In Marrakesh, hundreds of Muslim leaders release modern update to Muhammad’s Charter of Medina.
CHR Comment: One may be grateful that Imams are rejecting the extremism of groups such as ISIS. However, this declaration does not address the traditional practices of Islam such as requiring non-Muslims to pay a special tax (Jizyah), which has disadvantaged non-Muslims and has served as a tool for urging conversions to Islam. Another common view in traditional Islam was that Christians and Jews were like children who had to be managed by the Muslim state. This likewise put restrictions on what non-Muslims could do under an Islamic state. One wonders whether the statement that Muslim nations should “protect” Christians is different from this dominating view used in the past.
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