Muslims are significantly less educated than the rest of the world. Illiteracy is stunningly unbridled in the Muslim world.
According to a report prepared by Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and obtained by the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) indicates that approximately 40 % of the Muslim world’s population mostly female cannot read or write, which means that there are hundreds of millions of illiterates in the OIC countries.
According to Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the illiteracy rates in the Muslim world ranges between 65 percent among females and 40 percent among males, with rural areas lagging behind urban areas by over 10 %.
According to the second OIC 10-year plan (2015-2025), the adult literacy rate is an indication of the good organization educational system, since it evaluates the quality of education, particularly the ability to read and write.
The report noted that in spite of the efforts deployed at both the government and civil society levels, a small number of OIC countries were able to either annihilate illiteracy or lessen it to lower rates.
According to UNESCO data, illiterate’s numbers among adults has dropped from 52 to 48 million people during the period from 2005 to 2011 and Arab countries is the one among all the OIC members which recorded the fastest growth rate in literacy since 1990.
South and West Asia positioned second in terms of high rates of adult literacy.
ISESCO Director General Dr. Abdulaziz al-Tuwaijri said in earlier statements that “Illiteracy still poses a real challenge to the Muslim communities and impedes Islamic world’s advancement in all aspects,” pointing out that “Illiteracy in most OIC Member States has reached serious levels, reflected negatively on the efforts of the governments to achieve sustainable development”.
According to Islamic teachings, “literacy is a legitimate duty, moral obligation, message of civilization and social responsibility, which requires all segments of society, including governments, organizations, civil associations, international and professional organizations and trade unions, to contribute to the process of eradicating illiteracy,” said al-Tuwaijri, who emphasized the need to “consider literacy main concern and national commitment in the Islamic countries, to be achieved within precise time limits through the mobilization of all efforts and capabilities.