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The Ideology of Mu'ammar Al-Qadhdhafi: Theory and Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2009

Ronald Bruce St John
Ronald Bruce St John
Affiliation:
Institute of International Studies Bradley University
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Extract

While the literature on ideology is long-standing and considerable, it is also very controversial. On the one hand, the term ideology remains in such poor repute that many authors apologize for using it or substitute other words or expressions. On the other, many scholars employ the term without definition as though its meaning was well understood.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Middle East Studies , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , November 1983 , pp. 471 - 490
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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References

NOTES

1 Bendix, Reinhard, “The Age of Ideology: Persistent and Changing,” in Apter, David E., ed., Ideology and Discontent (New York, 1964), pp. 294–295;Google ScholarRejwan, Nissim, Nasserist Ideology: Its Exponents and Critics (Jerusalem, 1974), p. 1.Google Scholar

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28 FBIS-ME4, 21 August 1980, pp. 12–16.Google Scholar In contrast, Michel 'Aflaq of the Syrian Ba'th Party argued that Arab nationalism comprehends Islam but is superior to it. Binder, Leonard, The Ideological Revolution in the Middle East (New York, 1964), p. 168.Google Scholar

29 Qadhdhafi has stated that the first chapter of The Green Book is his interpretation of a phrase from the Koran, “They shall run their affairs by consultation.” JPRS 70813, No. 1772, pp. 130–131.Google ScholarFBIS-MEA, 1 September 1981, pp. Q10–Q13;Google ScholarAl-Fajr al-Jadid, July 4, 1978, p. 4.Google Scholar Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Afghani also found inspiration in the Koran for a democratic consultative assembly. Khadduri, Majid, Political Trends in the Arab World: The Role of Ideas and Ideals in Politics (Baltimore, 1979), pp. 29–30.Google Scholar

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35 FBIS-MEA, 18 October 1978, pp. 16–17 and 11 March 1981, p. Q3.Google Scholar

36 Ansell and al-Arif, Libyan, pp. 115–117. An Association for the Propagation of Islam was also founded in 1970 to train Muslim missionaries. By 1977, the Association had reportedly fielded 350 missionaries, only two of which were Libyans. Daniel Pipes, “No One Likes the Colonel,” The American Spectator, 14, 3 (March 1981), pp. 18–22.Google Scholar

37 Ansell and al-Arif, Libyan, p. 131.Google Scholar

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52 The Libyan Arab Republic. Ministry of Information and Culture, Aspects of First of September Revolution (Tripoli. 1973). pp. 9–11;Google ScholarQathafi. Discourses. pp. 69–90;Google ScholarFBIS-MEA 5 March 1980, p. 17 and 9 June 1980, p. 12.Google Scholar

53 For more details on these merger attempts see Alexander, Nathan [Ronald Bruce St John, “The Foreign Policy of Libya: Inflexibility Amid Change.” Orhis, 24, 4 (Winter 1981), pp. 832–838.Google Scholar Ba'th ideology envisioned a union of Arab countries whose progress was obstructed by their lack of capital and natural resources with their better-endowed neighbors. Torrey, Gordon H.. “The Ba'th-ldeology and Practice,” Middle East Journal, 23, 4 (Autumn 1969), p. 451.Google Scholar

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60 LAR, Revolution, pp. 127–133 and 158–161; Progressive Libya, December 1972, pp. 2–4 and July–August 1975, pp. 4–6;Google ScholarAllan, J. A., Libya: The Experience of Oil (London, 1981), pp. 221–231;Google ScholarFBIS-MEA. 14 November 1980. p. 11 and 15 April 1981, p. Q1.Google Scholar

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