November 24, 2009

Contents 21st Century Islam

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Transcending The Dichotomy

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Although Islam is the second largest religion in the world (about1.2 billion followers, 19% of the
world's population), and the fastest growing one (estimated to account for a quarter of the global
population by 2050), it has been receiving tremendous negative publicity since the 9/11 attacks
and has been labeled as a religion of violence and terror. I believe that this negativity stems from
a lack of understanding about the brand’s core values and due to its unidentified and sometimes
conflicting positioning. I hope to analyze in my paper the current perceptions about Islam due to
this positioning, and finally highlight my recommendation on how to build a strong and
sustainable brand. 2

Islam and the Paradox of the Quran

The Literal meaning of Islam is peace and its main message is to worship God to establish a
direct relationship with the Almighty and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and
compassion. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage. 3

The message and principles of Islam are derived from the Holy Quran, the Hadith and the
Shariah (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet Mohammed PBUH- peace and
blessings upon him)4. The Quran has become one of the most ideologically influential and
controversial texts in the world. Muslims believe it to be the word of God, however different
people within the Islamic community interpret this book and practice the Islamic religion very
differently. Why do these differences exist? And how well do Muslims and non-Muslims alike
really understand its key spiritual and ethical messages? 5

The real debate in the Islamic world and amongst Non-Muslim scholars in the west isn’t whether
or not The Quran is “perfect, timeless, and the unchanging word of God” as was mentioned in
Quran; it’s more of a debate about the misinterpretation of the Quran and the selective reading of
1
Most publications by Muslim writers commence with the invocation “Bimillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim”, which
means “in the name of God, most Gracious, most Merciful”.
2
David Van Biema, Islam, Time Magazine
3
Introduction to Islam, islam.com
4
The Quran- also known as the Koran-; is the only sacred text in Islam. Muslims believe that Prophet Mohammed
PBHU- a phrase used regularly by Muslims when mentioning the prophet- received the Quran from God in a series
of visions regularly during his later adult life in a span of 20 years.
The Hadith; refers to the stories and sayings of Mohammed PBUH, his actions and his interaction with his followers
and others.
The Sharia; based primarily on the Quran and the Hadith is identified as “Islamic religious law”. It defines the rules
for good Islamic behavior in addition to governing legal aspects of human activities.
5
Inside the Koran documentary, national Geographic, 2008

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the text. “People combine pieces of verse from the Koran and use it to justify their actions, says
Khouj. "But to understand the full meaning of the verse," he says, "you have to read the one
before it, the one after it, maybe five to six verses to get the full picture."6

Over the past few decades, the Middle East has been a center of political and violent turmoil,
starting from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, the War on Iraq,
Lebanon and Iran. Many parties such as Usama bin Laden and other fanatic terrorists and a few
governments have used Islam to further their own agendas. .

"The Koran is like a big store, a supermarket," says Palestinian peace activist Muhammad
Hurani. In this Book, you are able to pick different answers. You are able to make peace,
according to the Koran. You are able to declare war.... So many different voices come out of the
Koran. Moderate people have their support in verses of the Koran. Radical people have the same
thing." 7

We need to go back to the core values of the Quran and reposition Islam to the way it was during
the golden age of the Islamic civilization, when the Quran stimulated values of freedom,
tolerance, acceptance and inspired a culture of openness that led to tremendous developments in
architecture, mathematics, science and philosophy while, Europe was stuck in its Dark Ages.

Fortunately, Some Muslim intellectuals, such as Tariq Ramadan in United Kingdom and others,
have rejected the literalist approach to interpreting the holly text and are attempting to reposition
Islam to adapt to the current times where the spirit, as opposed to the letter, of Islam. Is
emphasized. Ramadan points to the essence of Islam. “If Islam is a living religion, as Muslims
believe it to be, then its laws and dictums need to evolve and keep up with the contemporary
issues that face Muslims. If Islam is a religion for all times, it needs to have a real and organic
relevance to all times. It needs to be evolutionary and adaptive”.8

