CSS Solved Political Science 2022 Past Paper | “Islamic Political Ideology” and “Political Culture Forms“
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A- Islamic Political Ideology
Question Breakdown
In this question, the examiner inquired about Islamic political ideology. The students must first write an introduction and briefly develop their understanding of the Islamic concept of politics. Moving forward, a thorough discussion of the provisions of Islamic polity is necessary, and, finally, an ending statement must be written.
Outline
1-Introduction
- ✓Subservience to the holy laws, pan-Islamism, the expansion of righteousness, and the forbidding evilness give Islamic polity a distinct and unique identity.
- ✓An Islamic political scheme is, irrefutably, an all-purpose ideology, dealing justly with each sub-domain of politics and making it the true benefactor of humanity.
2-Explaining the Islamic concept of politics
3-Distinctive features of an Islamic polity – an Islamic Welfare Democracy
- ✓Supremacy of Allah’s decree – Sovereignty as a trust
- ✓Counseling righteousness and forbidding wickedness
- ✓A county on ethics and obligations
- ✓Connectedness between government and subject
- ✓Endurance to national and international accords
- ✓Islamic universalism
4-Critical Investigation
5-Ending statement
Answer to the question
1-Introduction
The Islamic theory of politics is a holistic ideology where religion is intervened with politics. In the literal sense of Sharia, the fundamental legislation of an Islamic polity, there are two terminologies, Caliphate and Prophet-hood, which have been carried out the ruler-ship under complete submission of the decree of Allah and provided a complete guide to all Islamic states and would remain a guidance to all Islamic nations till the end of time. Akin to all global political communities and legislative codes, Islam possesses numerous distinctive characteristics, making it the most amicable and the closest to nature scheme for every field of personal life and a Muslim nation’s social and political aspects. An Islamic polity has a distinctive identity because of multiple features, notably, subservience to the Holy laws, pan-Islamism, the expansion of righteousness and the forbidding evilness, and an economic system. In summation, an Islamic political scheme is an all-purpose ideology, dealing justly with each sub-domain of politics and making it the true benefactor of humanity.
2-Explaining the Islamic concept of politics
Before elaborating on the fundamental principles of an Islamic polity, it is crucial to understand the caliphate, the purpose of prophethood, and the injunctions of the Holy Quran. As per the Islamic faith, Allah is an unparalleled Lord of heaven, the earth, and everything between them. Thus, His guidance is the final and the only salvation for mankind. First, the caliph, or the ruler of Islamic states, is deemed Allah’s viceroy on land, so it is his utmost duty to implement His holy command in His land. In addition, every apostle of Allah was commanded to establish a state that should be the practical manifestation of Allah’s decree and be a guiding person for his ummah. Third, all members of an Islamic polity should have complete knowledge of Islamic law, Sunnah, and the holy Quran and have the aptitude to implement it throughout an Islamic polity. Thus, according to an Islamic political concept, an Islamic state is the state of God, and every affair would be held as per the law of God, Islamic jurisprudence, and it would satisfy the decree of God.
3-Distinctive features of an Islamic polity – an Islamic Welfare Democracy
Islam is truly and entirely the most luminous code, securing the rights and obligations of every individual and proposing a welfare democratic state. Its numerous prominent features distinguish it from other religions, political systems, and civil laws, making it a unique model for political, economic, and civil life.
- ✓Supremacy of Allah’s decree – Sovereignty as a trust
Islamic polity, indisputably, is established to live a life according to Islamic jurisprudence. In an Islamic polity, all political departments take their authority from Islamic laws, eventually executing the Islamic concept of government and administration. The political head, along with his ministries and all public office holders, is bound to the command of Allah. The Holy Quran and the life of revered prophet Muhammad (PBUH) effectively provide solutions to all the political, economic, military, and social problems of an Islamic state in all the frames of time and technology; thus, each successive government of an Islamic state is the defender of faith, life, property, and respect of its masses. Moreover, an Islamic polity does not allow any type of exploitation of its subjects; there is no place for dictatorship, absolute monarchy, authoritarianism, fascism, totalitarianism, dynastic politics, and feudalism.
- ✓ Counsel of righteousness and proscription of wickedness
Besides, Islam places tremendous importance on social goodness. To talk about an Islamic polity, the sense of righteousness has a high purpose; it must promote goodness, justice, and truth and retain evil, anarchy, and injustice. Allah commands the believers in Surah Aal-e-Imran in the following verse, “You are the best nation that has been raised for mankind, you instruct good and prohibit bad and believe in Allah.” About Islamic command, an Islamic state retains a high sense of righteousness; any form of atrocity, misdemeanor, injustice, inequality, or lawlessness is ensured to be out of the Islamic state’s administration policies.
