There is probably no figure quite like Edmund Burke in the Arab world today. The 18th-century Irish-British who, to a large extent, laid the foundations of conservative political thought through his critique of the French Revolution, developed a philosophy that advocates gradual change rather than radical revolution. Burke stressed the need to safeguard tradition and the institutions already in place, calling for a practical approach to development and reform that respects the unique cultural and historical contexts of different countries and societies.