Furthermore, The Turkish religious authorities are currently reinterpreting the existing records of
the Prophet Muhammad's PBUH sayings and deeds (Hadith), to discern what they mean in the
contemporary setting. Fadi Hakura, a Turkey expert at Chatham house, described the project as
an attempt to make Turkish Sunni Islam “fully compatible with contemporary social and moral
values”. They see this not as a revolution, but as a return to the original Islam, away from the
excessive conservatism that has stymied all reforms for the last few centauries. Under the
guidance of Ali Bardokoglu, the liberal Islamic scholar who heads the religious directorate and
was appointed by Erdogan, the Ankara theologians are writing a new five-volume “exegesis” of
the Quran, taking the sacred text apart forensically, rooting it in its time and place, and
redefining its message to and relevance for Muslims today. 9

Muslims no longer have to choose between Islam and modernity just as their Muslim ancestors
didn’t have to choose by reviving the practice of “Ijtihad” (interpretation and reasoning based on

6
Islamic scholars interviewed by the TV news show National Geographic the Koran documentary, national
Geographic, 2008
7
Nat Geo, Inside the Koran documentary, national Geographic, 2008
8
Shahram Akbarzadeh, Reinterpreting Islam, Eureka Street publication
9
Ian Tranynor, Turkey Strives for 21st Century form of Islam,, The Guardian, 27 Feb 2008

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the sacred texts) to reinterpret Islam for 21st Century. These sacred texts of the Quran and the
Sunna, which is derived from the Hadith, could be reinterpreted to take account of contemporary
realities and to promote greater peace, justice, and progress within the Muslim world and in its
relations with the rest of the world.10

This notion of interpretation and reasoning was developed by Muslim scholars in order to
understand and apply the message of the Quran to varying societal needs and conditions. Sharia
(Islamic law) is also subject to interpretation to accommodate the changing needs of society. Its
guiding principles were designed to protect the individual and the society, but it was not
established as a set of fixed rules.

Ijtihad which considers the time, place, norms, and prevailing conditions when rendering
religious advice and opinions, should be the core message behind the new Islamic branding
campaign and the following examples should be highlighted to illustrate the use of Ijtihad
throughout the history of Islam, and should be regarded as a justification and a reference point
for further modification in the current Islamic practices, and to maintain the relevancy and
adaptability of Islam throughout time.

1. Fifteen years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, Caliph (successor) Omar ibn-al-Khattab
stopped cutting off the hands of thieves because most of them were stealing out of necessity
due to hunger, poverty, and drought. While this contradicted a verse from the Quran, he
justified his decision by stating that the principles of justice and fairness were supreme.
2. In 2000, councils of Muslim Umas (scholars) in Europe and the United States decreed that it
was permissible for Muslims residing in the West to buy houses with mortgages and to pay
interest on these loans. This contradicted a Quranic teaching against charging and paying
interest, but respected Muslim scholars justified the ruling, arguing that such permission was
necessary for Muslims to meet their financial and social needs in the West.
3. Imam (Islamic leader) Muhammad Ibn Idris al-Shafi’i, one of the founders of Islamic
jurisprudence, gave a certain legal opinion in Baghdad. One year later he moved to Cairo,
and in response to the same question he gave a very different opinion. Someone questioned
him on this contradiction and he replied, “That was in Baghdad and this is in Cairo. That was
last year and this is now.” 11

Since then, Islamic law has become increasingly detached from reality and modernity. Old
interpretations no longer provide suitable answers to the difficult questions facing the Muslim
world such as why women inherit half of what their male counterparts do, why polygamy is
permitted for men in Islam and many more. One of the principal reasons for the failure of
Muslims to reconcile Islam and modernity is that the process of Ijtihad was closed several
centuries ago, and the current Islamic laws have been dictated by religious scholars with myopic
visions and political agendas. However, the sacred texts of Islam need to be interpreted in the
light of contemporary realities and modern knowledge. Faithfulness to the text needs to be
combined with creative imagination to produce the most enlightened reinterpretations that are
suitable for the 21st century.

