The latest controversial fatwa by Dr. Youssef Al-Qaradawi is that the word "dhimmis" can be omitted from the Islamic religious discourse and be replaced with "citizens." He explained that non-Muslim minorities in Arab and Islamic countries, such as, the Copts of Egypt, no longer accept "dhimmis" and other similar terms. He added that fiqh scholars agree that "dhimmis" belong to the people of Dar Al-Islam. Being as such, this means that they are ’citizens,’ if we are to use the modern term.
He added that omitting the word "dhimmis" does not contradict any of the principles of the Shari’a. Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khatab did a similar thing. The Christians of the Arab tribe of Taghlab did not like the term "jizya" [tax paid by non-Muslims living in Muslim lands]. They asked Omar to collect the money from them under any other name. At the beginning he refused. However, his advisors told him to accept, as the Christians of Taghlab were powerful people and could ally with the Byzantines [against Muslims]. Omar listened to their advice and said: "Name it [jizya] whatever you like. Those people [the Christians of Taghlab] are stupid. They accept the principle but reject its name." Al-Qaradawi explained that such a story shows that what is important is the crux of the principle, not its name.
Moreover, Al-Qaradawi said that Muslims should not address those who differ with them [in religion] as kufar [unbelievers]. This is because the word "kufar" has many meanings, one of which is "those who do not believe in God, His prophets and the afterlife." If the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] are the group addressed, this sense of the word is not meant. Saying that the People of the Book are kufar simply means that they do not believe in the religion of the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims are also considered kufar by the People of the Book in the sense that they do not believe in their faith, which is the true way. He added that the word "kufar" should not be used in the age of globalization. "I myself use the phrase ’non-Muslims in the Islamic community’ in my writings," he observed. He called for using the term "brotherhood," in the sense of brotherhood in humanity, as all humanity forms one family that worship God and that is related to Adam.
[The article of al-Midan was summarized for AWR because Al-Midan seemed to provide a summary of the interview with Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi on the usage of the words "kufar" and "non-Muslims" in the Islamic religious discourse in Al-Ahram Al-Arabi of August 2, 2003 (pp.50-51). The article in al-Ahram al-Arabi is titled "Religious discourse differentiates between non-Muslims and kufar" by Hassan Ali Daba].
