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Reflections on Qur’an and Ethics

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In extreme situations where a person’s survival is in question, Allah allows exceptions. One can use forbidden things with two conditions. The first is that there should be no desire and the second is that it should not exceed the limit. Then, it would not be morally wrong.
Allah in Qur’an says:
“He has only forbidden you (to eat) carrion, blood, swine, and what is slaughtered in the name of any other than Allah. But if someone is compelled by necessity—neither driven by desire nor exceeding immediate need—then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah Al-Nahl 16, verse 115).

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The Value of Societal Values in Finance

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The author urges that deep and rapid decarbonization must become a global priority because climate tipping points will likely be reached much sooner than previously expected as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. To safeguard humanity and its societal systems, it is not only important to consider the time it takes to achieve decarbonization, but to ensure that we avoid reaching the climate tipping points.

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Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam

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The lectures given by Allama Iqbal even after one century are as fresh and illuminating as ever. They show the tremendous depth and breadth of his knowledge, vision and also his commitment and passion for religion and its progressive application at the personal level and societal level in Muslim polity. Amidst the height of passion and devotion, Allama Iqbal still highlights important factors of stagnation which need to be avoided. He urges Ijtihad, Ijma and reconstruction of thoughts to foster change while retaining the eternal principles of religion.

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Highlights of Global Hunger Index 2024

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In South Asia, serious hunger reflects rising undernourishment and persistently high child under nutrition, driven by poor diet quality, economic challenges, and the increasing impact of natural disasters. The goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 now appears unreachable, and if progress remains at the pace observed since the 2016 global GHI score, the world will not reach even low hunger until 2160 more than 130 years from now.

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Theories of Economic Development and Islamic Economics

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In Harrod (1939)-Domer (1946) and Solow’s Growth model, the emphasis is on increasing savings and investments and that is supposed to lead to increased productivity corresponding to lower Incremental capital output (ICOR) ratio in Harrod (1939)-Domer (1946) model and hence higher rate of growth and to higher steady state level of output in Solow’s Growth model. Savings that result in investments contribute to growth. Essentially, what leads to growth is investment. Savings are only the source of investment funds.

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The Political Economics of Green Transitions

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The authors caution that democratic politics may or may not help fix dynamic social problems. The authors argue that even in their own optimistic model of politics—where parties maximize average utility of those currently alive— equilibrium policies may not put society on the right path, and the speed of the green transition may be too slow. Climate change and environmental degradation is a slow and cumulative process. To protect environment, the efforts also need to be cumulative and consistent. A self-centric secular worldview encourages the self-centric use of private property resources. However, even small things done collectively and consistently can have a larger effect.

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Doughnut Economics

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The author urges responsible attitude towards ―limits to growth‖. The author argues for the equalization of endowments rather than expansion of policies that redistribute current income. Kate Raworth then lists seven ways of thinking about the economy that will help us manage common needs such as water, food, income – the things in the hole of the doughnut – so that humanity lands in the sweet spot rather than drifting past the outer ring – the ecological ceiling — where phenomena like ozone layer depletion thrives.

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Highlights of State of Global Air Report 2024

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The threat of air pollution is not new, but it is changing. Air pollution has contributed to death and disease and has hurt economic prospects and community resilience for decades. During that time, policies and technologies have drastically improved air quality in some areas, saving lives, and proving that pollution is not an inevitable by-product of economic development.
Air pollution is a complex mixture of particles and gases with sources and composition varying over space and time. While hundreds of chemical compounds can be measured in the air, governments typically measure only a small subset as indicators of the different types of air pollution and major sources contributing to that pollution.

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