28. Demonstrating Religious Zeal by Persecuting Other Religions
To demonstrate that being born to a Christian mother did not make him a soft Muslim, the Mad Caliph Al-Hakim departed from the tolerance hitherto displayed by Muslim rulers to Christians and Jews. He went on a religious persecution bender, destroying synagogues and churches, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem – the one housing the cave where Jesus is thought to have lain before his resurrection.
The Mad Caliph also banned pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and added to that by ordering Christians and Jews to wear distinguishing clothing to identify them. Jews were further singled out by Al-Hakim, who required them to wear bells as well, so they could be identified by sound as well as sight.