that is different is that they do not accept or charge interest (Moran, 2014).  This to me is something that is very different as I work in a bank and that is such a common question as to why people want to invest their money or get their loans from our place of work.  I think that considering this it would make less competition for such jobs as the one that I have.  I think that would lead to a lot more compassion which is something else that is big in Islam, you do not go after someone when they are down (Lagace, 2002).  I think that is something that if we in the US followed a little more would be us farther in the long run, it is also something that is important to remember when doing business with them as those that do business in the US can be ruthless.

Another thing that really makes you realize the difference of the culture would be that speaking English is a symbol of status (Lagace, 2002).  Those that do business have went to school in English speaking countries and take those that are trying to speak to them in Arabic as an insult to their abilities to speak English (Lagace, 2002).  This is something that one would know if they observe the culture and seek to understand what it is that they as a culture find important.  That just goes to show you how important it is to understand those that you are doing business and what is important to them to accomplish what one sets out to do.

I think that it is also important to remember how stereotyping can affect how different cultures are thought to be and how they really are.  Especially when it comes to Muslims, so much of the world has them stereotyped as terrorists due to most people only having exposure to Islam was from September 11, 2001 in New York City (Lesson 7).  This stereotype is just that, a stereotype as those that are truly following the Qur’an lead a peaceful life.  The thing with this is that people look at a known event and use that information when in the end it is actually atypical (Lesson 7).  This is something that is important to remember especially in the Muslim community as there are several different areas that all interpret the Qur’an differently and therefore knowing one area does not mean that you know them all (Lesson 7).  This is important to remember when doing business with any area as every are around the world will have its own take on how they feel things should be done.

I think that it is important to remember that all people are different and that one should always show respect and a desire to learn what type of culture that you are dealing with.  There is always more to doing business with other countries than just going in there and thinking that you know who you are talking to and what it is that they want.  There are so many different aspects to all cultures and it is important to remember that one must take time and work to understand them and what it is that they are looking for.

 

Resources

Lagace, M. (2002, February 4). How To Do Business in Islamic Countries. Retrieved from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/how-to-do-business-in-islamic-countries.

Lesson 7: The Middle East: Focus on Saudi Arabia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/canvas/sp20/22011–17869/content/07_lesson/printlesson.html.

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. London: Routledge.