PC Zealots and Dhimmis

Nikki draws a scary comparison between minorities living in countries run by zealous Muslims and minorities living in countries run by PC zealots of any persuasion -- especially climate change and non-smoking zealots -- and believes that sharia-type dhimmitude is being used by these zealots to force conversion in the same way that Islam gained ground and draws upon the history of western and Islamic civilizations, as well as the Abrahamic legacy, to make her point.

"Under sharia law," explains Nikki, "a dhimmi is a non-Muslim subject who, in return for paying a special tax designed to force acknowledgment of Muslim superiority, is allowed to practice another religion, subject to certain conditions."

"I know climate change and smoking are not exactly religions -- although to some indigenous people smoking is very much a part of their culture, and for the rest of us it is a way of life," says Nikki, "yet the analogy is pertinent because it is about an unfair tax and a zealous campaign to convert non-believers into believers."

"Like zealous Muslims who want to save non-Muslims from hell and a deluded, evil and unclean life spent without knowing the message of the true God -- the god of Abraham that the Jews and the Christians had corrupted -- climate change and non-smoking zealots want to save us from a similar fate," explains Nikki. "Conversion to Islam or a green or non-smoking life is good for us, you see. The modus operandi of the zealots is every bit as religious as that used by the Islamic fanatics."

"As more and more western nations come under the control of zealots, minority groups become dhimmis in these countries when they refuse to cut their carbon footprint or quit smoking or whatever, but, in return for paying a special tax designed to force acknowledgment of the superiority of non-smokers, they are generously allowed to continue their evil ways, subject to certain conditions."

"The object of dhimmitude was to put non-Muslims into such a precarious position -- financially and socially -- that they would willingly convert," explains Nikki. "As well as paying an exorbitant tax -- to bring them low, into a state of submission -- they were also subjected to social humiliation. So, if the tax didn't cripple them first then the social humiliation that went with it was sufficient to ultimately bring most non-Muslims into the Islamic fold."

"Doesn't this remind you of the current climate change and anti-smoking campaigns?"

"Special taxation was seen by Muslim rulers as a material proof of the dhimmi's submission," says Nikki, "but it was the various restrictions placed on dhimmis that made their lives unbearable."

"Most of these restrictions were designed to be symbolic, a constant reminder to the dhimmis that they were inferior to their Muslim peers -- like restricting where vehicles can park or where smokers can smoke," says Nikki. "And, because of these symbolic restrictions, their Muslim peers were encouraged to treat them with contempt -- like contemptuous defacing of SUVs or coughing around smokers."

"Unlike the early Christians who won converts by love, acceptance and incorporation of certain pagan customs, the early Muslims gave people three choices -- convert, pay a tribute, or die by the sword," says Nikki, "and that's exactly the sort of blackmail we're hearing from our zealous governments -- cut your carbon footprint, quit smoking or pay an exorbitant taxes -- but without an opportunity to fight for our rights and die by the sword if necessary!"

"Actually, the later Christians did enact dhimmitude laws against Jews so they were not exactly loving and accepting towards members of their parent religion," sighs Nikki. "Under Byzantine law, the Christians forbade Jews from praying too loudly, building new synagogues, criticizing Christianity, marrying a Christian, or owning a Christian slave and they were banned from all public offices and the army -- and were required to pay a special tax for being Jews, too."

"It was a poetic justice, perhaps, that all of these restrictions were then placed upon Christians when Byzantine lands became occupied by Muslim forces," says Nikki, "and, considering the likelihood that Europe will one day become Eurabia, our zealous Christian leaders should bear this fact in mind -- especially those who want alcohol on tap 24/7, at every street corner, because this just won't be allowed under Muslim rule."

"As I tried to explain before, religion and culture are so intertwined that it is not always possible to separate them," says Nikki. "Christianity and alcohol consumption go together like Islam and hookah smoking, right? I'm not exactly sure when the Arabs took up hookah smoking, but wine drinking was part of ancient Jewish culture and became an integral part of Christian ritual in respect of wine representing the blood of Jesus. Whereas smoking may be taken up by Muslims when they are young adults and is not related to religious ritual in any shape or form, the drinking of wine is introduced to Christians as little children as an integral part of the religious ritual."

"No wonder so many Christians end up drunks!"

"Early Islamic jurists took a relatively humane and practical attitude towards dhimmis compared to later jurists -- especially those after the 11th century when Islam was under threat both at home and abroad," says Nikki, "and if their later treatment of dhimmis is what we evil carbon emitters and smokers have to look forward to then God help us!"

"The early Islamic jurists insisted that dhimmis must not be burdened beyond their capacity to pay their special tax or be caused to suffer humiliation," says Nikki. "Later on, however, dhimmis were deliberately humiliated when paying their special tax -- they were disgraced, humiliated and belittled in order to support the goal of making Islam prevail over all other religions."

