Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Question:
Does Islam condone slavery? Does Islamic teaching allow Muslim men to
keep women as sex slaves?
Summary Answer:
Muslims are encouraged to live in the way of Muhammad, who was a slave
owner and trader. He captured slaves in battle. He had sex with his slaves.
And he instructed his men to do the same. The Qur'an actually devotes
more verses to making sure that Muslim men know they can keep women as
sex slaves than it does to telling them to pray five times a day.
The Qur'an:
Qur'an (33:50) - "O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to
whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those (slaves) whom thy right hand
possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee" This
is a special command that Muhammad handed down to himself, allowing
himself virtually unlimited sex. Others are limited to four wives, but may
also have sex with an unlimited number of slaves, as the following verse
make clear:
Qur'an (23:5-6) - "..who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them
in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess..."
1|Page
This verse allows the slave-owner to have sex with his slaves. See also
Qur'an (70:29-30).
Qur'an (4:24) - "And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those
(captives) whom your right hands possess." Even sex with married slaves is
permissible.
Qur'an (8:69) - "But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good" A
reference to war booty, of which slaves were a part. The Muslim slave
master may enjoy his "catch" because (according to verse 71) "Allah gave
you mastery over them."
Qur'an (24:32) - "And marry those among you who are single and those who
are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves..." Breeding slaves
based on fitness.
Qur'an (2:178) - "O ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the
matter of the murdered; the freeman for the freeman, and the slave for the
slave, and the female for the female." The message of this verse, which
prescribes the rules of retaliation for murder, is that all humans are not
created equal. The human value of a slave is less than that of a free person
(and a woman's worth is also distinguished from that of a man's).
Qur'an (16:75) - "Allah sets forth the Parable (of two men: one) a slave
under the dominion of another; He has no power of any sort; and (the
other) a man on whom We have bestowed goodly favours from Ourselves,
and he spends thereof (freely), privately and publicly: are the two equal?
(By no means;) praise be to Allah." Yet another confirmation that the slave
is is not equal to the master. In this case it is plain that the slave owes his
status to Allah's will. (According to 16:71, the owner should be careful
about insulting Allah by bestowing Allah's gifts on slaves - those whom the
god of Islam has not favored).
2|Page
From the Hadith:
Bukhari (80:753) - "The Prophet said, 'The freed slave belongs to the people
who have freed him.'"
Bukhari (52:255) - The slave who accepts Islam and continues serving his
Muslim master will receive a double reward in heaven.
3|Page
Bukhari (34:432) - Another account of females taken captive and raped with
Muhammad's approval. In this case it is evident that the Muslims intend on
selling the women after raping them because they are concerned about
devaluing their price by impregnating them. Muhammad is asked about
coitus interruptus.
Bukhari (34:351) - Muhammad sells a slave for money. He was thus a slave
trader.
Muslim 3901 - Muhammad trades away two black slaves for one Muslim
slave.
4|Page
Muslim 4112 - A man freed six slaves on the event of his death, but
Muhammad reversed the emancipation and kept four in slavery to himself.
He cast lots to determine which two to free.
Bukhari (59:637) - "The Prophet sent Ali to Khalid to bring the Khumus (of
the booty) and I hated Ali, and Ali had taken a bath (after a sexual act with
a slave-girl from the Khumus). I said to Khalid, 'Don't you see this (i.e. Ali)?'
When we reached the Prophet I mentioned that to him. He said, 'O Buraida!
Do you hate Ali?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Do you hate him, for he deserves
more than that from the Khumlus.'" Muhammad approved of his men
having sex with slaves, as this episode involving his son-in-law, Ali, clearly
proves. This hadith refutes the modern apologists who pretend that slaves
were really "wives," since Muhammad had forbidden Ali from marrying
another woman as long as Fatima (his favorite daughter) was living.
Abu Dawud (2150) - "The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent a
military expedition to Awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They
5|Page
met their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them
captives. Some of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be
upon him) were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the
presence of their husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted,
sent down the Qur’anic verse: (Qur'an 4:24) 'And all married women (are
forbidden) unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.'"
This is the background for verse 4:24 of the Qur'an. Not only does Allah
grant permission for women to be captured and raped, but allows it to even
be done in front of their husbands.
Ibn Ishaq (734) - A slave girl is given a "violent beating" by Ali in the
presence of Muhammad, who does nothing about it.
Ibn Ishaq (693) - "Then the apostle sent Sa-d b. Zayd al-Ansari, brother of
Abdu'l-Ashal with some of the captive women of Banu Qurayza to Najd and
he sold them for horses and weapons." Muhammad trades away women
captured from the Banu Qurayza tribe to non-Muslim slave traders for
property. (Their men had been executed after surrendering peacefully
without a fight).
