PHILADELPHIA — December 16, 2025 — The Middle East Forum (MEF) today announced the launch of the Dhimmitude Institute, a major research initiative that will produce cutting-edge scholarship on the treatment of religious minorities under Islamic governance—from the historic subjugation of Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims to its modern manifestations across the Muslim world and in the West.
The Institute honors the groundbreaking work of scholars Bat Ye’or and David Littman, whose research first exposed the theological and political mechanisms that subordinated non-Muslim populations under Islamic rule through the dhimma—the legal regime that granted “protection” to minorities in exchange for political and social submission.
“The plight of religious minorities from Egypt to Pakistan to Indonesia has never been more urgent—yet it remains one of the least understood phenomena in global politics,” said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. “The Dhimmitude Institute will generate the rigorous, policy-relevant research that governments and advocates need to confront this systematic oppression.”
The Institute’s commissioned research will examine contemporary expressions of dhimmitude—including legal restrictions on religious practice, differential taxation, employment barriers, and coerced conversions—across 10 priority regions: Iran, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Gulf states.
Research will also address the spread of what scholars term “civilizational dhimmitude” in Western democracies: the self-censorship and deference to Islamist pressure that increasingly constrains free expression and public debate.
The Institute invites scholars to submit proposals for empirically grounded papers. Authors whose proposals are accepted will receive an honorarium upon acceptance of completed papers. Submissions should be directed to Dexter Van Zile at vanzile@meforum.org.
The Middle East Forum promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western values from Middle Eastern threats. Founded in 1994 by Daniel Pipes, MEF operates under the guidance: “Radical Islam is the problem; moderate Islam is the solution.”
For more information, visit www.meforum.org.
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Gregg Roman
roman@meforum.org
+1 (215) 546 5406
