ABSTRACT
The political aspects of modernisation and a post-modern society encounter two main difficulties in the Muslim world. First, there is the lingering relevance of traditional authority, which Weber pointed out and which still stands strong a hundred years on. Second, there is the charismatic model of politics inherent in the Koran, which is completely at odds with secularisation and modernisation. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the major hindrances towards political modernisation in Muslim societies. The difficulty of modernity in Islam can be located either at the bottom of society in the conception of the umma or at the top of society in the institution of the caliph. Politics in Muslim countries tends has particular characteristics. Islam and political modernisation has become an acute problem with the American invasion of Iraq. Islamic fundamentalism rejects both Western modernity and Arab patrimonialism. However, support for Arab patrimonialism does not imply any form of endorsement of democratisation.