10
Shahram Akbarzadeh, Reinterpreting Islam, Eureka Street publication
11
Shahram Akbarzadeh, Reinterpreting Islam, Eureka Street publication

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Brand Audit of Islam
Contrary to common beliefs, only 18% of Muslims in the world are Arab; 30% live in the Indian
subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 16% in Indonesia alone and the reminder are
dispersed between North America, Europe and the rest of the word. Followers of Islam share a
single spiritual center Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslim faithful throughout the world face Mecca
during their five daily prayer sessions, and each year two million Muslims from over 70
countries visit the holy city during the hajj, a sacred pilgrimage that represents the religious
experience of a lifetime.12

This misconception that all Muslims are Arabs and that all Arabs are Muslims is mainly due to
the “Overpositioning” of Islam in the Arab world, and potentially alginates many existing and
potential followers of the brand Islam. 13

Islam Target Market

Islam’s target market is divided into two groups; followers and non-followers who interact with
the brand as scholars, media representatives or the masses interested in learning about this
mysterious and sometimes frightening religion.
The followers are further segmented into different groups based on their ethnicity, country of
origin and whether they were born into the religion or converted to it.
1- Arab Muslims: Muslims who were born into the faith and that speak the Arabic
language. They are mainly centered in the Arab world but are not limited to residing in
the MENA region14 to be classified under this header. An important distinction of this
group is its somewhat limited ability to separate cultural norms that date to pre-Islamic
times from religious teaching; they often falsely attribute cultural obligations and
restriction to religious ones.
2- Non-Arab Muslims: Muslims who were born into the faith but do not necessarily speak
the Arabic language even if they are able to read and/or recite the Quran in its natural
language; Arabic. Due to the fact that many non Arab Muslims have only read the Quran
in a foreign language, greatly influences their interpretation of this holy book.
3- Converts: Muslims who were not born into the faith but converted to it after actively
seeking and analyzing other religions or by being exposed to it by other Muslims whom
they respected or admired. Just like the Non-Arab Muslim group, they do not necessarily
speak the Arabic language, which greatly influences their interpretation of this holy book
as well.

12
The Hajj; is an enormous melting pot that gathers believers from over 70 countries and reveals the many faces of
modern Islam. All adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable are expected to make a pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

13
Advanced Marketing / Chapter 4: Brand Equity, http://www.solvay.edu/PDF/cours/advancedmarketing4.pdf
14
MENA; Middle East and North African region.

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It is important to understand Islam’s current perceptions and brand equity in order to highlight its
strengths and weaknesses as a basis for developing a campaign that can leverage these strong
points and minimize the brands shortcomings.

Below is an analysis of Islam’s brand equity according to Aaker’s Model of brand Equity. 15

Aaker’s Model of brand equity

1- Awareness:

As I mentioned earlier in this paper, Islam is the second largest religion in the world
(about1.2 billion followers, 19% of the world's population), and is the fastest growing
one (estimated to account for a quarter of the global population by 2050).

It is the predominant religion in much of Africa, the Middle East and major parts of Asia.
Larger Islamic communities are also found in China, Russia and the Caribbean. About
13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, 31% in the Indian
Subcontinent, and 20% in Arab countries. Converts and immigrant communities are
found in almost every part of the world and are growing through birth and immigration. 16

Islam is also attracting the attention of very unlikely members of its secondary target
market (non-followers). The Pope Benedict XVI went in a matter of months in 2006 from
proclaiming an irreducible gulf between Christianity and Islam to visiting the Blue
mosque in Turkey with white slippers on his feet. He publicly called for Turkey, a secular
state but a Muslim country, to be integrated into the European Union. 17

2- Associations:

There are countless numbers of associations tied to the brand Islam that differ depending
on the target market developing these associations.