- ✓A County on ethics and obligations
In addition, an Islamic polity gives a comprehensive set of ethics and obligations as they are vital for an Islamic state’s smooth functioning and growth. From the administrative head to everyone below him, he has to obey the decree of Allah; no one is allowed to attend to his interests on the stake of the state’s interests or public’ rights. Similarly, the Islamic concept of politics has allotted certain rights and obligations to every member of an Islamic state, whether it is the administrative head, minister, politician, judge, entrepreneur, or common man. The purpose is to control the whims and desires and perceive the interests of a nation-state. Correspondingly, these ethics demand the implementation of piety, meritocracy, rule of law, justice, and equality and repel injustice, nepotism, lawlessness, corruption, hypocrisy, and inequality in an Islamic polity. Moreover, in an Islamic political scheme, tenets, such as consultation, transparency, accountability, and meritocracy, assume central rule to run a state.
- ✓Connectedness between government and subject
Further, cordiality and connectedness among the masses and the senior office holders, including the administrative head of the state, is another important concept of an Islamic polity. Akin to the present non-Muslim state’s constitutional provisions, Islamic jurisprudence believes in an amicable bond between the top brace of Islamic administration and the masses. It not only builds public trust in the administration but also ensures security, growth, and political awareness among subjects about their state. Moreover, this concept works in two ways; first, all administrative personnel remain under the defined boundary and cannot use their power arbitrarily. Second, it is crucial to establish a society that promotes the general good without any restriction and prepares men of noble qualities to procure future leaders.
- ✓Endurance to national and international accords
Moreover, the Islamic political system emphasizes that the Islamic state should be bound by all national and international agreements. The administrative period of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madina offers plentiful examples of the messenger of Allah’s binding to transnational accords. His agreement with neighbouring countries and amicability toward their delegations exemplify operating an Islamic state and maintaining cordial relationships with the international community to promote universal peace. Likewise, an Islamic polity is obliged to fulfil its national pacts; for instance, the head of state has to accomplish his promises to the public, development packages should be completed on time under a defined budget, and social security programs must be secure in the best interest of the masses.
- ✓Islamic universalism
Furthermore, an Islamic polity nullifies the concept of nationalism; instead, it advocates pan-Islamism. About Islamic universalism, every Muslim who resides anywhere in the world is a member of an Islamic state. Moreover, every Muslim can assume the highest authority rank and undertake any administrative post based on merit. Islamic polity disregards all forms of nepotism, patronage, favouritism, and family affiliations while allotting public seats. The merits are piety, skills, and education. In addition, all people of an Islamic polity, including the sovereign, ministers, politicians, and bureaucrats, are equal in the eye of Sharia; no one has the upper hand over others. Universalism in Islam undeniably conveys the universal fraternity among Muslims and denies territorial boundaries of the Muslim states.
4-Critical Investigation
Though Islam is a comprehensive code of life and provides profound knowledge about every field of human concern, the modern Islamic state finds it difficult to implement it fully owing to the advancements in science and technology. Nonetheless, Islam is an ever-green religion. It maintains its originality while offering solutions to each modern problem. Moreover, the global political schemes deem the Islamic model of politics as an orthodox scheme, but in truth, Islam provides a parallel yet more beneficial political model that is considered a threat to Western political ideologies.
5-Ending Statement
To conclude the discussion above, the Islamic political system is based on Islamic jurisprudence. Moreover, understanding the caliphate and prophethood in a broader sense delivers better insight into Islamic polity. According to Islamic philosophy, Allah is the master of an Islamic state, the holy guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad retain the status of a state’s constitution, and the political sovereign, with his ministers, has to fulfil Allah’s decree in all affairs of an Islamic state. There are manifold luminous characteristics of an Islamic polity, which elaborate the true purpose of a separate Islamic political ideology. To sum up, an Islamic political ideology is, basically, a democratic welfare state; every person, according to his ability, can assume the seat of authority. Furthermore, equality, piety, justice, the rule of law, social security, and, last but not least, meritocracy have pivotal standing in an Islamic state, working in the utmost favour of its subjects.
B – Forms of Political Culture
Question breakdown
The question stresses providing the forms of political culture. Nonetheless, the answer must follow a sequence. First, write an introduction, then explain the understanding of political culture and systematically deliver the forms of political culture. In the end, a conclusion is crucial.
Outline
1-Introduction
Every country illustrates a specific political culture based on multiple impetuses, general assumptions, and the people’s behaviours toward their political system. Moreover, the political culture of each society and state transfers and fluctuates due to several factors, particularly pressure groups and opposition, the performance of government, competition among political parties, the stability and working of government institutions, the role of media, and last but not least, elections.
2-Decoding the term “Political Culture”
3-Forms of Political Culture
- ✓Parochial political culture
- ✓Subjective political culture
- ✓Mixed political culture
- ✓Participant political culture
- ✓Civic political culture
- ✓Ideological political culture
- ✓Homogenous or secular political culture
- ✓Fragmented political culture
4-Conclusion
Answer to the question
1-Introduction
Every country retains a particular political culture due to its democratic principles, political scheme, and societal values. Moreover, in a broader frame, people in each state have a specific political culture, while, in a more minor sense, every individual in society shows different beliefs and attitudes towards his country’s political system. Due to several factors, the political culture of each society and state transfers and fluctuates, particularly the role of pressure groups and opposition, the performance of government, competition of political parties, the stability and working of government institutions, the role of media, and last but not least, elections. Additionally, political culture has many subcultures or forms, such as parochial, subjective, mixed, participant, civic, ideological, homogenous, and secular political culture. Hence, every country and society illustrates a specific political culture based on multiple impetuses, general assumptions, and the people’s behaviours toward their political system.
