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in which it noted； 〃Without oil at its present sky…high price； Iran's economy would
be in wretched straits。 Oil provides about half the government's revenue and at least
80％ of export earnings。 But； once again under the influence of zealots in parliament；
the oil cash is being spent on boosting wasteful subsidies rather than on much…needed
development and new technology。〃
It is worthy of note that Jordan began upgrading its education system and privatizing；
modernizing； and deregulating its economy starting in 1989…precisely when oil prices
were way down and it could no longer rely on handouts from the Gulf oil states。 In
1999； when Jordan signed
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its free…trade agreement with the United States； its exports to America totaled 13
million。 In 2004； Jordan exported over 1 billion of goods to America…things
Jordanians made with their hands。 The Jordanian government has also installed
computers and broadband Internet in every school。 Most important； in 2004； Jordan
announced a reform of its education requirements for mosque prayer leaders。
Traditionally； high school students in Jordan took an exam for college entrance； and
those who did the best became doctors and engineers。 Those who did the worst became
mosque preachers。 In 2004； Jordan decided to gradually phase in a new system。
Henceforth； to become a mosque prayer leader； a young man will first have to get a
B。A。 in some other subject； and can study Islamic law only as a graduate degree…in
order to encourage more young men of talent to go into the clergy and weed out those
who were just 〃failing〃 into it。 That is an important change in context that should
pay dividends over time in the narratives that young Jordanians are nurtured upon
in their mosques。 〃We had to go through a crisis to accept the need for reform；〃 said
Jordan's minister of planning； Bassem Awadallah。
There is no mother of invention like necessity； and only when falling oil prices force
the leaders in the Middle East to change their contexts will they reform。 People don't
change when you tell them they should。 They change when they tell themselves they
must。 Or as Johns Hopkins foreign affairs professor Michael Mandelbaum puts it；
〃People don't change when you tell them there is a better option。 They change when
they conclude that they have no other option。〃 Give me 10…a…barrel oil； and I will
give you political and economic reform from Moscow to Riyadh to Iran。 If America and
its allies will not collaborate in bringing down the price of crude oil； their
aspirations for reform in all these areas will be stillborn。
There is another factor to consider here。 When you have to make things with your hands
and then trade with others in order to flourish； not just dig an oil well in your
own backyard； it inevitably broadens imagination and increases tolerance and trust。
It is no accident that Muslim countries make up 20 percent of the world's population
but account for only 4 percent of world trade。 When countries don't make things anyone
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else wants； they trade less； and less trade means less exchange of ideas and openness
to the world。 The most open； tolerant cities in the Muslim world today are its trading
centers…Beirut； Istanbul； Jakarta； Dubai； Bahrain。 The most open； tolerant cities
in China are Hong Kong and Shanghai。 The most closed cities in the world are in central
Saudi Arabia； where no Christians； Hindus； Jews； or other non…Muslims are allowed
to express their religions in public or build a house of worship； and； in the case
of Mecca； even enter。 Religions are the smelters and founders of imagination。 The
more any religion's imagination … Hindu； Christian； Jewish； Muslim； Buddhist…is
shaped in an isolated bubble； or in a dark cave； the more its imagination is likely
to sail off in dangerous directions。 People who are connected to the world and exposed
to different cultures and perspectives are far more likely to develop the imagination
of 11/9。 People who are feeling disconnected； for whom personal freedom and
fulfillment are a Utopian fantasy； are more likely to develop the imagination of 9/11。
Just One Good Example
Stanley Fischer； the former deputy managing director of the IMF； once remarked to
me； 〃One good example is worth a thousand theories。〃 I believe that is true。 Indeed；
people do not change only when they must： They also change when they see that
others…like themselves…have changed and flourished。 Or as Michael Mandelbaum also
points out； 〃People change as a result of what they notice； not just what they are
told〃…especially when what they notice is someone just like them doing well。 As I
pointed out in Chapter 10； there is only one Arab company that developed a world…class
business strong enough to get itself listed on the Nasdaq； and that was Aramex。 Every
Jordanian； every Arab； should know and take pride in the Aramex story； the way every
American knows the Apple and Microsoft and Dell stories。 It is the example that is
worth a thousand theories。 It should be the role model of
a self…empowered Arab company； run by Arab brainpower and entrepre…neurship；
succeeding on the world stage and enriching its own workers at the same time。
When Fadi Ghandour took Aramex public again in 200 5； this time in Dubai； some four
hundred Aramex employees from all over the Arab world who had stock options divided
14 million。 I will never forget Fadi telling me how proud these employees were…some
of them managers； some of them just delivery drivers。 This windfall was going to enable
them to buy homes or send their kids to better schools。 Imagine the dignity that these
people feel when they come back to their families and neighborhoods and tell everyone
that they are going to build a new house because the world…class Arab company they
work for has gone public。 Imagine how much dignity they feel when they see themselves
getting ahead by succeeding in the flat world…not in the traditional Middle Eastern
way by inheritance； by selling land； or by getting a government contract…but by
working for a real company； an Arab company。 Just as it is no accident that there
are no Indian Muslims in al…Qaeda； it is no accident that the three thousand Arab
employees of Aramex want to deliver only packages that help economies grow and Arab
people flourish…not suicide bombs。
Speaking of the Aramex employees with stock options； Ghandour said； 〃They all feel
like owners。 A lot of them came up to me and said； 'Thank you； but I want to invest
my options back in the company and be an investor in the new IPO。'〃
Give me just one hundred more examples like Aramex； and I will start to give you a
different context…and narrative。
From Untouchables to Untouchables
And while you are at it； give me one hundred Abraham Georges as well…individuals who
step out of their context and set a different example can have such a huge impact
on the imagination of so many others。 One day in February 2004； I was resting in my
hotel room in
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Bangalore； when the phone rang。 It was a young Indian woman who said she was attending
a private journalism school on the outskirts of the city and wanted to know if I would
come by and meet with her class。 I've learned over the years that these sorts of
accidental invitations often lead to interesting encounters； so I said； 〃What the
heck； sure。 I'll come。〃 Two days later I drove ninety minutes from downtown Bangalore
to an open field in which stood a lonely journalism school and dormitory。 I was met
at the door by a handsome； middle…aged Indian man named Abraham George。 Born inKerala；
George served in the Indian Army； while his mother immigrated to the United States
and went to work for NASA。 George followed her； went on to study at NYU； started a
software firm that specialized in international finance； sold it in 1998； and decided
to come back to India and use his American…made fortune to try to change India from
the bottom…the absolute bottom…up。
One thing George learned from his time in the United States was that without more
responsible Indian newspa
When we eventually reached the school complex； though； we found neatly painted
buildings； surrounded by some grass and flowers； a total
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contrast to the nearby hamlets。 The first classroom we walked into had twenty
untouchable kids at computers working on Excel and Microsoft Word。 Next door； another
class was practicing typing on a computer typing program。 I loudly asked the teacher
who was the fastest typist in the class。 She pointed to an eight…year…old girl with
a smile that could have melted a glacier。
〃I want to race you；〃 I said to her。 All her classmates gathered round。 I crunched
myself into a tiny seat in the computer stall next to her； and we each proceeded to
type the same phrase over and over； seeing who could do more in a minute。 〃Who's
winning？〃 Ishouted。 Her classmates shouted her name back and cheeredher on。 I quickly
surrendered to her gleeful laugh。
The selection process to get into Shanti Bhavan is based on whether a child is below
the poverty line and the parents are willing to send him or her