Type of identifying mark in historic Islamic societies
Zunnar (also spelled "zunar" or "zonar";
Arabic: زنارzunār) was a distinctive
belt or
girdle, part of the clothing that
Dhimmi (e.g. Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians) were required to wear within the islamic caliphate regions to distinguish them from Muslims.[1] Though not always enforced, the zunnar served, together with a set of other rules, as a covert tool of
discrimination.[2][3]
Etymology
The word originates from the
diminutive of the
Greek zone, probably via
Aramaic zunnārā. In
Syriac, it denotes the girdle worn by monks.[1]
Description
The zunnar was usually wider then a regular belt (as to make it distinguishable)[4] and was often worn with patches of varying colours.[1] The requirement to wear it has been attributed to the so-called
Covenant of Umar, however this covenant seems to have been a set of practices that were only formalised in around the 9th century.[1] It seems likely that the belt was only one part of the intention to oblige non-Muslims to keep their usual costumes as to prevent them from being confused with Muslims.[5]
In case of omission of belt, the punishment could be whipping, imprisonment or public humiliation.[6] Although the wearing of the zunnar was not always enforced, it could always be implemented at the discretion of any Muslim ruler as was done for instance under the
Abbasid caliph
al-Mutawakkil or
Fatimid caliph
al-Hakim.[7] Another example come from the year 1301 when the
Mamluks purged Christians and Jews from administrative positions and additionally forced Christians to wear the zunnar and a blue turban.[8]