2-Decoding the term “Political Culture”
Delving into understanding the term “Political culture” before addressing the form of political culture, it is the summation of people’s beliefs, opinions, views, and values towards a political system. It refers to what an individual, society, and community preserve about the political condition and development in their area, city, and state, and it must not be mixed with what is happening on the international political front. As Eric Rowe interprets political culture, “Political culture is a discrete pattern of belief, values, and emotional attachment toward the political system of one’s surroundings.” In addition, political culture is just like a culture, possessing the same characteristics as any culture. For instance, like typical culture, political culture gradually learns, transfers, internalizes, and attracts the emotions of individuals toward themselves. It is also affected by multiple political developments, media reporting, and the interventions of non-political entities, such as terrorism, radicalism, and military intrusion.
3-Forms of Political Culture
Moving towards the forms of political culture, political culture is generally subdivided into multipronged types based on individuals’ social activism, knowledge about their political culture, the strength of democratic government values, and agenda groups.
- ✓Parochial political culture
Understanding parochial political philosophy as the sub-division of political culture refers to how much knowledge an individual processes about the political system and current situation of his community, society, city, and state. As per parochial political culture, it generally means a person has little to zero knowledge and affiliation about the political system around his surrounding area.
- ✓Subjective political culture
Further, subjective political culture gives insight into people’s orientation towards their political culture. It is defined as a political system in which one finds a high orientation towards his political system, its output, major actors, political developments, agenda groups, media roles, and institutional performance. However, despite having substantial knowledge and orientation toward a political culture, one has little or no input into the political system of one’s area.
- ✓Mixed Political culture
This political culture is an amalgamation of parochial and subjective political cultures. Here, neither a person knows his community’s political system nor possesses any orientation toward the political system. In simple jargon, a mixed political culture is formed when an individual procures little knowledge, gives zero input, and develops no personal opinion about his area’s political scheme. Most of the time, this form of political culture develops in highly indigent states where people are too busy to earn basic needs and are not interested in their political system.
- ✓ Participant political culture
Next, when social activism is excessively efficient in a society, it is known as participant political culture. People become active participants in highly developed nations or communities in their political culture. In this political culture, people not only procure colossal knowledge about their political system but also provide high input through suggestions, condemnation, affiliations, elections, protests, emotional attachments, and media toward their political culture. Thus, through political participation, nations enjoy the real flavour of democracy, their fundamental rights, and the power of their votes while feeling more secure and content.
- ✓Civic Political culture
Besides participant political culture, civic political culture is a form of political culture practice in numerous states and communities. Here, political culture is highly centralized and allows little freedom of expression, decision-making power, and authority to the general public. Community members have meagre choices and chances to participate in politics, express their opinions, and attain additional knowledge. Moreover, the media has limited liberty in civic political culture. Elaborating on its examples, this form of political culture generally prevails in China, North Korea, and Russia.
- ✓Ideological political culture
It could be named as the sub-form of civic political culture because of the centrality of political culture. To decipher it, the ideological political culture encourages a specific political ideology, not allowing any random political culture. Moreover, through soft power, such as print and electronic media and constitutional provisions, governments introduce a defined political ideology to run their political systems and societies. For instance, secularism prevails in Europe, and nationalism prevails in South Korea. Additionally, the USSR maintained the political culture of socialism for about eighty (80) years.
- ✓Homogenous or secular
The most developed and prosperous form of political culture is known as secular or homogenous political culture. In a secular political culture, highly educated and tolerant people either possess the same view about their political system or accept differences in their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours about their political system. People are more rational and respect the rule of law and fundamental rights. Additionally, almost every individual in a secular political culture is highly active and oriented towards his political system while securing maximum political knowledge and institutional output. The United States of America is now considered the most relevant example of a secular political system.
- ✓Fragmented political culture
Lastly, as the name suggests, when the political culture of an area varies from person to person, community to community, society to society, and province to province, it is a fragmented political culture. People’s beliefs, attitudes, values, and emotional attachments go in numerous directions; thus, a conflicting society is generated. To know the reasons behind this political culture, stigmatizing propaganda, labelling theories, media pufferies, radical elements, political parties, and feudal entities are the root causes of a fragmented political culture. A practical example of the political system is Pakistani society, where each causing agent can be perfectly exemplified to understand a fragmented political culture.
4-Conclusion
To conclude, variations in the political culture from state to state are an everyday reality. It is the people’s understanding, opinions, attitudes, and beliefs about their society, city, and state. Nonetheless, these behaviours fluctuate substantially owing to the performance and output of numerous political, institutional, and electronic media outlets. Concerning stimuli that alter the political culture of each state, society, and community, political culture has multiple sub-divisions. For instance, political culture could attain parochial, subjective, mixed, participant, civic, ideological, secular, and fragmented political cultures depending on political knowledge, orientations, inputs, and ideologies. Thus, every country and society demonstrates a precise political culture owing to numerous impetuses, general assumptions, people’s behaviours, and governmental ideologies.
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