6|Page
Additional Notes:
Of the five references to freeing a slave in the Qur'an, three are prescribed
as punitive measures against the slaveholder for unrelated sin, and limits
the emancipation to just a single slave. Another (24:33) appears to allow a
slave to buy their freedom if they are "good." (This is consistent with the
traditional Islamic practice of wealth-building through the taking and
ransoming of hostages, which began under Muhammad).
A tiny verse in one of the earliest verses 90:13 does say that freeing a slave
is good, however, this was "revealed" at a time when the Muslim community
was miniscule and several of their new and potential recruits were either
actual slaves or newly freed slaves. Many of these same people, and
Muhammad himself, later went on to become owners and traders of slaves,
both male and female, as they acquired the power to do so. The language
of the Qur'an changed to accommodate slavery, which is why this early
verse has had negligible impact on slavery in the Islamic world.
7|Page
Contrary to popular myth, converting to Islam does not automatically earn a
slave his freedom, although doing so is said to increase a slave master's
heavenly reward (Muslim slaves are implied in Qur'an (4:92)). As far as the
Islamic courts are concerned, a master may treat his slaves however he
chooses without fear of punishment.
Given that there was no abolitionary movement within the Islamic world, it
is astonishing to see contemporary Muslims write their religion into the
history of abolition. The lie - that the eradication of slavery had anything to
do with Islam - has been repeated so often that even those who may parrot
it are blissfully ignorant of its lack of factual foundation.
8|Page
Literally millions of Christians were captured into slavery during the many
centuries of Jihad against the West. So pervasive were the incursions by the
Turks into Eastern Europe, that the English word for slave is based on Slav.
Muslim slave raiders even operated as far north as England. In 1631, a
French cleric in Algiers observed the sale of nearly 300 men, women and
children, taken from a peaceful English fishing village:
"It was a pitiful sight to see them exposed in the market…Women were
separated from their husbands and the children from their fathers…on one
side a husband was sold; on the other his wife; and her daughter was torn
from her arms without the hope that they’d ever see each other again."
(from the book, White Gold, which also details the story of English slave,
Thomas Pellow, who was beaten, starved and tortured into embracing
Islam).
The Indian and Persian people suffered mightily as well - as did Africans. At
least 17 million slaves (mostly black women and children) were brought out
of Africa by Islamic traders - far more than the 11 million that were taken by
the Europeans. However, these were only the survivors. As many as 85
million other Africans were thought to have died en route.
9|Page
Most telling, perhaps, is that slavery is still practiced in the Sudan, Niger,
Mauritania and a few other corners of the Muslim world - and you won't see
any of those Muslim apologists (who shamelessly repeat the lie that Islam
abolished slavery) doing or saying anything about it!
Since Muhammad was a slave owner and slavery is permitted by the Qur'an,
the Muslim world has never apologized for this dehumanizing practice. Even
Muslims in the West will often try to justify slavery under Islam, since it is a
part of the Qur'an.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/015-slavery.htm
The Myth:
The Truth:
There is not the least bit of intolerance for slavery anywhere in the Qur’an.
In fact, the “holy” book of Islam explicitly gives slave-owners the freedom to
sexually exploit their slaves – not just in one place, but in at least four
separate Suras. Islamic law is littered with rules concerning the treatment
10 | P a g e
of slaves, some of which are relatively humane, but none that prohibit the
actual practice by any stretch.
The very presence of these rules condones and legitimizes the institution of
slavery. Adding to this is the fact that Muhammad was an avid slave trader.
After providing ample evidence of his activities according to the most reliable
Muslim biographers, the Center of the Study of Political Islam summarizes its
findings:
Even the very pulpit from which Muhammad preached Islam was built by
slave labor on his command!
There has never been an abolitionary movement within Islam (just as the
religion produces no organized resistance to present-day enslavement). The
abolition of slavery was imposed on the Islamic world by European
countries, along with other political pressures that were entirely unrelated to
Islamic law.
Although horrible abuses of slaves in the Muslim world were recorded, there
has been little inclination toward the documentation and earnest contrition
that one finds in the West. The absence of a guilty Muslim conscience often
11 | P a g e
leads to the mistaken impression that slavery was not as bad under Islam...
when it is actually indicative of the explicit tolerance the religion has for this
practice
So narcissistic is the effect of Islam on the devoted, that to this day many
Muslims believe in their hearts that the women and children carried off in
battle, and their surviving men folk, were actually done a favor by the
Muslim warriors who plucked them from their fields and homes and
relegated them to lives of demeaning servitude.
African slaves were often castrated by their Muslim masters. Few survived
to reproduce, which is why there are not many people of African descent
living in the Middle East, even though more slaves were taken out of Africa
in the 1300 years of Arab slave trading than in the 300 years of European
slavery. The 400,000 slaves brought to America, for example, have now
become a community of 30 million, with a much higher standard of living
than their African peers.
