Marketing Challenges in Islamic Countries

Islam is nearly 14 centuries old and there are more than one billion followers of the Islamic faith all over the world (Ba-Yunus and Siddiqui, 1998), the majority in emerging markets. It is expected that in about 20 years a third of the world’s population will be Muslim and Muslims will account for nearly two thirds of those under 18 years of age (Queich, 2001). The followers of Islam believe in one supreme God, Allah. The Islamic faith has been spread in a variety of ways, including forceful conversion, proselytization, spiritual influences, and material inducement. Initially the followers of Islam were besieged by and involved in social unrest, wars and expansion through conquest and invasion. In European territories expansion was particularly marked between the eighth and fifteenth centuries AD. In some Islamic societies this period was notable for advancements in education, philosophy, law, scientific knowledge, art, and literature.