Our industry is ever moving forward and attempting to grasp new opportunities, which is exactly as it should be. But sometimes it is worth standing still and looking around us, to make sure we haven”t missed something in our mad dash forward. This week our cover story takes stock of the separation between Islamic finance and the Halal sector, and asks whether we might need to slow down and re-evaluate our approach in order to make the most of this opportunity.
Our IFN reports continue this theme, with a round-up of ICD activities in the first quarter of 2014 and a look at financial exclusion as a barrier to growth in the D-8 countries. We also bring you an update on the sovereign Sukuk race, a look at the opportunities for Takaful in Pakistan now the impasse is over, and we revisit the endless aim of standardization in the industry.
Our IFN correspondents cover Nigeria, Canada and the UK; while our in-house analyses explore the Philippines and the derivatives sector; and our case study this week is on the Turkiye Finans Sukuk. The Dubai Financial Market provides a special report on its new standard for hedging and we also have an exclusive interview with its chairman, Essa Kazim.
Bishr Shiblaq of Arendt & Medernach contributes an article on the challenges facing the Luxembourg sovereign Sukuk issuance; while John Benette B Mamangun and Martha H Vinzons of the Philippine Stock Exchange discuss their new Islamic index; and Salman Ahmed Shaikh of the Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan asks whether we really need Islamic derivatives.