12 | P a g e
slavery, is the best that Islam can offer, then no amount of sophistry will be
enough to convince any but the most ignorant.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Myths-of-Islam.htm#slavery
Slavery in Islam
All the ancient as well as the contemporary scholars acknowledge the fact of
slavery in Islam and clarify the status of slaves. I have chosen the opinions
of the most famous scholars to shed light on their position.
In his book, "You Ask and Islam Answers", Dr. 'Abdul-Latif Mushtahari, the
general supervisor and director of homiletics and guidance at the Azhar
University, says (pp. 51,52),
"Islam does not prohibit slavery but retains it for two reasons. The first
reason is war (whether it is a civil war or a foreign war in which the captive
is either killed or enslaved) provided that the war is not between Muslims
against each other - it is not acceptable to enslave the violators, or the
offenders, if they are Muslims. Only non-Muslim captives may be enslaved or
killed. The second reason is the sexual propagation of slaves which would
generate more slaves for their owner."
The text is plain that all prisoners of war must either be killed or become
slaves. The ancient scholars are in full agreement over this issue, such as
Ibn Timiyya, Ibn Hisham, Malik etc. Ibn Timiyya says (Vol. 32, p. 89),
13 | P a g e
"The root of the beginning of slavery is prisoners of war; the bounties have
become lawful to the nation of Muhammad."
This is the statement of Ibn Hisham, on whom all Muslims and students of
Muhammad's biography rely. Of course, these matters which Ibn Hisham
recorded used to take place continuously in all of Muhammad's wars and
invasions. All of Muhammad's people (his wives, and Muhammad himself)
owned many slaves - males and females. In his campaign against the
children of Qurayza (the Jewish tribe), Muhammad killed all the males (700-
900) in one day. Then, he divided the women and the children among his
people.
The Caliphs across the ages followed Muhammad's footsteps and enslaved
(by hundreds and thousands) men and women who were captured in wars.
Many of them were Persians and Byzantines. All the Islamic Chroniclers
14 | P a g e
without exception have recorded these facts. The way Arab Muslims invaded
Africa and killed and enslaved Africans is a well-known, historical fact.
In Vol. 2, Part 3, p. 13, Malik Ibn Anas repeated the same text as did Ibn
Hisham who is also quoted by Ibn Timiyya, and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya in
his book, "Zad al-Ma'ad" (part 3, p. 486). All of them taught the same
principle and said the same words.
This question was delivered to Ibn Timiyya who was Mufti of Islam (Vol. 31,
pp. 376, 377),
"A man married a maid-slave who bore him a child. Would that child be free
or would he be an owned slave?"
"Her child whom she bore from him would be the property of her master
according to all the Imams (heads of the four Islamic schools of law)
because the child follows the (status) of his mother in freedom or slavery. If
the child is not of the race of Arabs, then he is definitely an owned slave
according to the scholars, but the scholars disputed (his status) among
themselves if he was from the Arabs - whether he must be enslaved or not
because when A'isha (Muhammad's wife) had a maid-slave who was an
Arab, Muhammad said to A'isha, `Set this maid free because she is from the
children of Ishmael.'"
Then Ibn Timiyya states (Vol. 31, p. 380) that the legist Abu Hanifa says,
"Muhammad is an Arab; thus it is not admissible to enslave Arabs because of
the nobility of this race since Muhammad is from them." Yet other scholars
disagree with him, emphasizing that Muhammad (in one of his campaigns)
enslaved Arabs, too. However, it is evident from Muhammad's traditions that
15 | P a g e
he regarded Arabs to be the most noble race, especially the Quraysh, his
tribe. His famous saying (that the caliphs must be elected from the Quraysh
tribe) is acknowledged by all translators of the tradition without exception.
He should have told A'isha, "Set her free because she is a human being like
you. It is not important whether she is a descendant of Ishmael or of Isaac!"
All Muslim scholars acknowledge that Islam has retained the principle of
slavery, though some of them claim that Islam encourages the liberation of
slaves. Maybe some of Muhammad's sayings and a few Qur'anic verses
indicate so, yet from a practical point of view, we realize that the liberation
of slaves was a rare occurrence. The reason is well known. Neither
Muhammad nor his wives or companions were a good example in this
regard. Sometimes, Muhammad used to talk about the merits of liberating a
slave, yet he himself owned dozens of slaves and maid-slaves. However, we
encounter a strange opinion spelled out by Muhammad's wives and his
friends in which he encourages them to retain their slaves. In Vol. 33, p. 61
Ibn Timiyya says,
"Anyone who says, `If I do so (such a thing), every slave I own will become
free' is not obligated by his oath and he can redeem his oath by any means
and retain his slaves. (He can do that) by fasting a few days or by feeding
some hungry people."
