This article is about a neologism. For the Islamic legal concept, see Dhimmi.

The word dhimmitude is a neologism, imported from the French language, and derived from the Arabic language word dhimmi. The term has at least two distinct but related meanings describing a certain position of a non-Muslim in relation to the Islamic world — notably it is a characterization of non-Muslims as submitting to Muslim authority or intimidation. According to scholars like Bernard Lewis, this concept is a myth.^[1] This is a sub-article of fiqh and Law and economics. ... Islamic politics is the profession of Muslim politicians. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Islamic leadership is what a Muslim leader is supposed to show, in order to lead in accordance to Islamic principles. ... A dhimmi (also zimmi, Arabic: ‎, collectively: اهل الذمۃ, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection) was a free (i. ... This is a sub-article to Islamic jurisprudence and Marriage. ... Islamic criminal jurisprudence is the Islamic criminal law. ... This is a sub-article to Islamic jurisprudence and etiquette. ... Islamic theological jurisprudence is the filed of Islamic jurisprudence specialized in theological issues. ... This is a sub-article to fiqh and Hygiene Hygiene in Islam is a prominent topic but one which non-Muslims are not very familiar with. ... A dhimmi (also zimmi, Arabic: ‎, collectively: اهل الذمۃ, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection) was a free (i. ... A neologism (from Greek νεολογισμός νέος [neos] = new; λόγος [logos] = word) is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) — often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic and Aramaic. ... A dhimmi (also zimmi, Arabic: ‎, collectively: اهل الذمۃ, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection) was a free (i. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ... Prof. ...

Etymology

Dhimmi (also zimmi, Arabic ذمي, often translated as "protected") is the legal status of a free non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia — Islamic law. The word dhimmi is an adjective (but used like a noun in English). It is derived from the noun dhimma, which means "pact of liability", and denotes the legal relationship between non-Muslim subjects and the Islamic state. "Dhimmitude" adds the productive suffix "-tude" to the adjective dhimmi, thus creating a new noun with a meaning (arguably) distinct from dhimma. Sharia ( translit: ) refers to the body of Islamic law. ... Look up affix in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The term entered English-language use after the 1996 publication of the book "The Decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam. From Jihad to Dhimmitude. Seventh-Twentieth Century"^[2] and the 2003 followup "Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide"^[3] by Bat Ye'or. She is widely thought to have invented the word^[4] but she credits assassinated Lebanese Maronite leader Bashir Gemayel for the term. Bat Yeor (meaning daughter of the Nile in Hebrew; pseudonym of Giselle Littman) is an Egyptian-born British Jewish author and historian specializing in the Middle East, Islam, and non-Muslims in Muslim lands. ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... Bachir Gemayel, first name also spelt Bashir, (November 10, 1947 - September 14, 1982) was a Lebanese military commander and politician. ...

Bashir Gemayel coins the term dhimmitude

Christian leader Bashir Gemayel first coined the term dhimmitude in 1982

In the name of all Christians of the Middle East, and as Lebanese Christians, let us proclaim that if Lebanon is not to be a Christian national homeland, it will nonetheless remain a homeland for Christians. Above all a homeland for Christians, though one for others as well if they so choose a homeland to be protected and preserved, in which our churches may be rebuilt at the time and in the manner we desire

Yasser Arafat has transformed the church of Damour into a garage. We forgive him, and though they defiled, sullied, and pillaged the church of Damour, we will rebuild it. Had we been in Egypt or Syria, perhaps we would not even have had the right to rebuild a destroyed church.

Our desire is to remain in the Middle East so that our church bells may ring out our joys and sorrow whenever we wish! We want to continue to christen, to celebrate our rites and traditions, our faith and our creed whenever we wish! We want to be able to assume and testify to our Christianity in the Middle East!

And whatever may be the difficulty in offering this testimony, we will never renounce it. We will testify to our Christianity in Lebanon. We will testify to our Christianity in the Middle East!… :Henceforth, we refuse to live in any dhimmitude!

We no longer wish to be under any protection! Our martyrs have defended us! Our martyrs have defended our cause!

For eight years, our martyrs have defended our freedom and our presence in the Middle East, during which the whole world repudiated us, during which the whole world disinherited us, during which the whole world ignored us; and when we emerged victorious, all became our friends, all sought to befriend us.

In the future, it is our duty to deal with the whole world devoid of any sort of complex.:No one can outwit us!

No one can outrank us in bravery! And no one has defended his country more than we have defended ours!

We want to live here in dignity! We no longer wish people to preach morality or philosophy to us, to give money or inform us of the proper manner in which to act.

We alone knew what was expected of us, for had we not done what we did, we would not be here today and there would not have remained a single nun, priest, or cross!

