HEAVEN’S BANKERS: INSIDE THE HIDDEN WORLD OF ISLAMIC FINANCE

Book ID/图书代码： 13000512B53218

English Summary/英文概要： Islamic finance today is a trillion-dollar industry. It is fast becoming the main way in which large projects get funded globally (such as buildings, aircraft, shipping) and many financial analysts expect Islamic banking assets worldwide to double within five years. That’s because the system is seen as equitable to all parties and has built-in transparency – so it’s much in demand despite today’s gloomy global economic climate.

Harris Irfan has been at the centre of this world for around 15 years. In HEAVEN’S BANKERS, he provides an authoritative yet entertaining account of how a system of finance invented in the seventh-century Middle East is fast taking over the world of modern banking. The book draws on his firsthand relationships with some of the world’s leading bankers, scholars and lawyers, many of whom attend a single mosque in Dubai, the Masjid Al-Samad, the epicentre of today’s Islamic finance revolution. An ‘Al-Samadi’ himself, he provides a warts-and-all description of the industry; debunks some myths about Islamic finance – such as its perceived relationship with the financing of terrorist activity or its incompatibility with Western values; and asks whether today’s Islamic finance industry is true to the fundamental principles of a faith committed to social justice.

Was, for example, the recent Islamic bond issued by Goldman Sachs a legitimate use of Islamic investors’ funds or a cynical exercise in preying on people’s religious insecurities? Has the industry forgotten its basic premise of ethical finance and learnt instead how to replicate the excesses of the conventional banking industry?

As the managing partner of a leading Islamic finance advisory firm and the former global desk head of one of the world’s leading financial institutions, Harris is in an ideal position to bring to life the personalities and explain to the non-expert reader the mechanics of the most innovative financial products. With his strong yet informed opinions about the ethical practices and direction of the industry, this is a book that should appeal not only to people who normally buy business and finance books, but also to those with a more general interest in moral philosophy, politics and religion.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 伊斯蘭金融體系蓬勃發展，是轉機還是另一波危機？

長久以來大眾對於伊斯蘭一詞是陌生、充滿神秘感。911恐怖攻擊後，更是帶著些許負面印象。目前全球穆斯林人口已超過十五億。大量的天然資源、廣大的市場等龐大的利益使世人重新檢視伊斯蘭文化。其獨特的金融體系也開始受國際注目。
2008年後歐美各國紛紛陷入金融危機，深受悠久文化影響的伊斯蘭金融體系未受波及，反而更加成長茁壯。目前世界各大銀行集團陸續增設伊斯蘭金融產品部門。亞洲各國更是積極佈局，冀望成為伊斯蘭金融中心，這股熱潮究竟會延燒多久，是曇花一現？還是為目前困窘的國際金融體系注入一股活水？
作者Harris Irfan目前定居於杜拜，曾任職德意志銀行(Deutsche Bank)、英國巴克萊銀行(Barclays Bank PLC)的伊斯蘭金融產品部門主管。目前是Cordoba Capital伊斯蘭金融投顧公司(http://www.ryansaudi.com/websites/cordoba/)的創辦兼合夥人。多年實務經驗、第一手的觀察資料。深入淺出地一解大眾對於伊斯蘭金融體系的迷思，傳統與利益間的矛盾，西方價值的衝擊，以及未來發展！(Iris)

Awards/获奖情况：In general, books on such specialist subjects as Islamic finance are over academic at best and and incomprehensible at worst. This book is different. Using a well paced narrative style, it attempts and largely succeeds in making this subject very readable to the interested layman as well as those in the banking profession. It traces a fascinating history of the origin of Islamic finance in the 7th century passing through the golden age of Islam along the way and more recent experiments. The author is quite critical of the way Western banks have jump on the bandwagon and jumped off again whilst trying to circumvent ethical considerations for the sake of short term profit. Despite such chapter titles such as ’The Doomsday Fatwa’ and ’The Great Vampire Squid Arrives’, the author clearly believes in the validity of a system where ethics and fair dealing come first and is hopeful for a more innovative future. Five stars for readability.

About the Author/作者介绍： Harris Irfan is one of the world’s leading Islamic finance bankers. He is the founder and managing partner of Cordoba Capital, an independent Islamic finance advisory firm, and was formerly global head of Islamic finance at the Barclays Group. Before working at Barclays, he was a co-founder of Deutsche Bank’s world-leading Islamic finance team. Born in 1972 to parents of Pakistani origin, he was brought up in the UK and has a BA and MA in physics from Oxford. He currently lives in Dubai.

Format:电子手稿

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