In this new study of the legal and social condition
of Jews and Christians subjected to Islamic rule (the
dhimmis),
Bat Ye'or examines various religious and historical sources, using the
new term "dhimmitude" to describe their common history and legal status.
Some of these laws derive from the special status institutionalized by
the Church Fathers for Jews; once Islamized, these laws were incorporated
into Muslim jurisprudence applicable for Christians and Jews alike. Dhimmitude
is thus discussed from the perspective of Muslim theology, and also in
regard to divergent Christian attitudes to Jews and Zionism.
Bat Ye'or, author of three powerful books on Jews and Christians under Islam, has pioneered a new field of research, which she calls the "civilization of dhimmitude." She analyzes the impact of Westernization on the Muslim world and suggests how it affects the concept of dhimmitude today. The modern period up until 2000 is broadly covered, including an examination of the revival of jihad ideology and the return of dhimmitude for Christians living under the shari'a. Bat Ye'or describes their struggle against dhimmitude within the context of international rivalries. She examines the possibility of a "dhimmitude of the West," maintaining that reconciliation between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam cannot succeed without an assessment of jihad and dhimmitude. This is all the more essential since the terrorist jihad-war struck America on 11 September 2001. Fairleigh
Dickinson University Press/Associated University Presses (2002)
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Introduction
by Bat Ye'or >>> to read click here |
Table
of
Contents >>> to read click here |
In a profound study culminating three decades of scholarship,
Bat Ye'or shows the debilitating consequences of the Muslim sense of superiority
toward peoples of other religions. In the author's words, this is a painful
history of hatred, suffering, death, heroism, betrayal, and cowardice;
it is also a history that is very much alive even today and needs squarely
to be confronted if Muslims are truly to live in harmony with non-Muslims.
For this reason, Bat Ye'or's work is of major importance.
Sir Martin Gilbert on Bat Ye'or [Bat Ye'or], the acknowledged expert on the plight of
Jews and Christians in Muslim lands, and their vigorous champion: her book
The
Dhimmi, Jews and Christians under Islam & brought the issue of continuing
discrimination to a wide public.
About the Author Bat Ye'or was born in Egypt. A British citizen since 1959, living in Switzerland, she has written articles and scholarly studies on non-Muslim minorities under Islam since 1971. The translation of Le Dhimmi (1980) into English brought her international recognition. The Dhimmi (1985) remains an essential introduction to her second major work, The Decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam: From Jihad to Dhimmutude (1996); its publication in French (1991) established the author's reputation as an innovative thinker in a new field of research. 528 pages, Documents, Bibliography, Notes, Index,
ISBN 0-8386-3942-9 (cloth) ISBN
0-8386-3943-7 (paperback)
The importance of Bat Ye'or's
books on jihad,
The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam
This superb collection of valuable source material crystallizes the
historical relationship between the conquering Muslims and the dhimmi (conquered
minorities) living in Islamic society.
The Decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam:
Bat Ye'or clearly sees contemporary events in the light of the continuity
of the Islamic institution of jihad, carried on against the dar
al-harb, "domain of war," by all means possible, including diplomacy,
terrorism and war.
[T]he scope of the research covered and the importance of the
subject itself must make this a key text in continuing research in this
field& In this respect, it serves to put the study of this topic
on a new footing, and will be impossible to ignore.
It seems likely that in the new century of clashing civilizations there
will either be heightened conflict or a breakthrough to something like
the beginnings of a dialogue&A good place to start is to understand the
history that brought us where we are, and to that end I warmly recommend
a careful and critical reading of Bat Ye'or's The Decline of Eastern
Christianity under Islam, From Jihad to Dhimmitude& It is not surprising that [Bat] Ye'or's study of jihad and dhimmitude
has been stimulating substantial and disturbing discussion in academic
and ecumenical circles&The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam
was
a ground-breaking work&Perhaps the single most significant contribution
of the author is her definition and development of the concept of "dhimmitude"&What
are the implications for ecumenical dialogue? [Bat] Ye'or's books
on dhimmitude and jihad have an essential place in the ecumenical
world; ignoring them will only perpetuate illusion.
On the author's last book in French: Juifs et Chrétiens
sous l'Islam.
Bat Ye'or, specialist on minorities in Islamic countries, revisits
in time and space this dhimmitude. It is not the emerged part of an iceberg
that she has uncovered, it is a continent engulfed in the history of Islam,
an obscure and terrible Atlantis & With the Islamist pressure, are we returning
to dhimmitude?
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