9th Century Discriminatory Badges
The Qadi, Ahmed b. Talib
(9th century), compelled the dhimmis to wear upon their shoulder a patch of white
cloth (riqa') that bore the image of an ape
(for the Jews) and a pig (for the Christians),
and to nail onto their doors a board hearing
the sign of a monkey (p. 142).
[Muslims reviled Christians for eating pork, which
they, like the Jews,
considered unclean. According to the Koran (2:65), Jews were transformed into apes on
account of' their sins. See also: "Whomsoever
God has cursed, and with whom He is wroth,
and made some of them apes and swine, and
worshippers of idols . . ." (Koran 5:
65), which was considered by Muslirn commentators
on the Koran to refer to Jews and Christians.
Translator's note - P.B.F.]
al-Maliki (11th Century), Riyad
an Nufus (Bibl. Nat., Paris: Ms. Arabe 2153,
Vol. 52v), In H. R. Idris
Sources: Bat Ye'or, The
Dhimmi. Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson
University Press, 1985. |