7 postcards of Jews in the cities of Morocco, Tunisia, and Thessaloniki riding donkeys due to their status as dhimmis, from the early 20th century.
Dhimmi is the term for a non-Muslim subject of a state governed by Islamic law, or sharia. The status of "dhimmi", or "protected person", was granted to members of monotheistic religions. In practice, there was much variation in the enforcement of the Pact of Umar throughout Islamic history. Muslim rulers implemented different policies according to their needs and views. One of the regulations enforced in many countries was the prohibition of riding horses, allowing only donkeys and mules, as an act of humiliation and marking Jews as "protected people" under Muslim rule. As can be seen in all the postcards presented, Jews are riding donkeys, sometimes alongside their Muslim neighbors riding tall horses.
Jews in Islamic countries were subjected to many other restrictions due to their status as dhimmis (protected people) - they were prohibited from building houses taller (or even at the same height) than their Muslim neighbors, from building new synagogues, required to wear clothing different from Muslims, forbidden to marry Muslim women, and when visiting bathhouses, Jews were obliged to wear an iron/copper/bronze ring and tie a bell to their foot so they could be identified as non-Muslims, etc.
Overall condition is good - very good.
