Economic fundamentalism facilitator of pandemics and their economic consequences : the way out in Islam

الملخص EN

The current market-driven international system of affairs is neither health-friendly nor conducive of holistic peace.

It commercializes not only the human needs but also the human susceptibilities.

COVID-19 pandemic is only one of several big killers caused by viruses in the last 100-120 years; the others being Swine Flu, HIV/AIDS, HPV, Rabies and Hepatitis B.

The factors responsible for these include, among others, sexual malpractices, alcohol, drugs, and consumption of wild animals like penguins, snakes, and bats.

Obviously, these and other harmful practices have been prohibited in Islam.

But each one of them is a big business today.

Moreover, the economic disaster which followed the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic can also be attributed to huge economic inequality on one hand, and the failure of the countries of different governments and the international agencies to take early corrective measures on the other.

Islamic economics, if applied in its totality, can safeguard against the rise of similar killer diseases in future, as well as in confronting the economic disasters, which normally follow the natural disasters and pandemics.

Experts, especially Islamic economists, need to know that Islamic economics is not just about Islamic finance and banking, but has much larger ambit.

COVID-19 has provided a wonderful opportunity to advance the Islamic philosophies of health and economics through researches and social campaigns at the international level