The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam: From Jihad to Dhimmitude

In this study, Bat Yeor gives an analysis of the dogma and strategies of jihad, offering a vast panorama of the history of the Jews and Christians under the rule of Islam. A pioneer in a virgin field of research for which she has coined the term dhimmitude, the author has included a documentary section illuminating the process of Eastern Christianitys Islamization. In two waves of Islamic expansion, the Christian and Jewish populations of the Mediterranean regions and Mesopotamia, who had developed the most prestigious civilizations, were conquered by jihad. Millions of Christians from Spain, Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Armenia; Latins and Slavs from southern and central Europe; as well as Jews, were henceforth governed by the sharia (Islamic law). A knowledge of this historical background is essential in order to understand contemporary events.