Jews in Arab countries were third class citizens. They forced to pay jizyah, wear yellow badges and other humiliating signes, they could not ride horse, build houses taller than Muslims, could not rise hand on Muslim even for self defence etc etc.. But this was not enough, they were often massacred and expelled. No wonder that after Israel created 99.9% of Jews in Arab countries left for Israel.
I must say you have the Arabs confused with the Nazis!!!
Jews were treated quite well by most of the Arab countries and when we consider the norms of the times, it was very reasonable.
At the onset of the Muslim state, the Jews were mostly very close to the Muslims and were not victims of any persecution simply based on their religion.
Jizya was a tax and exempted the minorities from mandatory military service.
Tax was also paid by Muslims and it was called Zakat, however the Muslims were not exempt from military service.
Jizya and Zakat were paid to be counted as citizen of the state.
It was not a humiliating thing but a tax, it ensured the rights of every citizen whether Jew or Muslim or Christian.
The height restrictions on houses was also applied to Muslims and was not just a Jews only restriction.
Some Muslim houses were reduced in height upon complaints of neighbors in Egypt under the Caliph Umar RA, so there is historical evidence to prove this as well.
Purpose was to achieve uniformity, discourage show of wealth and also to prevent people from prying into their neighbors house and cause a disturbance.
Even modern housing societies have restrictions on heights so that is not something tragic nor was it only applied to Jews.
Jews could not ride horses?
Come on man that is really lame.
When Muslims conquered modern day Syria and surrounding lands, they were well supported by Jews, there was no Nazi like persecution of Jews.
The Jews actually felt persecuted at the hands of the Romans who treated them as third class citizens; whereas the Muslims were obligated to ensure equality of those who paid the Jizya as citizens of the state.
In Spain, it was again Muslims and Jews who easily mingled as opposed to Muslims and Christians who were always at clash.
Self defense was something allowed to anyone, there is no law in Islam which says that no Jew is allowed to defend himself from Muslims.
The state was responsible for protection of all citizens but if there was some issue the non Muslims were entitled to take anyone to court and no one was exempt.
The Caliph Ali RA was taken to court over a suit of armor which a Jew claimed was his property.
The Caliph Ali RA lost the case due to lack of witnesses because the judge refused to accept his own family as witnesses.
Such things were unimaginable under the Romans but very much possible in the Muslim empire which granted rights to all its Jizya paying and Zakat paying citizens.
Also note that Jizya and Zakat were payable only by those who had the capacity to do so.
For people below the poverty line, this was not an obligation.
This was how things were at the start of the Muslim state/empire and in its early days.
These were not PR efforts but examples set by the most iconic of Muslim rulers in order for others to emulate.
Most of the rulers emulated the example of not showing contempt towards any citizen based on their religion.
There may have been some less capable rulers here and there in some states but there was no Jew Phobia in the Muslim world nor was there any hatred for Jews.
All this only started with the Israel and Palestinian conflict.
Due to the crusades there was definitely a friction between the Muslim state and the Christian powers but even this never resulted in the persecution of the Christian population.
Salahuddin did not persecute his Christian or Jewish subjects.
When the Spanish Muslims and Jews were ruthlessly persecuted by the Spanish Inquisition
for centuries, those who escaped mostly settled in North Africa or Turkey which were Muslim states.
The decent treatment of minorities was one of the reasons why the Muslim States were full of thinkers, inventors, artists etc. from all over the world.
In this the Muslims were bound by their religious code and the examples of their rulers past.
Despite having overwhelming power for centuries, Muslims never did to Jews what happened in the Spanish Inquisition or in Nazi Germany.
So you should stop spreading this false notion that Muslim States were treating Jews as third class citizens, in those days being a third class citizen usually meant a Spanish Inquisition like scenario...this was never enacted by Muslims.
Even 20th century Europe has a glaring example of what third class citizens were treated like.
So please get real.
but if you refer to Gollan heights you yet again wrong, they were under Syrian control, now thy are Israeli to stay.
