Middle Eastern religion emphasizes practiced loyalty over doctrinal belief

Evidence

In the Middle East religion is a matter of practice more than of belief, and its main demand is for loyalty rather than for orthodoxy. In Israel, it would appear, even the left-wing marxist labour party “accepts God de facto but not de jure.” Law—which for Muslims is a central part of the faith—is of more practical importance than theology, which has limited appeal even for professional theologians. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1314

Categorization

• XREF: Frames religious identity as practice/loyalty rather than belief — relevant to how Western observers (who privilege creed) misread the region; connects to Said’s critique of representational frames.
• DEFINE: Distinguishes practice-based religiosity from orthodoxy-based religiosity as a regional norm.