Short answer
Islam as taught in the Quran emphasises justice, knowledge, care for the poor and the dignity of the person. It is true that some Muslim countries have poverty, dictatorship and restrictions, and Muslims themselves argue that these come from politics, history and misuse of the faith and not from Islam.
The fuller answer
Muslim societies were centres of learning for many centuries. The state of the Muslim world today is the result of many causes, including colonialism, authoritarian rulers, wars and underdevelopment, and, some Muslims admit, the abandoning of Islamic principles of knowledge, justice and consultation.
Muslims across the world are diverse, and in many places they are successful in education, business, science and sport. A person may judge a faith by what it teaches, and by the reform movements within it, which are many.
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.