Post-9/11 perceptions of islamic finance

This study investigates perceptions of the Islamic finance industry and impacts on the industry following 9/11 by studying representations in mainstream media, and by surveying Islamic finance industry professionals and Islamic finance media professionals globally for their perceptions and experiences post-9/11. Study of media articles related to Islamic finance post-9/11 reveals that relatively few articles linked Islamic finance with terrorism, and few (12 percent) maintained a negative tone. Islamic finance professionals reported that 9/11 brought closer scrutiny of the industry, which increased misconceptions but also led to growth and awareness. However, the majority of Islamic finance media professionals perceived a negative impact, and 70 percent of them are critical of how the industry handled media attention post-9/11. The study finds that despite some negative media coverage of Islamic finance following 9/11, development of the industry was not significantly impacted, and the outlook for future development is overwhelmingly positive.