Specific worship related Associations

Ninety-nine names of Allah commonly known as “Asmaa Allah Alhusna”, Five Pillars of
Islam (Shahadah- the basic creed or tenant of Islam, prayer, Zakkat, fasting the month of

15
David Aaker , Building Strong Brands,1996
16
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the World Christian Database as of 2007 , Wikipedia
17
Times Magazine, http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1572520,00.html#ixzz0XiVWrrKZ

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 Ramadan, and the Hajj pilgrimage)18, Ablution19 , Hadith, Sunna, Shaia, Hijab/Veil/Scarf,
Mathahib (Islamic schools of interpretation and thought summed up in five school,
Hanafi, Shafii, Hanbali , Malaki and Jafari each predominantly used in different
continents or Islamic countries ),

General Positive Associations

Allah, God, Islamic values, Prophet Mohamed PBUH, different sects, Sunna, Shiaa,
golden ages, Hijra Calendar 20, Eid, Ramadan, Miracles of Quran, Mosques, Muslims,
Islamic honesty, being good to your neighbors, Hallal food21, family unity, Mecca,
Medina and Jerusalem.

Negative Associations

Terrorism, Suicide Bombings, Middle East Conflicts, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, the War
on Iraq, Afghanistan, Jihad, Oppression of Women, Body Mutilation, Saudi Arabia , 9/11
attacks on the World Trade Center, London Bombings in 2005 attacks , the Gulf War,
The war on Terror , Usama Bin Ladin, Hammas, AlQaeda, Sunna vs. Shiaa , Honor
killing, Islamophobia, fundamentalism, Sword of Islam, Polygamy.

3- Other Brand Assets:

Arabic Language, Middle East , Arabs , Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, The virgin Marry ,
Moses , the bible, the torah, Gabriel , Ibrahim and other prophets and messengers.
Oil , Islamic Calendar, Muslim Scholars, Science algebra, astronomy, mathematics, Ibn
Batoota the famous Arabic explorer, prophet Mohammed’s PBUH teachings “seek
knowledge even if in China” , teachings of the wives and apprentices of the prophet
PBUH, Arabic folklore stories such as Ali baba and Alladin, Islamic Financing and
Family Values.

4- Quality:

18
Shahadah- The basic creed or tenant of Islam “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God”.
Prayer- five daily prayers
Zakkat- alms giving is a mandated giving of charity to the poor and the needy by able Muslims based on the
wealth that he or she has accumulated, approximately 2.5% of a person’s wealth yearly
Fasting-Muslins must abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from sun rise to sunset during the holy month
of Ramadan to allow Muslims to seek nearness to God as well as remind them of the needy and the hunger they
suffer through the entire year.
Hajj- a pilgrimage that occurs during the month of Dhu Al-Hijja in the city of Mecca. This is required for all
Muslims who are both physically and financially able to do so at least once in one’s lifetime.
19
A cleansing ritual performed before praying that involves cleaning the face, mouth, feet a, arms and hands.
20
A calendar based on the day Mohammed PBUH migrated from Mecca to Medina in Saudi Arabia , formally
known as Yethreb.
21
Slaughtered according to Islamic Rites, similar to the concept of kosher food.

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 The final book of God, Islamic values, timeless, unchanged, relevant, adaptable,
promotes a healthy way of living and is Written in a poetic Arabic script that can’t be
replicated.

5- Loyalty:

Between 1,300,000,000 – 1,600,000,000 followers all around the world.22

Building a strong Islamic Brand

Religious branding is very tricky, therefore, calculated and thoroughly studied campaigns need to
be implemented to insure that the brand isn’t pushed too far, and to insure that the brand doesn’t
end up becoming a trend or a fad as was the case with Kabala and Scientology. These “New
Age” religions have seeked fame and commerciality like Kabala did with its red string bracelet
and other religious fashion statements. The brand managers of these religions have also gone to
the extent of eliciting celebrity endorsements from celebrities such as Madonna and Tom Cruise.
Unfortunately, these marketing tactics have, made these religions loose part of their essence and
allure and turned them into fads.23 Having said that I believe that the Islamic Brand risks a lot by
not acting fast to salvage whatever brand it has left.

