Pan‐Arabism, pan‐Islamism and inter‐state relations in the Arab World

Abstract

Para‐Arabism and Pan‐Islamism each aspire to provide a supranational ideal transcending individual states as a focus of indentity capable of shaping ends and means of foreign policy. In practice, however, while Pan‐Arabism and Pan‐Islamism continue to exert real influence as cultural forces, the independent state as part of a framework of inter‐state relations constituted according to the norms of international law is likely to dominate the politics of the region.