Dhimmitude
Dhimmitude is the Islamic concept that non-Muslims who refuse to convert be âprotectedâ and âtoleratedâ as third-class citizens. That is, they are allowed to live in the Islamic land as long as they pay the âjizyaâ, a repressive tax, and observe a list of restrictions on their freedom, which in effect makes them third-class citizens. Dâhimmitude is the Islamic alternative to Jihad and death or conversion to Islam. People who are forced to live thus in order to avoid execution are called dhimmis.
Basis in the Koran
The concept of dhimmitude is derived from the Koran in Sura 9:29, where it says, âFight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, even if they are of the People of the Book (that is, Christians or Jews), until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.â
Basis in the life of Muhammed
According to Sahih Muslim, a collection of hadiths considered most reliable by Muslims, whenever Muhammed appointed a leader of his army or any of his detachments, he would exhort them to give those they fought three choices. They could accept Islam, or they could pay the Jizya. If not, they were to be fought and killed.[1].
Rules of dhimmitude
Historically, dhimmitude has involved a long list of restrictions, with some variance from place to place, in addition to the crippling Jizya tax. These restrictions typically include being forbidden to erect a church or monastery or to repair any such existing structure, to put a cross on the outside of the building or to ring a bell in it, to display crosses or religious books in markets, to raise their voices in prayer, being forbidden to testify in legal matters, to ride on saddles, to hang swords on their shoulders, to collect or carry any weapon, to encrypt stamps in Arabic, to sell liquor, to incite anyone against a Muslim, to strike a Muslim, to speak about Islam in a manner Muslims consider offensive, and being forced to board any Muslim who comes oneâs way for three days.
Dhimmitude also meant agreeing to ârespectâ Muslims by giving up oneâs seat to them and avoiding imitation of their clothing, sandals, hairstyles, speech, nicknames or title, and bearing insults in silence, thus making opposition to the rules unthinkable. Dhimmis must also have the front of the hair shaved and wear belts around the waist to make them easily identifiable . In effect, in many places dhimmitude meant there was no work and no income for dhimmis, at the same time they were being required to pay a tax for their Muslim rulers to âprotectâ them, that is, to refrain from executing them. This is the context in which Islamists can say there is freedom of religion or no coercion in Islam. One is not forced to convert to Islam. One can choose execution or try to live as a dhimmi.[2]
If any of the conditions of dhimmitude were broken, the agreement of protection was invalidated, and the dhimmi must be executed.
Role of Dhimmitude in the Spread of Islam
This is the manner in which Islam spread through the Middle East and across North Africa soon after the death of its founder. Islam waged jihad against its neighbors, converted those who wanted to save their lives to Islam, and subjugated the others to dhimmitude.
Damaging results
According to Robert Spencer, these regulations result in inferiorization and marginalization of subjugated peoples.[3]