The Dynamics of Ideological Rivalry in the Middle East

Abstract

This article focuses on analysing political culture for understanding the dynamics of ideological rivalry in the Middle East. It reviews the concept of political culture and locates, therein, constant references to the ‘core’, ‘enduring cultural component’ or ‘stock of knowledge’ in society. Subsequently, those descriptive terms are used to explain the essence of political culture, alluding to its political values. However, that allusion is misleading, since what the ‘core’ precisely consists of is left largely undefined. Therefore, this study proceeded to define that ‘core’ and labelled it the `foundational` aspect of Islamic political culture. More clearly, that represents those aspects of permanence, in Islamic political culture and consists of deeply cherished political ideals. Yet, this articulation is only the first sphere of inquiry. Specifically, understanding Islamic political culture in Muslim polities involves three spheres of inquiry: ‘foundational’ – what endures or should be, ‘contextual’ – what is,’ and ‘individual’ – the agent for movement