he facts.
Both authors deplore the conditions under which the dhimmi lived and disclose details to help the reader understand the exact conditions of life as a dhimmi. Lewis seems more concerned with historical and political aspects of the dhimmi existence. He makes an interesting point in the first chapter to explain the distinction of the position of Muhammad. During his lifetime he was head of state, commanding armies, collecting taxes, administering justice, and creating laws. This interpenetration of faith and power, of religion and authority, has been characteristic of Islam throughout history (Lewis 5). Lewis' emphasis on the historical aspects of the dhimmi life indicates that this is what he views as most important.
Bat Ye'or's broader approach focuses on a higher level of thinking. She mentions early in the book that in history there is no one truth, "but a multiplicity of constantly changing and contradictory situations, interdependent one with another (Ye'or 38). She defines t
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