A few of the risks associated with Islam’s current branding are:

- Alienate non Arab Muslims
- Political agendas overshadow the essence of the religion
- The religion deviates from its core brand value
- The religion stops being relevant to its own target market
- Lower retention rates of current followers
- Slowing down the growth of Islam mainly from new converts
- Continuous negative publicity about the Muslims and the arabs in general which has both
economic and cultural ramifications for nations as a whole and individuals who start
being discriminated against

I came across a very nice branding article by Martin Lindstrom for the Branding Strategy Insider
called “Religion: Inspiration for Brands” that argues that branding has to learn a lot from religion
and be inspired by it. Along the same thinking, I believe that religions too should learn from
successful companies that have built sustainable brands through the years and try to apply their
lessons to their own brands. The 10 components to building a strong brand according to the
article are:24

22
Major religious groups, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups
23
Trendy Religions, Gun Powder Magazine
24
Martin Lindstrom, Religion: Inspiration for brands, branding Strategy Insider

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1- A sense of belonging
An Islamic campaign has to promote a sense of belonging, and insure that it doesn’t
alienate any members of its target market, as is the case with non Arab Muslims today.

2- A clear Vision
An Islamic Campaign has to have a clear vision that is based on the religion’s core values
and that can stand the test of time.

3- Fuel from the enemy

The rivalry between brands forces brand to grow and perpetually challenge one another
for market leadership, this should be the case with Islam that isn’t only challenging the
current religions of the world but the ones emerging on a continues basis in addition to
challenging those who challenge the existing of God or the need for religions in the first
place.

4- Authenticity
In order for Islam to remain authentic it has to revert back to its current core values and
avoid any extreme measures or branding from either spectrums, those that are too
conservative or too liberal.

5- Consistency
This part is very tricky for Islam because the notion of consistency doesn’t go hand in
hand entirely with the notion of Ijtihad and the adaptability but as long as the same
guidelines used in Ijtihad are somewhat consistent and replicable, I think it is possible.

6- Perfection
An extreme focus on quality and that it enhances ones way is life is key to insure the
perfection of the brand.

7- Symbols
Although Islam doesn’t really have a symbol associated with it as does Christianity with
the cross and other religions, a universal symbol isn’t an option in the first place because
it risks having its followers worshiping anything or anyone but God, or being fixated on
formalities that contradict the message that Islam is a way of life instead. However, other
universal symbols can be used to strengthen the association with Islam such as the Quran,
the Kaabaa and Mecca.

8- Mystery
Although one of the aims of an Islamic campaign is to eliminate a few of the
misconceptions currently associated with the religion, it has to maintain an essence of
mystery so that its followers remain interested in continuously engaging with the brand.

9- Rituals

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 Rituals are key in religions and in the case of Islam, it should focus in its campaign on
highlighting those positive rituals such as the prayer, the equality of people during the
Hajj, Ramadan and Eid celebrations, the giving back to the poor and others.

10- Sensory Appeal

Nothing appeals to the scenes of the Muslims more than the feeling of being in a holy
mosque surrounded with people just like them, worshiping just like they do and sharing
their experiences while, continuing to feel that personal and individual connection with
God. An Islamic campaign should highlight these needs in its campaign.

In Conclusion, we shouldn’t underestimate the human need to be attached to something

bigger than oneself and effective rebranding of Islam based on these 10 components can
help refute some of the negative perceptions currently associated with the religion and
help it retain its existing worshipers and attract even more followers in the future.

Bibliography

- David Van Biema, Islam, Time Magazine

- Introduction to Islam, islam.com
- Inside the Koran documentary, National Geographic, 2008
- Shahram Akbarzadeh, Reinterpreting Islam, Eureka Street publication
- Ian Tranynor, Turkey Strives for 21st Century form of Islam,, The Guardian, 27 Feb 2008
- Shahram Akbarzadeh, Reinterpreting Islam, Eureka Street publication
- Advanced Marketing / Chapter 4: Brand Equity,
http://www.solvay.edu/PDF/cours/advancedmarketing4.pdf
- David Aaker , Building Strong Brands,1996
- The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the World Christian Database as of 2007 ,
Wikipedia, 2007
- Times Magazine ,
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1572520,00.html#ixzz0XiVWrrKZ
- Major religious groups, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups
- Trendy Religions, Gun Powder Magazine
- Martin Lindstrom, Religion: Inspiration for brands, branding Strategy Insider

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