From the speech of Bashir Gemayel, 14 September 1982^[5]. (bold typeface not in original) Image File history File links BachirGemayel2. ... Image File history File links BachirGemayel2. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... About 91% of the population of Lebanon is urban and comprises many different ethnic groups and religions, including numerous Christian and Muslim sects. ... Yassir Arafat (Arabic: ) August 24 or August 4, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born in Cairo[1] to Palestinian parents Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969–2004); President[1] of the Palestinian... Damour is a Lebanese Christian town that is 12 miles south of Beirut. ... A dhimmi (also zimmi, Arabic: ‎, collectively: اهل الذمۃ, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection) was a free (i. ... Bachir Gemayel, first name also spelt Bashir, (November 10, 1947 - September 14, 1982) was a Lebanese military commander and politician. ...

Associations and usage

The associations of the word "dhimmitude" vary between users:

• Bat Ye'or originally defined dhimmitude as the condition and experience of those who are subject to dhimma, and thus not synonymous to, but rather a subset of the dhimma phenomenon.
• It may be simply a replacement for the — compared to dhimmi — relatively little known noun dhimma and carry the same meaning. This has already widely happened in French usage (where "-tude" is a productive suffix, too)
• A more recent pejorative usage variant of "dhimmi" and "dhimmitude" divorces the words from the historical context of jihad and applies them to situations where non-Muslims in the West are allegedly championing Islamic causes above others’; "dhimmi" is synonymous with "Quisling" within this context. See, for example, the site Dhimmi Watch by Robert Spencer.

A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Quisling, after Norwegian fascist politician Vidkun Quisling, is a term used to describe traitors and collaborationists. ... Dhimmi Watch is a sub-section of the Jihad Watch website and blog (hosted by Middle East scholar and author Robert Spencer) which aims to publicize the plight of dhimmis, non-Muslims living in Muslim-governed states. ... R. Spencer Robert Bruce Spencer is an American writer focusing on Islam. ...

Sample views

Bat Yeor's definition:

"As for the concept of dhimmitude, it represents a behavior dictated by fear (terrorism), pacifism when aggressed, rather than resistance, servility because of cowardice and vulnerability. The origin of this concept is to be found in the condition of the Infidel people who submit to the Islamic rule without fighting in order to avoid the onslaught of jihad. By their peaceful surrender to the Islamic army, they obtained the security for their life, belongings and religion, but they had to accept a condition of inferiority, spoliation and humiliation. As they were forbidden to possess weapons and give testimony against a Muslim, they were put in a position of vulnerability and humility."^[6] Terrorist redirects here. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. ... An infidel (literally, one without faith) is one who doubts or rejects central tenets of a religion, especially those regarding its deities. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( ▶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Djehad, Jawwad, or Cihad, (Arabic: ‎ ) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which although to some connotes an inward spiritual struggle refers to the struggle to mobilize the energies and capabilities of Islamic individuals and groups...

Bernard Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, states that Prof. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey in the United States of America. ...

"If we look at the considerable literature available about the position of Jews in the Islamic world, we find two well-established myths. One is the story of a golden age of equality, of mutual respect and cooperation, especially but not exclusively in Moorish Spain; the other is of “dhimmi”-tude, of subservience and persecution and ill treatment. Both are myths. Like many myths, both contain significant elements of truth, and the historic truth is in its usual place, somewhere in the middle between the extremes."^[7]

Robert Spencer author of the The Myth of Islamic Tolerance defines dhimmitude as : Book cover The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims is a controversial collection of essays, including 17 by Bat Yeor, edited by writer Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch. ...

Dhimmitude is the status that Islamic law, the Sharia, mandates for non-Muslims, primarily Jews and Christians. Dhimmis, “protected” or “guilty” people, are free to practice their religion in a Sharia regime, but are made subject to a number of humiliating regulations designed to enforce the Qur'an's command that they "feel themselves subdued" (Sura 9:29). This denial of equality of rights and dignity remains part of the Sharia, and, as such, are part of the legal superstructure that global jihadists are laboring through violence to restore everywhere in the Islamic world, and wish ultimately to impose on the entire human race.^[8]

Anti Dhimmitude

Oriana Fallaci 1929-2006, was a notable advocate of anti-dhimmitude

Anti Dhimmitude, a related term, is a neologism coined by Dhimmi Watch founder and author Robert Spencer. The term describes behavior that is the reverse of dhimmitude, a state of social and human subservience and cowed conduct that, according to writers such as Bat Ye'or, characterises non-Muslim minorities who live in Muslim majority areas. The term is generally used by people who oppose Islamist groups' efforts to change public policy or subvert human rights such as free speech. Public release photo This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... Public release photo This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... A neologism (from Greek νεολογισμός νέος [neos] = new; λόγος [logos] = word) is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) — often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ... Dhimmi Watch is a sub-section of the Jihad Watch website and blog (hosted by Middle East scholar and author Robert Spencer) which aims to publicize the plight of dhimmis, non-Muslims living in Muslim-governed states. ... R. Spencer Robert Bruce Spencer is an American writer focusing on Islam. ... Bat Yeor (meaning daughter of the Nile in Hebrew; pseudonym of Giselle Littman) is an Egyptian-born British Jewish author and historian specializing in the Middle East, Islam, and non-Muslims in Muslim lands. ... Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ...

