سمیه رزاقی

Income inequality has gained prominence by exacerbating the economic stability of both developed and developing countries over the past few decades. The intensity of this issue is non-trivial with economies witnessing failure in policies, indecorous economic governance, and the challenging economic ideologies. Impact of financial development on economic growth is an important channel in economic issues on which plenty of discussions and challenges have arisen. Financial development involves various dimensions of financial systems and markets. Islamic financial development (IFD) is one of these dimensions. This research investigates the impact of IFD on income inequality in 28 countries active in the IFD area, including 14 high-income and 14 middle-income and low-income countries, over 2013-2017 by considering the Kuznets curve hypothesis, financial curve hypothesis, and Kuznets financial hypothesis and through spatial econometrics technique. Results indicate that Islamic financial development (IFD) decreases income inequality. In addition, the findings of the study reveal that there is no clear-cut evidence to support the proposition of economic development along with financial growth, which would reduce the problem of income inequality. The results show that the GDP per capita, Inflation and Trade Openness increase the income inequality. In contrast, General government final consumption expenditure, urban population and age dependency ratio, help countries reduce income inequality.

This paper investigates the responses of Iran’s macroeconomic variables to the oil embargo against Iran. The article applies a Bayesian time-varying parameter SVAR model along the quarterly data of oil export, real exchange rate, inflation, real GDP and money supply of Iran over the period of 1991:Q2-2020:Q2. Applying time varying parameters in this study helps us to consider the economic structural changes and transition mechanism in analyzing the response of macroeconomic variables to oil embargo. The oil embargo against Iran has been intensified since 2012. To consider the effect of the oil embargo on Iranian macro variables, the model has been estimated in two different periods of time, before and after 2012. The results indicate that the escalation of the oil embargo from 2012 has caused a stagflation period and ends in a decline in real GDP and national currency depreciation. In addition, it has intensified money supply and triggers existing inflation. These results have some policy implications to overcome difficulties raises when the economy faces sanction.

Although the prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic and the worldwide periodic lockdowns, and travel restrictions have heavily damaged tourism destinations, however some theorists believe that the channels and intensity of adverse effects of COVID-19 are not even in different tourism destinations and it may depend on the tourism form that the destination is endowed with. The purpose of this research is to fulfill a comparative survey between two different tourism destinations that enjoy two different tourism forms, including pleasure tourism (Ganjnameh region) and commercial based tourism (Lalejin region) in Iran and try to explore the different complex aspects of COVID-19 effects on tourism industry and compare sustainability of both tourism forms. In order that, we apply Grounded Theory (GT) model and relay on qualitative data gathered by face-to-face interviews with 40 participants who are engaged in tourism related businesses in sample destinations. In according to the results, this study critically derives 4 different aspects of complexity of the situation arisen from corona virus pandemic on tourism sector in Ganjnameh and Lalejin including: resilience strategies and sustainability, change in tourist behavior, change in the tourism industry, and aggravating factors. In addition, the results showed that changes to tourism as a result of COVID-19 is complex and uneven in two different tourist destinations. Moreover, we realized that the economic statues of Ganjnameh region which is widely depend on pleasure tourism is more vulnerable to unexpected tourism crises compared to the Lalegin region, where the economics of a big bulk of habitants depends on commercial tourisms and handicrafts. Therefore, the commercial based touristic destinations looks more resilient and sustainable in comparison to pleasure tourism formed destinations. This study released valuable information about current statues and future concerns about tourism industry and offers suitable policy implications to cope with COVID-19 effects during and after Corona crisis.