ABSTRACT
The role of religious minorities in Islamic thought has received increased attention after the rise of the so-called Islamic State Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The lack of any unified authority structure in Islam ensures a wide diversity of views on this and every other matter. Bat Ye'or, in her work The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam, presents a widely accepted view of the classical Islamic understanding of religious minorities under Islamic rule. Ye'or underlines the oppressive and penalizing effect. The second largest Christian community of the Middle East, the Maronites of Lebanon have not only become political actors but have taken up arms in protection both of their interests and of the nation, ideals which have sometimes been blurred. An-Na'im argues that the revelations in Mecca can support the development of a modern concept of citizenship. Some of the minorities might be foreign ambassadors or merchants temporarily residing in Islamic domains prisoners, or members of a protected religious community.
