Does religion help or hinder progress? A tale of two states |
Is religion a force for national development, or does it stand in the way of progress? This question continues to divide public discourse across continents. Some see religion as the bedrock of moral order and social cohesion, while others view it as an anchor that drags societies away from science, freedom and innovation. The truth lies somewhere in between — but much depends on how religion is interpreted, institutionalised and made to interact with modern statecraft.
To understand this complex dynamic, a comparison between Israel and Pakistan — both created in the mid-20th century on religious identity — proves instructive. While both nations declared religion central to their national purpose, their contrasting developmental paths offer a compelling case study in how religion can either coexist with progress or become entangled in paralysing contradictions and unresolved paradoxes.
Israel defines itself as a "Jewish state". But that identity is not theocratic in nature. Its founders were largely secular Zionists who envisioned a homeland where Jews........