For decades, the causes of underdevelopment have often been summed up in a familiar trio: ignorance, disease and poverty. Many countries continue to suffer from these afflictions, exacerbated by civil conflicts, historical burdens, inequality and mismanagement. Yet, these conditions are not the root of underdevelopment; they are merely symptoms of deeper structural failings. After careful reflection on regions marked by persistent injustice and inequality, it becomes clear that the real drivers of underdevelopment lie in a more complex trinity: religion, politics and culture.
Religion, in its broadest sense, plays a powerful role in shaping societies. Sacred texts are timeless, but human interpretations of these texts have shifted across centuries, often shaped by political ambitions and sectarian interests. What began as a message to elevate human dignity and serve the greater good has, in many cases, been repurposed to serve individual or group agendas.
For most Muslims, for example, it is believed that the sacred text was completed during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. However, only a small portion of the text deals directly with practical matters of daily life, leaving space for reason and interpretation to guide the ongoing development of society. Key aspects of modern governance and legal systems were never explicitly detailed, precisely because they were intended to evolve with time. Yet, historical events and conflicts have often been elevated to the status of religious truth, trapping contemporary societies in disputes that belong to a bygone era.
This is evident today in the increasing popularity of historical dramas that revive figures and conflicts from early Islamic history, often presented through sectarian lenses. Rather than contributing to a richer understanding of the present or future, such productions risk anchoring public consciousness to centuries-old rivalries, distracting from today’s urgent challenges of development, justice and human dignity.
The same applies to political thought. At its core, politics should aim to liberate societies from the burdens of the past, drawing on shared human values to build inclusive, just and stable communities. Instead, in many cases, politics remains trapped within sectarian boundaries, serving the interests of dominant groups and fuelling division. Rather than striving for equality and shared citizenship, political systems frequently prioritise narrow identities, often justified by demographic, historical or material considerations. When politics becomes intertwined with religion in this way, it not only narrows political discourse but also distorts the religion itself, further fuelling the cycle of underdevelopment.
Culture, too, plays a decisive role. Ideally, culture should serve as an independent space for critical reflection, challenging outdated religious interpretations and divisive political narratives. Culture has the capacity to foster a broader, human-centred discourse that transcends past conflicts and moves towards building a more inclusive present. However, when cultural voices become entangled in personal interests or seek fame through allegiance to sectarian identities, they cease to act as a force for progress. Instead of guiding societies forward, they become yet another tool reinforcing the very divisions that hold them back.
In such an environment, the roles of religion, politics and culture become inseparable from the mechanisms of underdevelopment.
When religious thought is reduced to the conflicts of the past, when politics is bound by sectarian loyalties, and when culture serves narrow interests rather than universal values, societies inevitably find themselves locked in cycles of ignorance, disease and poverty.
The real challenge for any society lies not merely in tackling these outward symptoms but in addressing the deeper structures that sustain them.
Only by rethinking the interplay of religion, politics and culture — and restoring each to a role that serves human dignity and collective progress — can societies hope to break free from the patterns of underdevelopment that have defined much of their modern history.
The writer focuses on reconciliation and understanding, and is the author of The Jurisprudence of Extremism
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
The original version of the article appeared in Arabic in Oman Arabic on March 5, 2025.
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