Opus 2013-24: Koran Klarifications: Dhimmitude, Better Than Death?, part 2 of 3

I remind you of the Surah we are responding to,

“Make war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God, or in the last day, and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle have forbidden, and who profess not the profession of the truth, until they pay tribute out of hand, and they be humbled.”  Surah 9:29, Immunity

It has always been possible for non-Muslims to live in Muslim countries but it has never been safe or easy.  If we allow Sharia law to creep into our system we are doing away with the products of the Civil War and the entire Civil Rights Movement.  Gone is equality before the law.  Now you have special privileges because of your religion.  It should be also noted that throughout history slaves have generally been granted a few rights.

It often starts gently.  Consider the following,

“...matters would change over time, as Muslim self-identity grew and tolerant attitudes weakened.  In 690, the regime imposed the poll tax on Syria’s non-Muslims,....  In 722 caliph Yazid II prohibited the display of religious images, destroying the public displays of many churches.” (Jenkins, Philip.  The Lost History of Christianity, New York:  Harper One, 2008, p. 106.)

In find it interesting how he says “over time.”  Mohammad died in 632 so it seems like it only took 60 years to start taking away freedom.  The year 722 is also shortly after Islam had conquered Spain and was moving into France.  They no longer needed to worry about what the Christians thought.  They were in control from Spain to Iran.

What kind of limitations have been common for dhimma under Muslim rule?  Death is a total limitation, of course.  Almost as bad is abducting your children, forcing them to convert to Islam and making them the shock troops of the Ottoman Empire, the Janizaries.  At the other extreme are the everyday harassments that make life miserable and keep reminding you that you are not a real citizen.  This included rules about things such as clothing:  no expensive fabrics, styles limited, colors forbidden or required.  Freedom of movement was curtailed:  No horses, saddles or iron stirrups, must walk single file.  Justice was denied, Christians and Jews could not testify against Muslims (Jenkins, pp. 218-9)

Is this what you want for your children?

To be continued...

All Koran quotes are from the translation by Rev. J.M. Rodwell, M.A. provided by the Gutenberg Project.

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