Usage

The term "anti-dhimmitude" has gained a great deal of traction in the blogging community to describe the behavior of individuals who uphold the values of free speech and free press despite the concerted efforts by fundamentalists to intimidate or silence them. Writer Diana West writes in Townhall magazine :^[9] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ... In the modern age, the free press has taken on multiple meanings. ... Fundamentalism is a movement to maintain strict adherence to founding principles. ... Townhall. ...

The publication of the Mohammed cartoons solicited by Denmark's Jyllands Posten was an act of anti-dhimmitude. Since no Danish artist would dare illustrate a PC children's book about Mohammed for fear of Islamic law (and Islamic violence), the newspaper boldly set out to reassert the rule of (non-Islamic) Danish law. It's as simple as that. And as vital. The cartoons ran to establish -- or re-establish -- Denmark as bastion of Western-style liberty.

Anti-Dhimmitude is increasingly being seen as a social response to Fundamentalist attempts to reverse the values of free societies^[10] or revise history^[11]. The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. ... Jyllands-Posten , full name: (help· info) (English: The Morning Newspaper / The Jutland Post), is Denmarks largest-selling daily newspaper. ... Fundamentalism is a movement to maintain strict adherence to founding principles. ...

Notable personalities associated with the term

A number of notable authors have been characterized by the term , such as Oriana Fallaci^[12][13], Australian prime minister John Howard, Bat Ye'or and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is currently the Prime Minister of Australia. ... Bat Yeor (meaning daughter of the Nile in Hebrew; pseudonym of Giselle Littman) is an Egyptian-born British Jewish author and historian specializing in the Middle East, Islam, and non-Muslims in Muslim lands. ... Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali ( ), born Ayaan Hirsi Magan 13 November 1969 [1] in Mogadishu, Somalia, is a Dutch feminist and politician, daughter of Hirsi Magan Isse. ...

See also

• Dhimmi
• Eurabia
• Pact of Umar

A dhimmi (also zimmi, Arabic: ‎, collectively: اهل الذمۃ, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection) was a free (i. ... Cover of The Economist magazine, June 24th-30th, 2006 edition Eurabia is a derogatory term used to describe the alleged process of political and cultural incorporation of Europe into the Islamic world. ... The Pact (Covenant) of Umar (c. ...

References

1. ^ Bernard Lewis, 'The New Anti-Semitism', The American Scholar Journal - Volume 75 No. 1 Winter 2006 pp. 25-36.
2. ^ Bat Ye'or (1996). The Decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam. From Jihad to Dhimmitude. Seventh-Twentieth Century. Madison/Teaneck, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press/Associated University Presses. ISBN 0-8386-3688-8.
3. ^ Bat Ye'or (2003). Islam and Dhimmitude. Where Civilizations Collide. Madison/Teaneck, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press/Associated University Presses. ISBN 0-8386-3943-7.
4. ^ "Brief Reviews", Mordechai Nisan in: Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2002 • Vol. IX: No. 4
5. ^ Bat Ye'or (1985). The Dhimmi Jews and Christians under Islam. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press/Associated University Presses. ISBN 0-8386-3262-9.
6. ^ John W. Whitehead: Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis, 05 September 2005
7. ^ Bernard Lewis, 'The New Anti-Semitism', The American Scholar Journal - Volume 75 No. 1 Winter 2006 pp. 25-36.
8. ^ Spencer, Robert: Billboard
9. ^ [1]
10. ^ [2]
11. ^ [3]
12. ^ [4]
13. ^ [5]

Bat Yeor (meaning daughter of the Nile in Hebrew; pseudonym of Giselle Littman) is an Egyptian-born British Jewish author and historian specializing in the Middle East, Islam, and non-Muslims in Muslim lands. ... Bat Yeor (meaning daughter of the Nile in Hebrew; pseudonym of Giselle Littman) is an Egyptian-born British Jewish author and historian specializing in the Middle East, Islam, and non-Muslims in Muslim lands. ...

External links

• Speculative Fiction by Dan Simmons
• Daniel Pipes article: Dhimmitude in Practice
• The Cross and the Crescent
• Islamic Apostates' Tales
• Shattering Taboos of Radical Islam
• Global Jihad and America's War
• Dhimmis for Dummies
• How to concoct a conspiracy theory Thomas Jones, London Review of Books