Is Islam compatible with Western political and socioeconomic institutions? If yes, what explains the problems of authoritarianism and underdevelopment in many Muslim-majority countries? In this year’s acmes annual lecture, Ahmet Kuru will address these questions by referring to his award-winning book Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison (Cambridge University Press, 2019). The Annual Lecture forms part of the ACMES Spring Lecture Series on migration in and to the MENA region.