On the same page Ibn Timiyya stresses that this is what all Muhammad's
friends said (such as Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn 'Umar) as well as his wives (such as
Zaynab, A'isha, and Um Salama).
16 | P a g e
Is the liberation of slaves a bad thing so that it is possible for a man who
swears he will liberate his slaves to renounce his oath and retain them? It
should be said that whoever takes an oath to free his slaves if so and so
happens, is obliged to fulfill his oath and liberate his slaves, but we see that
Muhammad's wives, his great companions and his relatives say something
different according to the testimony of Ibn Timiyya.
The Qur'an itself (in several places) approves of slavery and assures the
Muslim the right to own dozens of male and female slaves either by
purchasing them or as bounty of war. The Qur'an talks about the possession
of slaves as "the possession of their necks" (Chapter 58:3, Surah Al-
Mujadilah).
"Muhammad had many male and female slaves. He used to buy and sell
them, but he purchased (more slaves) than he sold, especially after God
empowered him by His message, as well as after his immigration from
Mecca. He (once) sold one black slave for two. His name was Jacob al-
Mudbir. His purchases of slaves were more (than he sold). He was used to
renting out and hiring many slaves, but he hired more slaves than he rented
out.
17 | P a g e
This trading used to take place in the slave market in the Arab Peninsula and
in Mecca. Muhammad was accustomed to sell, purchase, hire, rent, and to
exchange one slave for two. Thus, he had an increasing number of slaves,
especially after he claimed to be a prophet, and after his immigration from
Mecca to escape death at the hand of his tribe Quraysh. Also, the slaves of
Muhammad and his followers were constantly increasing as the result of
those who were captured in wars and not only by purchase. This should alert
those who have accepted Islam - the Muslims of New York, Chicago,
Georgia, Detroit, Los Angeles as well as all the Africans and all Muslims of
the world. Even among the Arabs are Muslims who are not aware of these
facts concerning Muhammad. Sadly, this is only a small part of the facts of
which they are unaware concerning Muhammad.
A) Male Slaves:
"These are the names of Muhammad's male slaves: Yakan Abu Sharh, Aflah,
'Ubayd, Dhakwan, Tahman, Mirwan, Hunayn, Sanad, Fadala Yamamin,
Anjasha al-Hadi, Mad'am, Karkara, Abu Rafi', Thawban, Ab Kabsha, Salih,
Rabah, Yara Nubyan, Fadila, Waqid, Mabur, Abu Waqid, Kasam, Abu 'Ayb,
Abu Muwayhiba, Zayd Ibn Haritha, and also a black slave called Mahran,
who was re-named (by Muhammad) Safina (`ship').
18 | P a g e
"The apostle of God and his companions went on a trip. (When) their
belongings became too heavy for them to carry, Muhammad told me,
`Spread your garment.' They filled it with their belongings, then they put it
on me. The apostle of God told me, `Carry (it), for you are a ship.' Even if I
was carrying the load of six or seven donkeys while we were on a journey,
anyone who felt weak would throw his clothes or his shield or his sword on
me so I would carry that, a heavy load. The prophet told me, `You are a
ship"' (refer to Ibn Qayyim, pp. 115-116; al-Hulya, Vol. 1, p. 369, quoted
from Ahmad 5:222).
The story shows their ruthlessness and does not need explanation or
clarification. The ill treatment Muhammad and his companions made of
Mahran is very repulsive. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya is not the only one who
recorded this episode and the list of names of Muhammad's slaves. The
Tabari also (in his Chronicles, Volume 2 p. 216, 217, 218) presents us with
these accounts. No one among the contemporary Muslim leaders denies
these matters, especially if he is faced with the Tabari's and Ibn Qayyim al-
Jawziyya's records.
Still, in regard to Muhammad's slave Zayd Ibn Haritha, Muhammad set him
free and adopted him, then he married him to his (Muhammad's) cousin
Zaynab. Later Zayd divorced her after he realized that Muhammad was
captivated by her. The scandalous story is documented by verses in the
Qur'an, and Muslim scholars admit it.
B) Maid Slaves:
In this same Section (One, p. 116), Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya as well as other
Muslim authors of chronicles recorded the list of names of Muhammad's
maid-slaves. They are Salma Um Rafi', Maymuna daughter of Abu Asib,
Maymuna daughter of Sa'd, Khadra, Radwa, Razina, Um Damira, Rayhana,
Mary the Coptic, in addition to two other maid-slaves, one of them given to
19 | P a g e
him as a present by his cousin, Zaynab, and the other one captured in a
war.
The Qur'an as well as Muslim scholars are explicit in this regard The Qur'an
(the Chapter of the Cow:178) shamelessly says,
"O ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the
murdered - the freeman for the freeman, and the slave for the slave, and
the female for the female."