"They were kept in a perpetual state of worry by not being told about the exact amount of tax they had to pay (sounds familiar?); they were required to pay the tax standing, head bowed, while the Muslim tax collector sat and struck them on both cheeks, followed by a strike on the neck with his fist and then they were chased away -- and all Muslims were encouraged to watch and enjoy this spectacle."

"Watch out for this sort of thing coming soon at your local gas or tobacco outlet!"

"By the 11th century, discrimination against non-Muslims was deemed necessary and because dhimmis were not allowed to testify against a Muslim in court they became open slather for violence and robbery," sighs Nikki. "Non-Muslims were considered only worth a fraction of a Muslim's life, and if you weren't murdered or robbed of all possessions then you had to endure being pelted with stones, spat at and cursed at -- especially by Muslim children -- which is the sort of treatment a lot of non-PC minority groups like smokers are already reporting."

"Despite a prohibition on carrying weapons or joining the army, dhimmis were sometimes used as auxiliary soldiers, like a dog, and the use of derogatory names against non-Muslims was common and encouraged -- as it now is against non-PC minority groups."

"On top of the tax and the same restrictions that Christians placed upon Jews came extra conditions requiring non-Muslims to wear distinctive dress. Prohibitions were also placed on the visible display of religious symbols as well as wine and pork -- and they were also prohibited from riding on horses and camels, and had to ride donkeys instead (to highlight their inferiority)."

"Already in scientific circles the word of a smoker is considered less than that of a non-smoker; current hospital policy ensures that slim, non-smokers get better treatment than overweight people and smokers; and the EU -- the ostensible bastion of equal opportunity -- actually bans smokers from employment," sighs Nikki. "It won't be long before non-PC minorities are forced to wear a distinctive badge (like a Star of Marlboro, or a Carbon Footprint), forbidden to display a cigarette packet in public and prohibited from riding on public transport (just because we are smokers, not because we are smoking)."

"While Christians converted to Islam relatively quickly, most Jews remained obstinate and as a result suffered horribly under Islamic rule," says Nikki. "In Spain, Central Asia, and southern Arabia Christianity died out completely because transition from a superior to an inferior status was too much for the Christians to endure."

"This is so relevant to the climate change and smoking issues -- and so true in every respect -- that it almost makes me want to convert to Judaism (if they accept non-PC minorities?) in order to identify with a group of people who have the courage of their convictions and would rather die than submit to tyranny."

"Finally, forced conversions became mandatory when Islamic jurists began to realize that many Muslim communities were being wholly financed by dhimmi tax and as a result were becoming lazy, inept and corrupt," explains Nikki. "Just like big carbon footprint consumers and smokers are a vital source of revenue for our governments, so were the dhimmis to the Muslims -- and the result is the same. Easy tax makes fat cats, drunk on unearned power."

"From the 12th century until the Ottoman Empire was wiped out during WWI, Jews and Christians were being forcibly converted to Islam or killed," says Nikki, "and while non-PC minorities may never have to face the firing squad, being forced to convert to the zealot's beliefs is something we will ultimately have to face, too, unless some enlightened nation steps in and protects our rights as Britain and France did in 1866 in respect of the Jews of Barforoush."

"Beware, too, all non-PC minorities who have children because some Islamic rulers took non-Muslim children from their parents and raised them as Muslims -- and you can see that sort of thing being talked about already in respect of smoking mothers."

"Also, dhimmis were prohibited from proselytizing, publishing and selling non-Muslim literature and obstructing the spread of Islam -- which is similar to prohibitions on advertising tobacco products, forced anti-smoking propaganda on cigarette packs and a complete ban in the media of pro-smoking stories. Wonder when they will crack down on non-PC blogs about climate change and smoking?"

"With rare exceptions, dhimmis were not prohibited from living in certain places -- but there was the same antagonism between Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors as there now is between PC and non-PC neighbors," says Nikki. "We may not be required -- yet -- to attach distinctive signs to our houses to distinguish them from those of our zealous PC neighbors, but already the PC zealots are adopting Islamic social customs to make out that smokers, for instance, like non-Muslims, are 'unclean' and disgusting. The smell of wine and pork being as disgusting to a Muslim as cigarette smoke is to a non-smoker."

"As I see it, the climate change and anti-smoking campaigns have nothing to do with survival and everything to do with power and money and possibly a subtle backlash against Muslim immigrants, too" says Nikki. "Dhimmi carbon and tobacco taxes and dhimmi humiliation of non-PC minorities imposed by our so-called civilized Christian western governments makes them as intolerant, brutal and venal as the old Islamic nations but try pointing out these similarities to the average compliant citizen with an IQ of 100 or under and they are congenitally unable to get it."

"As all nations are based on some fanatical religion or ideology -- none of which appeal to me -- I am at a loss to know where non-PC minorities who refuse to capitulate to this blackmail can live in peace, prosperity and dignity."