Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract Although the geopolitical and security concerns have a great importance to diplomatic action and strategic decision making, the Saudi politicians have recently acted in a way that mare than these concerns, it is their cultural norms and identity that affects those decisions and this shapes their strategic culture. Given the importance of the said fact, the paper attempts to provide a clear picture of the Saudis strategic culture and in this way the main question is that what those elements and their influences are in this strategic culture. To answer these questions first a theoretical framework is offered to explain the strategic culture and then the elements and foundation of the Saudi strategic culture are identified and finally their influence on this culture will be discussed.

Abstract What is the favorite government for the Salafi political Islam and based on traditionalism perspective what criticism have been raised against it?  For the paper, the Salafi Islam in fact is a deviation and wrong reading of Islam which wants to establish an authoritative government whose main function is to fulfill sharia and the tradition in an unauthorized and dictatorship manner. The traditionalists themselves who are concerned with protection of Sharia, believe that the political and Takfiri reading of the application of sharia is wrong and against the required intention. They also are of the view that the fundamentalists attempt to stablish religious government in a violent way is in fact an insult towards the Islam and therefore they have harsh criticism against those approaches. There ways of achieving power, application of sharia and means of implementation of the God orders are some of the conflicting perspectives between traditionalists and the Salafi approaches and it is very important to analyze these points given the current turbulence within the Muslim countries.