The reader does not need the interpretations of the scholars to understand
these explicit words which indicate that the freeman should be killed only for
another freeman, a slave for a slave, and a female for a female. Still, I
promised to stick to the interpretations of the great expositors of these
Qur'anic verses from among the Muslim scholars because they are more
knowledgeable of their Book and its verses. We rely on their interpretations
and not on our own. In the commentary of the Jalalan (p. 24), we read the
following regarding the above mentioned verse,
20 | P a g e
"The same punishment was imposed on believers and what is similar to the
act of the crime in the case of a homicide, by virtue of description or
actuality. A freeman should be killed for another freeman but not for a slave,
a female for a female, but a Muslim (even if he is a slave) must not be killed
for an infidel, even if that infidel is a freeman."
"The Shafi'i and Malik prohibit the killing of a freeman if he slays his slave or
other men's slaves. This is because 'Ali Ibn Abi-Talib mentioned that a man
had killed his slave and Muhammad scourged him only; he did not kill him.
It was related on the authority of Muhammad that he said a Muslim should
not be killed for a non-Muslim, nor a freeman for a slave; also because Abu
Bakr and 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab did not kill a freeman for a slave. (This was
said) in the presence of all Muhammad's companions, and no one
disapproved or objected to it."
These are the verses of the Qur'an and this is the attitude of Muhammad
himself as well as Abu Bakr and 'Umar after him.
The Shafi'i, Malik and Ibn Timiyya, pronounce the same principle as in the
Qur'an (2:187).
21 | P a g e
The Imam Shafi'i tells us plainly and decisively in Part I of his book, "Ahkam
al-Qur'an" ("The Ordinances of the Qur'an", p. 275),
"A man is not to be killed for his slave nor the freeman for a slave."
"A believer is not to be killed for a non-believer, nor a man for his son, or a
man for his slave or for a woman."
Malik Ibn Anas was asked: "What is the punishment of a master who beats
his slave to death?" He answered: "Nothing!" (Vol. 6, Part 15, p 164).
I do not have better witnesses in this regard than these scholars: Abu Bakr,
'Umar, 'Ali and Muhammad's deeds, and all great, popular Muslim scholars.
22 | P a g e
Ibn Hazm says in Vol. 6, Part 9,
"The slave is not permitted to write a will when he dies, nor can he bequeath
(anything) because his entire possessions belong to his master."
In part I, p. 180 of his book, "The Ordinances of the Qur'an", the Shafi'i also
says,
"The Qur'anic verse; `Marry of the women who seem good to you, two or
three or four are meant for the freeman only and not for the slaves because
he says in it that the one who acts fairly is the person who owns money and
slaves do not own money."'
He also indicates in Part II, p. 21, "The owned one does not have money."
Besides, according to the Islamic law, all Muslims receive portions of war
bounty except slaves and women. Malik Ibn Anas says (Vol. 2, Part 3, pp.
33,34),
This is true even if they have been fighting with the rest of the Muslims. In
Part III of the "Prophetic Biography" (p. 386), Ibn Kathir says,
"The slave does not get anything from the bounty whether the bounty is
money or women."
23 | P a g e
In Vol. 35, p. 409 Ibn Timiyya remarks,
"The Shafi'i, Malik, and Abu Hanifa, who are the legists of Islam, assert that
the testimony of the slave is not acceptable."
If we also turn the pages of the "Ordinances of the Qur'an" by the Shafi'i
(part II, p. 142), he determines,
"The witnesses must be from among our freeman, not from our slaves, but
from freeman who belong to our religion! "
Does not Mr. Shafi'i know that God only is the One who owns people? How
dare he utter the phrase, "our possessed slaves."
There Is No Punishment For One Who Makes False Accusation Against Slaves
24 | P a g e
It is well known that if a Muslim falsely accuses another free Muslim and
slanders his honor, he will be punished by being flogged with eighty lashes.
This is what happened when some of Muhammad's companions and relatives
accused A'isha, his wife, of adultery with one of the young men because they
stayed behind after the departure of the caravan, then later in the morning
they arrived together. Muhammad ordered each one of them flogged with
eighty lashes. But if a Muslim calumniates a slave, he would not be
punished.
For instance (Vol. 8, Part II, p. 27 1), Ibn Hazm asserts that this is the
opinion of Abu Hanifa, Shafi'i, Malik, and Sufyan al-Thawri and not only his
own opinion. This is what the Sharawi shamelessly remarks,
"Female slaves are deprived of dignity and subject to abuse because they
are not `an honor' to anyone (that is, they are not free, respectable women
who belong to a free man). These are the same words reiterated by the
Shafi'i (Part I, p. 307) in his book, `Ahkam of the Qur'an'; thus a female
slave must not be veiled. When- ever Muhammad took a woman as a
captive, if he imposed the veil on her, Muslims would say he took her as a
wife, but if he left her unveiled they would say, `He owned her as a slave';
that is, she became a property of his right hand."
