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n. pl. dhim·mis 1. A non-Muslim subject of a state governed according to the shari'a who is granted the freedom to worship and is entitled to the protection of life and property by the state, although constrained to pay a special tax and not granted the full legal status accorded to Muslim subjects. The status of dhimmi was originally limited to Christians and Jews but has occasionally been extended to Hindus, Zoroastrians, and others. 2. Offensive Used as a disparaging term for a non-Muslim who is perceived as behaving in a conciliatory manner toward Islam. [Arabic ḏimmī, from Arabic ḏimma, protected status of a dhimmi, from Arabic ḏamma, to blame (so called because those with dhimmi status are entitled to blame their protectors and demand justice if their protectors do not fulfill their obligations); see ḏmm in the Appendix of Semitic roots.] |
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