GROVE CITY, Pa. – Abigail Johnson, a Grove City College senior from Powhatan, Va., recently received an honorable mention nod in the Ibn Khaldoun Essay Contest organized for the second year by the Atlas Economic Freedom Foundation.

Johnson, a daughter of Jeffrey and Kathy Johnson, will receive $250 for her honor. She is an economics major and a copy editor for The Collegian student newspaper on campus. Her essay was titled, “Economics and Islam: Can Free Markets Work in the Muslim Context?”

The contest’s theme, “Economics and Freedom in Islamic Societies,” challenged students to address the relationship between free-market economic policies and freedom in the Islamic societies. The contest is named after Ibn Khaldoun to honor the scholarly work of this prominent historian, economist and sociologist of the 14th century, which continues to inspire free-market scholars to this day.

Many strong essays came from the 130-plus participants from around the world. The majority of the student writers, who came from all religious and ethnic backgrounds, shared the belief that Islam, like any other religion, can coexist with free markets. Some succeeded in their attempt to define what this means, and addressed realistic policy prescriptions that could elevate the general welfare of individuals in predominantly Islamic countries.

The Atlas Economic Freedom Foundation believes that a free society can be achieved through respect for private property rights, limited government under the rule of law and the market order. The organization seeks to transform public opinion and some day replace public policies that only protect the powerful, cater to vested interests, create hostility, limit prosperity, and constrain human expression and opportunity.