Consider reading the works of Bat Ye'or on Dhimmitude, Dr. Andrew Bostom's Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism, Mark Durie's The Third Choice . . .as these are all good primers on the condition of dhimmitude through the ages.
The Christian and Jewish scribes were among the few educated, multi-lingual/literate survivors of Islamic conquest whose skills enabled their survival under intensely humiliating circumstances. Many societies disintegrated under such pressure.
Thank you, I have read some of the writings of Bat Ye’or and often read Jihad Watch, Pamela Geller and other anti-jihad websites. Coming from a Mediterranean background, I am very aware of how close southern Europe is to the Islamic world.