Comment by mantas
2 years ago
It’s very hard to have a state that doesn’t push one culture or another as primary. Otherwise there’s no glue keeping the society together. Which is important to get people to approve government decisions.
As for peacefully coexisting, would you say that Christians and Muslims peacefully coexisted in Ottoman Balkans too?
Having a state with a de facto dominant culture is not the same as having a dominant ethnicity/religion by law.
Sorry, I don't know about Christians and Muslims in the Ottoman Balkans.. I was more talking about Jews and others in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc.
Culture is proxy to ethnicity and religion. And it’s pretty close. E.g. Christmas celebration all around „secular“ Europe.
Ottoman rule in Balkans was quite horrific. E.g. Christian’s having to pay tax in young kids most of whom would never see home again. Yet it was rather peaceful with ottomans enforcing the peace :)
I’m not that familiar with Jews in Middle East up to 19th century. But IIRC there were plenty of pogroms. And taxes differentiated by religion was common in most Muslim regimes. As well as overall relation with government, ability to make a career etc.