A good example is the incident of Safiyya, daughter of Hay, who was taken
as a bounty in the war of Khaybar. All the chronicles (as well as the
biographies without exception) have recorded, "We wonder why it is said
about women and girls that they are of `shed dignity'." The Shafi'i and the
Sharawi state this word for word. Is it necessary for us to repeat that Islam
sheds the dignity of man under the pretense that he is a slave, that she is a
woman, or that he is a non-Muslim?
25 | P a g e
On Matters Of Sex And Marriage - and About Black Slaves
"If a slave gets married without the permission of his master, his marriage
will be invalid and he must be whipped because he has committed adultery.
He must be separated from his wife. She is also regarded as an adulteress
because Muhammad said, `Any slave who gets married without the approval
of his master is a prostitute.'"
The same text is quoted by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (Part 5, p. 117 of "Zad
al-Maad"), as well as Ibn Timiyya (Vol. 32, p. 201). Malik Ibn Anas relates
(Vol. 2, Part 4) more than that. He says (pp. 199, 201, 206),
"The slave does not get married without the approval of his master. If he is
a slave to two masters, he has to obtain the approval of both men."
2. The male slave and the female slave are forced to get married.
26 | P a g e
"The master has the right to force his male or female slave to marry without
obtaining their approval" (Vol. 2, p. 155).
Ibn Hazm says that Sufyan al-Thawri, too, has said that the master has the
right to force his male or female slave to marry without securing their
approval (Vol. 6, Part 9, p. 469). Ibn Timiyya is of the same opinion.
I must not fail in this regard to mention that Malik Ibn Ons, who (after
agreeing with the other scholars that the master has the right to force his
male or female slave to get married) added,
"The master does not have the right to force the female slave to wed to an
ugly black slave if she is beautiful and agile unless in case of utmost
necessity" (refer to Ibn Hazm, Vol. 6, Part 9, p. 469).
We wonder here, what did Malik Ibn Anas mean when he said, "An ugly
black slave"? Is a man valued on the basis of the color of his skin? Do you
say that, O Malik Ibn Anas, and you are one of the great four legists? Or is a
man valued on the basis of his personality, reasoning, and heart? We also
have the right to wonder why Mihran, the black slave, suffered the
humiliation afflicted on him by Muhammad and his companions when they
made him carry their belongings in the burning desert while Muhammad was
saying to him, "Carry them, for you are a ship." Thus he became known by
that surname. Did they not have dozens of other slaves?
Muhammad even discriminated (in Islam) between a black dog and a white
dog! Yet, what concerns us here is what I pointed out about slaves in
general, their masters treat them as if they are not human beings who have
feelings, desires and self-will.
27 | P a g e
Let us continue our discussion in order to have a more complete picture
about how the Islamic religion abuses the dignity of men and women under
the pretense that they are slaves and not free human beings.
"It is not permissible for the Arab freeman to marry an owned slave unless it
is inevitable, such as being unable to get married to a free woman. If it
happened and he were wed to a slave, her children would be slaves, too,
because they follow (the status) of the mother in slavery."
"It is not allowable for a man to wed a slave besides his freewoman wife. In
this case, his wife has the right to divorce him. Likewise, if he marries a
freewoman while he is already married to a slave and he fails to tell her so,
the freewoman has the right to leave him" (Malik, Vol. 2, p. 204).
I do not have any comment on these strange principles, yet I wonder why
an Arab freeman cannot marry a slave. Is not he a man and she a woman?
And why (if it is inevitable that he should marry her) should all her
descendants be slaves? These are iniquitous and ruthless ordinances. It is
obvious that Muhammad failed to change the traditions of the tribal society
of the pre-Islamic period. Most Arab Muslims had slaves. His companions,
wives and he himself owned and retained dozens of them. He bought more
after he claimed his prophethood and declared his message - the message or
equality, and freedom, and human rights!
28 | P a g e
What Would Happen If A Freewoman Married Her Slave?
She might be an open-minded woman who did not discriminate between one
man and another. Thus she might have fallen in love with her slave who also
loved her and they intended, officially, to get married. What is the attitude
of Islam in this case? If something like that took place in Islamic society, it
would be a disaster! Let us see the reaction of Umar Ibn Khattab in these
situations. In Vol. 8, Part 11, pp. 248, 249, Ibn Hazm remarks,
"A woman was wed to her male slave. Umar intended to stone her, but
instead he made them separate and sent the slave to exile. He told the
woman, `It is unlawful for you to get married to your owned slave!' Another
woman got married to her slave. Umar scourged her with a whip and
forbade any man to marry her. Another time, a freewoman came to Umar
and told him, `I am not a pretty woman and I have a slave to whom I would
like to get married.' Umar refused to do so. He whipped the slave and
ordered him to be sold in a foreign country. He told the woman, `It is
unlawful for you to get married to what your right hand owns. Only men
have the right to get wed to what their right hand owns. Even if you set him
free in order to marry him and he becomes a freeman, the manumission will
be invalid and the marriage is not valid."'
