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History of the Jews under Muslim rule
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Various Jewish communities were among the peoples who came under Muslim rule with the spread of Islam, which began in the early 7th century in the time of Muhammad and the early Muslim conquests.
Under Islamic rule, Jews, along with Christians and certain other pre-Islamic monotheistic religious groups, were given the status of dhimmi (Arabic: ذِمّيّ 'of the covenant') under Islamic law, which granted them certain rights while imposing specific obligations and restrictions.[1] The treatment of Jews varied significantly depending on the period and location. For example, during the Almohad period in North Africa and Spain, Jews faced harsh persecution and were forced to convert to Islam, flee, or face severe consequences.[2] In contrast, during waves of persecution in Medieval Europe, many Jews found refuge in Muslim lands where conditions were comparatively more tolerant during certain eras.[3]
The introduction of nationalist ideologies (including Zionism and Arab nationalism), the impact of colonial policies, and the establishment of modern nation-states altered the status and dynamics of Jewish communities in Muslim-majority countries. These shifts culminated in the large-scale emigration of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa during the mid-20th century. Today, Jews residing in Muslim countries have been reduced to a small fraction of their former sizes, with Iran and Turkey being home to the largest remaining Jewish populations, followed by Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Yemen, Algeria, Syria, Pakistan and Iraq. This was due to Zionist recruitment, religious beliefs, economic reasons, widespread persecution, antisemitism, political instability and curbing of human rights in Muslim-majority countries. In 2018, the Jewish Agency for Israel estimated that around 27,000 Jews live in Arab and Muslim countries.[4][5][6]
- ^ Berend, Nora; Hameau-Masset, Youna; Nemo-Pekelman, Capucine; Tolan, John, eds. (2017). Religious Minorities in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Law (5th–15th Centuries). Brepols Publishers. pp. 58–59. doi:10.1484/M.RELMIN-EB.5.109274. ISBN 978-2-503-56571-2.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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- ^ Staff, Toi (8 September 2018). "Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, figures show 14.7 million Jews around the globe". Times of Israel.
- ^ "Global Jewish population reaches 14.7 million". The Jerusalem Post. 9 September 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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