Analysis of the "Jizya" Concept
Submitted by Ibn Kammuna on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 10:00
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Introduction In this article, I discuss issues related to the concept of Jizya in Islam. I will be quoting mostly from Mr. Bassam Zawadi, a Muslim apologetic who is not willing to give an inch to the Kafirs. Mr. Zawadi's articles are found on-line in many sites. I will be quoting him from this link: http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/is_jizya_tax_oppressive.htm Analysis According to Zawadi, the Jizya is a tax imposed on the Christians and Jews living under the protection of the Islamic state. However, it is not imposed on all Christians and Jews. It is only imposed on the men who have attained puberty. So therefore it is not imposed on the women and children. The tax is also imposed fairly and is not meant to be overburdening. I have to admit I do have a problem with what Mr. Zawadi is saying right away. First, how can anyone believe that it is a justified norm of practice by the state to impose taxes on people because of their religious background? This is not acceptable. The state must treat all of its members equally under the law. This includes a uniform code of taxes that applies to all citizens of the state, regardless of their faiths or belief systems. Second, how can a state have a Religion? Religion is a private matter. It does not belong to the state. It does not belong to the public domain. So, any decent human being should reject the concept of a state that has a religion, be it "Islamic State" or "Christian State" or "Hindu State" or "Any Religion State". Nowadays, the concept of a religious state is only alive, as far as I know, in Islamic apologetic circles. Islam is such a tyrant religion that it wants to impose its will on all groups and religions. This is actually one of the factors that make me believe that "Islam" per se belongs to, as Sina put it, "the dustbin of history". Islam is an ideology that human civilizations have passed centuries ago. Going back to my analysis of the quote above, Mr. Zawadi says that Jizya is imposed on adult Christians and Jews. My question is this: Why single out any group of people for a tax that does not treat all citizens of the state in a similar manner? And the answer that I suspect Mr. Zawadi will say is that because it is an "Islamic State". And here is our problem, the "Islamic" state. It is a prejudist state. It is a state of "Races" if you will. The "Muslim" race has the upper hand and can dictate its will on all. Non-Muslims are subjects living in that state, but have to abide by rules specially designed for them. They are not treated, under the law, as Muslims. The concept of Jizya is a stark reminder of this dilemma for the Muslim state. Muslim apologetics, like Mr. Zawadi, are aware of this fact, and so, they try to sugar-coat different Islamic concepts (i.e. Jizya) to make it "digestible" to the western mind. I myself ran into Islamic sites on the web that talk about the Jizya as if it is the sweetest thing ever. I almost went in and emailed them saying: "sign me up for a dhimmi. I love the Jizya!!" The fact of the matter is Jizya is discrimination in practice by the Muslim state against some of its citizens. Anyone with common sense should know better. The state must never design its tax system based on the religious background of its citizens. Going back to Mr. Zawadi, he says that the Jizya tax is "also imposed fairly..." How can a tax be imposed fairly when a twenty-year old Christian male has to pay it, and a twenty-year old Muslim male does not have to pay it? What kind of "fairness" are we talking about here? This is utter nonsense. If anything, it only shows how unjust the concept of Jizya is. Let us continue quoting Mr. Zawadi: The Jizya tax guarantees the Christians and Jews complete protection under the Islamic state. If an enemy country attacks the Islamic country, the Islamic country has a duty to defend the Christians and Jews and the Christians and Jews are not even obliged to fight! Now, it is clear the purpose of this tax: it is to defend Christians and Jews. How nice! What Mr. Zawadi ignored is that Christians and Jews must be accorded full rights as citizens of the state. This means they should have a right to join, or not join, the armed forces, if they wanted. However, the Islamic state does not give them the right to join. They are forced out of the military by force (by sanctioned Islamic laws). They, Christians and Jews, can never be high ranking officers in an Islamic state. The same applies to political leadership positions in the government. Only Muslims are allowed to occupy such positions. The