Amara, Muhammad. “Freedom of Non-Muslim Minorities in the Muslim World,” Year 8, Issues 31-32 (Winter 1424 AH/ 2003 CE), Pp. 121-166.

Abstract

Muhammad Amara’s article addresses the concept of “minority” from a cultural and social perspective (a concept that originates in the West) and compares it with the concept of “majority,” doing so in light of a Qur’anic understanding of both terms. It discusses the Islamic position on Jewish and Christian minorities, using Egypt as a model for freedom of belief for minorities. Through a demographic study, it addresses the contemporary reality of non-Muslim minorities in the Arab and Muslim worlds and the challenges they face, and presents the Palestinian case and the sectarian wars in Lebanon. It concludes with a future vision for these minorities and an attempt to resolve their religious, social, and cultural issues.