The Revival of Dhimmitude

How Modern Islamic States Reinvent Medieval Discrimination

Islamic law historically institutionalized a second-class status for non-Muslims under Muslim rule, formalized in the dhimmī system. The dhimmah (or "pact of protection") was predicated on a permanent theological inferiority: non-Muslims were allowed to live in Muslim lands only under humiliating, legally inferior conditions, enforced by ritual, economic, and social boundaries.

Though colonialism and secular reform diluted the power of classical fiqh in the 19th and 20th centuries, modern Islamic states have revived many core features of the dhimmī framework. What has changed is not the substance, but the form: instead of jizyah and colored belts, we now see blasphemy laws, constitutional apartheid, and religious-based exclusion from public life.

This post dissects how three major Islamic states—Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan—have reinstated key elements of dhimmitude, often cloaked in modern legal rhetoric but rooted in classical jurisprudence.

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1. Saudi Arabia: The Wahhabi Fortress of Ritual Purity and Exclusion

A. Legal and Religious Context

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world officially governed by Wahhabi Hanbali jurisprudence, which adheres strictly to medieval Sunni fiqh. In this interpretation:

• Non-Muslims are considered najis (ritually impure).

• The land is viewed as sacred Islamic territory (ḥaram) from which unbelievers must be kept out.

B. Exclusion of Non-Muslims

• Mecca and Medina are closed to all non-Muslims. Entering these cities is a crime for non-Muslims under Saudi law.

• No churches, temples, or synagogues are allowed on Saudi soil.

• Non-Muslim worship—even in private—is prohibited, though rarely enforced among Western expatriates in compounds.

C. Constitutional Framework

• Saudi Arabia has no written constitution. The Qur’an and Sunnah are the “constitution.”

• Only Muslims may become citizens, and apostasy is punishable by death.

• Religious police (mutawwaʿīn, formerly the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) enforced religious conformity until recent curtailment under MBS—but the ideological basis remains intact.

D. Continuity with Classical Dhimmitude

Classical Dhimmah	Saudi Policy
Non-Muslims banned from sacred cities	Mecca and Medina off-limits to all non-Muslims
Non-Muslim houses of worship forbidden	No churches, temples, or synagogues allowed
Ritual impurity of unbelievers	Fatwas affirm najāsah of non-Muslims
Jizyah as symbolic subjugation	Implicit subjugation through banishment and exclusion

Saudi Arabia exemplifies ritualistic dhimmitude—a system of exclusion, not subjugation, where non-Muslims are unfit to exist publicly at all within sacred Muslim territory.

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2. Iran: Theocratic Codification of Religious Apartheid

A. Twelver Shīʿī Jurisprudence on Impurity

In classical Twelver Shīʿism:

• Non-Muslims are considered ritually impure—to the extent that touching a non-Muslim could render one unclean (najis).

• Khomeini affirmed this in his Tahrir al-Wasīlah, listing kuffār as among ten intrinsic impurities.

B. Constitutional Hierarchy

Iran’s 1979 Constitution:

• Declares Islam as the official religion (Art. 12) and Shiʿism as the only accepted school.

• Recognizes Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians as religious minorities with limited rights (Art. 13).

• Excludes Baháʼís, labeling them heretical, and subjects them to systemic discrimination.

C. Legal and Civic Discrimination

• Only Shīʿī Muslims may hold high offices (Supreme Leader, President, Judiciary Head).

• Non-Muslims are barred from military command, judiciary, and many public service roles.

• Baháʼís are denied access to university education, government employment, and civil rights.

• Interfaith marriage between a Muslim woman and non-Muslim man is not recognized.

D. Ritual and Social Marginalization

• Restaurants and homes may consider themselves ritually contaminated if a non-Muslim enters.

• Schools and state media promote the idea of Islamic moral superiority over kuffār.

E. Continuity with Classical Dhimmitude

Classical Dhimmah	Modern Iran Policy
Jizyah and limited legal rights	Constitutional exclusion and taxation discrimination
Ritual impurity of non-Muslims	Affirmed in modern fatwas and cultural practice
Subjugated but “protected” minorities	Jews and Christians allowed limited civic rights
Apostates and heretics punished harshly	Baháʼís completely excluded, apostasy criminalized

Iran maintains a textbook dhimmī structure—enshrined in law, practice, and theology—just updated for a modern theocracy.

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3. Pakistan: Blasphemy Laws as Modern Instruments of Subjugation

A. Islam in the Constitution

• Pakistan's constitution defines it as an Islamic Republic (Art. 1).

• The president and prime minister must be Muslim (Art. 41).

• Islam is the state religion, and all laws must conform to the Qur’an and Sunnah (Art. 227).

B. Exclusion of Ahmadis

• In 1974, Ahmadis were declared non-Muslim through a constitutional amendment.

• The 1984 Ordinance XX criminalized their religious expression:

  • They cannot refer to their places of worship as mosques.

  • They are barred from using Islamic terms, greetings, or symbols.

• Violation of these rules can lead to imprisonment and mob violence.

C. Blasphemy Laws

• Sections 295–298 of the Pakistan Penal Code enforce blasphemy prohibitions:

  • 295-B/C: Desecrating the Qur’an or insulting Muhammad carries life imprisonment or death.

  • 298-A/B/C: Specifically targets Ahmadis and other minorities.

• These laws are weaponized against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and reformist Muslims.

• Mere accusation often leads to lynchings or forced displacement.

D. Cultural and Legal Inferiority

• Non-Muslim testimonies often carry less weight.

• Civil services, education, and land ownership are skewed against minorities.

• Religious minorities are overrepresented in sanitation and sewer jobs—a carryover from dhimmī roles.

E. Continuity with Classical Dhimmitude

Classical Dhimmah	Modern Pakistan Policy
Humiliating taxes and limitations	Blasphemy laws enforce deference and silence
Legal inferiority in courts	Non-Muslim testimonies often devalued
Prohibition on proselytization	Ahmadis criminalized for preaching their beliefs
Public worship tightly regulated	Minorities face mob threats, licensing obstacles

Pakistan replicates submissive dhimmitude, where visible submission and silence are required from non-Muslims—and any deviation can mean death.

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Conclusion: Dhimmitude Is Alive—Just Rebranded

The modern Islamic state has not discarded the medieval fiqh-based vision of Muslim supremacy and non-Muslim submission. Instead, it has:

• Swapped the jizyah for blasphemy laws,

• Replaced turbans and belts with citizenship tests and ritual bans,

• And enshrined discriminatory theology into national constitutions.

The term "dhimmī" may be gone, but its essence persists: non-Muslims may live among Muslims only on Islam’s terms—never as equals.

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🔎 Challenge and Response Section

If you believe this article misrepresents the position of Islam or any specific state mentioned, please respond with:

• Direct quotations from constitutions or fatwas,

• Clarifying legislation or authoritative Islamic legal sources,

• Or contemporary scholarly defenses of the systems described.

All claims are open to factual correction—but not to obfuscation or apologetics.