concept of an Islamic state bears stark resemblance to WWII Germany and the Arian Race supremacy concept. Here, we have the "Muslims" to replace the "Arian Race". Mr. Zawadi continues: Muslims also have to pay a yearly tax called Zakat. Zakat is even binding on property, and jewellery. Zakat should also be paid in the form of food as well. The Jizya is not binding on the property of the Christians and Jews. The idea here is that because Muslims pay Zakat, it is fair enough that Christians and Jews pay Jizya. Well Mr. Zawadi, this is beside the point. If a citizen of the state is to pay a tax called Zakat, then it should be applied universally, regardless of religious background of the individual paying it. The same must apply if the tax was called "Jizya". By the way, I have noticed that some Islamic sites mention that the Jizya amount of money is much smaller than what the Zakat amount is. This is what I call "marketing Islam" to make it more appealing to those who don't know better. The "amount" is immaterial here. What is at stake is establishing fairness of taxation for the citizens of the state, regardless of the faiths of the participating individuals. Mr. Bassam Zawadi continues: Zakah is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and it is compulsory on everyone. It is compulsory even on the non-Muslim, this is called Jizya. Jizya does not degrade the non-Muslim people, it actually brings equality. Since the Muslims are obliged to pay Zakah, then why cant non-Muslims pay Jizya? That brings equality between the two. So, Jizya brings "equality" says Zawadi. My above analysis showed that his analysis is in fact a flawed one. You cannot bring equality to the citizens of the state by taxing them according to their belief systems. I do need to add one more point here. The Jizya concept is clearly designed to prevent Non-Muslims from having any power in the military systems and the political systems of the state. Claiming that "Jizya does not degrade the non-Muslim people", as Mr. Zawadi claims, is just a Big Lie. Conclusion The Jizya tax is unfair. It establishes a prejudist system of taxation where one group of people, the Muslims, pay a certain tax called Zakat. If that same group of people were not Muslims, they would have paid a different tax called Jizya. Jizya is also a prejudist system of taxation because it prevents a group of people from joining the military and its highest ranking officials. That same group is also prevented from taking high political positions in the state based on their religious background. In short, the Jizya tax belongs to the dustbin of history.
Excellent analysis Ibn
Excellent analysis Ibn Kammuna!
To add a point, I believe a Jizzya system was designed by muhamad and his bunch of thugs as a means to humiliate christians and jews with the purpose of intimidating them to convert. Islam is full of these intimidatory systems.
as usual great article Ibn
as usual great article Ibn Kammuna. I appreciate your articles
"guarantees the Christians and Jews complete protection under the Islamic state" is this a joke ??
Protecting Jews and Chirstians from whom??
It was the muslimeen who attacked the christains of the Byzantine state and took their land
I think any logical human being who reads a little bit of ME history will Laugh at this protection and pity those protected.
This Jizzya Tax is practiced
This Jizzya Tax is practiced in a classical way in Malaysia though discreetly.
1. Every Non Malay (almost all Non Muslims) must pay at least 8% more to buy property and this is compulsory and there are houses reserved in each estate.This includes the Millionaire's row up to the low cost flats.
2. In any establishment at least 30% of all jobs of any company must be held by Malays at all levels or the license may be affected.
3. Malays are taken care of from Womb to Tomb including free lifelong education though they need not even have the average grades, whilst their better non Muslim counterparts pay huge sums of education for obtaining a professional qualification.
4. There are no more seniors among non Malays in civil service including District Officers. There a few scattered to portray a multiracial fake picture.\
5. One cannot hold a senior rank in the Police or the Army and more
God Bless Malaysia & the World
Non Malays are not resentful
Non Malays are not resentful if the poor benefit from the Jizzya Tax in Malaysia but the irony is the richer benefit more than the poor Malays and even the poorest non Malays. No one will grudge if poor non Malays benefit. In this globalized world Malays will soon become incompetent and thanks to the government for giving them lifelong crutches, they may be unable to walk without when not fended for.
