Egyptian Parliamentary Candidate: Jizyah Is Only Half a Dinar, and It's Taken from the Rich Christians

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Translated from the original Arabic by Al Mutarjim

This is from the Nour Party, which formed part of the majority coalition in the post-"Arab Spring" Egyptian parliament. The votes had not all been counted at the time this story was published, yet they were already discussing the implementation of Islamic laws which discriminate against Christians. As the candidate himself expressed below, it is not like they just "fell from the sky." Both the Nour Party and the Muslim Brotherhood had always been very clear on the fact that they want Islamic law.

A candidate for the salafi Nour Party, Ahmad 'Umran, expressed his surprise at being asked, "Who are you, and what is your role in politics?" He responded by saying, "They act as if we just fell from the sky."

He added, "The Copts should not forget that we were the ones who freed them from the hands of the Romans, and that jizya is only half a dinar, which is taken from the rich and given to their poor." This came during the Friday sermon at the Mosque of the Court in the city center of Abnub.

'Umran stated that they are planning to take their future in their own hands, and put into practice the Islamic Shari'ah. They believe that they must implement it gradually. 'Umran wonders at Egyptian law, saying: "The law which governs us in our Muslim country comes in three sections--first, statutory law, then customary law, and then the Shari'ah. So the Shari'ah comes in the last of the three sections."