God Bless Malaysia and the World
Thank you
Thank you Brothers/Sisters.
One of the sad things in history is that Middle Eastern Christians helped the newly formed Islamic State to take over the Middle East. They saw them as "Liberators" from the rule of Rome. Actually, the Muslims did not even know how to run a state. So, the Christians did that, and taught them how to do it. I am sure many heard the name "John of Damascus". He was one of those. Peace folks.
You are paying tax wherever
You are paying tax wherever you live. Islam has also tax (aka Jizya) system. Even Islamic tax system is more humane than other tax system as the Islamic tax system do not impose tax on those who are not able to afford it. So, what's the problem?
I think this discussion is
I think this discussion is absurd, we are debating the merits of Jizya if weather it is right or wrong to collect this tax when the whole concept behind the tax is to subdue and humiliate you to such an extent that most will join Islam but only the strong willed will be able to hold out in an islamic state but for how long ?
Amim is in the coffin
AMIM the problem is it is
AMIM the problem is it is based on religious background. If you are a muslim and not staying in any muslim country will you like to pay such a tax to other religion.
AMIM, Did you even read the
AMIM,
Did you even read the article. Why don't you start reading and thinking for yourself for a change man?
The infidels should
The infidels should reciprocate and impose the jizya and its job discrimination on all the Muslims living in their countries. Give them a taste of their own bitter medicine and let us all see how sweet they find it. Guaranteed to cure the taqiyya of those Muslims living there in freedom and spouting their nonsense.
Shafee, this is a crazy
Shafee, this is a crazy world. If Non-Muslims even as much as think of doing something like this there will be blood bath on the streets. I remember during the 90's when the BJP Government had proposed a common civil Code in India, the Muslims were the only one's to oppose it. Of course they had their Akkah's the Congress I, the Leftists, SP, etc to support them.
The Muslims only concern is that they should be allowed to have Sharia as the law for them. However they want Sharia only to the extent that it satisfies their need to have multiple wives and a host of children.
We have people like Imam Bukhari, who say that if India even thinks of implementing the Sharia he will tell his friends in Saudi Arabia to stop supplying oil to India. This is how Muslims arm twist others.
Its funny considering if a Hindu had made a similar statement he would have be declared as the enemy of the State. Hence the Hindu anger is rising in India. If 2mrw there is a blood bath in India, the Muslims have no1 but their own Ulema to blame for it.
Well said Ibrahim, and such
Well said Ibrahim, and such preferential treatment to the muslims is alienating more and more moderate Hindu's.
While the Zakat is welfare
While the Zakat is welfare that leaves the poor ( I would say approximately 90-99% of the Muslim population ) dependent on the rich to provide for them, the Jizya is taking money away from their slaves ( the nonmuslims ).
Ibrahim, it is rare to see
Ibrahim, it is rare to see people like you revealing the truth. The Congress, Leftists, and other stupid political parties are in fact drowning Muslims by not supporting the common civil code. The intention of these parties is to divide Hindu votes and garner Muslim and Christian votes to be in power. Recently, a communist party MP's daughter, who was travelling with her Muslim classmate, was thrashed by some hooligans. All the media in India blamed Hindus for that. Then when the real culprits were arrested it was found out that communist party members were behind the episode. Commies didn't want their MP's daughter to roam around with a Muslim. Externally they support Muslims, but internally they just despise them. It is the same with Congress: Manmohan singh says he couldn't sleep at night because of Haneef's arrest in Australia. They want army head count so that they could infuse more Muslims in the army. The reaction of Hindus to all these misadventures is justified.
[...] admin wrote an
[...] admin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe state must never design its tax system based on the religious background of its citizens. Going back to Mr. Zawadi, he says that the Jizya tax is “also imposed fairly…” How can a tax be imposed fairly when a … [...]
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