Is there any comment on the ruthlessness of this second caliph who was
Muhammad's father-in-law and one of the ten to whom Muhammad
promised paradise? He is one of the two whom Muhammad requested the
people to follow as a model when he declared, "Emulate Abu Bakr and
Umar." Yet Umar was a tyrant, a ruthless man without a heart who
attempted to stone a woman for no reason except she married a man who
was her slave. He also scourged another woman, forbidding any other man
to marry her, and beat and exiled a slave. And when a third woman wanted
to free her slave in order to marry him and live happily together, especially
after she lost hope in getting married to a freeman, Islam and Umar
intervened and said, "No, this is not permissible." He scourged the slave and
sold him into a foreign country. By that, he became an example of
relentlessness, a hard heart, and detestable oppression.
29 | P a g e
In matters of sex and marriage, Ibn Timiyya states:
"The one who owns the mother also owns her children. Being the master of
the mother makes him the owner of her children whether they were born to
a husband or they were illegitimate children. Therefore, the master has the
right to have sexual intercourse with the daughters of his maid-slave
because they are his property, provided he does not sleep with the mother
at the same time" (Vol. 35, p. 54).
"If an owned slave assaults somebody and damages his property, his crime
will be tied to his neck. It will be said to his master, `If you wish, you can
pay the fine for the damages done by your slave or deliver him to be
sentenced to death.' His master has to choose one of the two options -
either the value of the slave and his price or the damage the slave has
caused" (Vol. 32, p. 202, Ibn Timiyya).
Is this how the value of a man is calculated? If the loss amounted, for
example, to 600 dinars and the value of the slave in the estimation of the
master did not exceed more than 400 dinars because he was sick or weak,
his master would, in this case, deliver him to be killed!
We have looked at six points concerning the status of slaves in the Islamic
religion. Actually, any one point, if we ponder it, is sufficient to clarify the
truth. It reveals to us how human dignity is crushed in the practice of
slavery. From the very beginning, we referred to the principle of slavery as it
is manifested in this religion, and we have listed the names of Muhammad's
slaves, the master and the "apostle of God!"
30 | P a g e
http://www.answering-islam.org/BehindVeil/btv5.html
The largest slave trade in the history of the world was created by Christian
European nations. This is a fact.
It is also a fact that the Bible has many verses defending slavery.
In America before the Civil War, the majority of evangelical Christians were
totally convinced that "their personal relationship with Jesus Christ"
authorized them to own slaves.
Some evangelical factions in recent times did oppose the slave trade. In
England they helped abolish it in the early 19th century. The radical
abolitionist John Brown defended his raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia in 1859
as an act against slavery born out of his Christian conviction.
The set of quotes below makes clear the depth of pro-slavery sentiment
within the history of Christianity. They are not intended to be an exhaustive
31 | P a g e
list. Rather, they are but a fraction of justifications based on Scripture that
were used to uphold the existence of slavery.
OLD TESTAMENT
"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in
the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was
single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will
go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a
slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife
while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be
free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his
master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and
my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must
present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and
publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his
master forever." -- Exodus 21:2-6
"When a slave owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave
dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. But if the slave survives a
day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner's property." --
Exodus 21:20-21.
32 | P a g e
"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you;
from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary
residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country,
and they will become your property." -- Leviticus 25:44-45
NEW TESTAMENT
"Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge
of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the
proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when
he arrives." -- Matthew 24:45-46.
"Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of
all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be
blasphemed. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to
them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must
serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are
believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. Whoever teaches
otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited,
understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for
disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base
suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft
of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain." -- 1 Timothy 6:1-
5.
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of
heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to
please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." --
Ephesians 6:5-6.
33 | P a g e
"Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among
men." -- 1 Peter 2:13
"Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only
those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit
to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If
you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if
you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval." --
1 Peter 2:18-29.
ST THOMAS AQUINAS
"Slavery among men is natural, for some are naturally slaves according to
the Philosopher (Polit. i, 2). Now 'slavery belongs to the right of nations,' as
Isidore states (Etym. v, 4). Therefore the right of nations is a natural right."
"It belongs to justice to render to each one his right, the distinction between
individuals being presupposed: for if a man gives himself his due, this is not
strictly called 'just.' And since what belongs to the son is his father's, and
what belongs to the slave is his master's, it follows that properly speaking
there is not justice of father to son, or of master to slave."
34 | P a g e
Source: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, "On Justice"
"The prime cause ... of slavery is sin, which brings man under the dominion
of his fellow -- that which does not happen save by the judgment of God,
with whom is no unrighteousness, and who knows how to award fit
punishments to every variety of offence."
Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, Book XIX, Chapter. 15.
Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, Book XIX, Chapter. 15.
"But by nature, as God first created us, no one is the slave either of man or
of sin. This servitude is, however, penal, and is appointed by that law which
enjoins the preservation of the natural order and forbids its disturbance; for
if nothing had been done in violation of that law, there would have been
nothing to restrain by penal servitude. And therefore the apostle admonishes
slaves to be subject to their masters, and to serve them heartily and with
good-will, so that, if they cannot be freed by their masters, they may
themselves make their slavery in some sort free, by serving not in crafty
fear, but in faithful love, until all unrighteousness pass away, and all
principality and every human power be brought to nothing, and God be all in
all."
Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, Book XIX, Chapter. 15.
35 | P a g e
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
"Since not at all for need’s sake was the class of slaves introduced, else even
along with Adam had a slave been formed; but it is the penalty of sin and
punishment of disobedience. But when Christ came, He put an end to this.
... So that it is not necessary to have a slave: or if it be at all necessary, let
it be about one only, or at the most two."
36 | P a g e
Source: St. John Chrysostom, "Homily 40 on I Corinthians".
"If any one shall teach a slave, under pretext of piety, to despise his master
and to run away from his service, and not to serve his own master with
good-will and all honour, let him be anathema."
"Cruel avarice has so seized the hearts of some that though they glory in the
name of Christians they provide the Saracens with arms and wood for
helmets, and become their equals or even their superiors in wickedness and
supply them with arms and necessaries to attack Christians. There are even
some who for gain act as captains or pilots in galleys or Saracen pirate
vessels. Therefore we declare that such persons should be cut off from the
communion of the church and be excommunicated for their wickedness, that
catholic princes and civil magistrates should confiscate their possessions,
and that if they are captured they should become the slaves of their captors.
We order that throughout the churches of maritime cities frequent and
solemn excommunication should be pronounced against them."
37 | P a g e
"With regard to the Brabanters, Aragonese, Navarrese, Basques, Coterelli
and Triaverdini, who practise such cruelty upon Christians that they respect
neither churches nor monasteries, and spare neither widows, orphans, old or
young nor any age or sex, but like pagans destroy and lay everything waste,
we likewise decree that those who hire, keep or support them, in the
districts where they rage around, should be denounced publicly on Sundays
and other solemn days in the churches, that they should be subject in every
way to the same sentence and penalty as the above-mentioned heretics and
that they should not be received into the communion of the church, unless
they abjure their pernicious society and heresy. As long as such people
persist in their wickedness, let all who are bound to them by any pact know
that they are free from all obligations of loyalty, homage or any obedience.
On these and on all the faithful we enjoin, for the remission of sins, that
they oppose this scourge with all their might and by arms protect the
Christian people against them. Their goods are to be confiscated and princes
free to subject them to slavery. Those who in true sorrow for their sins die in
such a conflict should not doubt that they will receive forgiveness for their
sins and the fruit of an eternal reward."
Source: Instruction 20, The Holy Office (Sacred Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith), June 20, 1866.
38 | P a g e
SLAVERY AND THE PAPACY
GREGORY I
"Indeed, the deeds of superiors are not to be smitten with the sword of the
mouth, even when they are rightly thought to be deserving of reproof. And
if sometimes the tongue in criticism of them slips in the least degree, the
heart must be overwhelmed with penitential grief. It should reflect upon
itself, and when it has offended the power set over it, it should dread the
judgment passed against it by Him who appointed superiors. For when we
offend those set over us, we oppose the ordinance of Him who set them
above us."
Source: Pope Gregory I, ca. 540-604 C.E., quoted in Henry Davis, Pastoral
Care; Ancient Christian Writers Series, no.11, (Westminster, MD: Newman
Press, 1950), p. 100.
39 | P a g e
and again, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters
worthy of all honour (1 Tim. vi. 1); but to these it is said, And ye, masters,
do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that both
their and your Master is in heaven (Ephes. vi. 9)."
"Slavery itself ... is not at all contrary to the natural and divine law ... The
purchaser [of the slave] should carefully examine whether the slave who is
put up for sale has been justly or unjustly deprived of his liberty, and that
the vendor should do nothing which might endanger the life, virtue, or
Catholic faith of the slave."
NICHOLAS V
"We (therefore) weighing all and singular the premises with due meditation,
and noting that since we had formerly by other letters of ours granted
among other things free and ample faculty to the aforesaid King Alfonso --
to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and
pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ where so ever placed, and
the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all
movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and
to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery."
GREGORY IX
40 | P a g e
"It is certainly a matter of faith that this sort of slavery in which a man
serves his master as his slave, is altogether lawful. This is proved from Holy
Scripture. It is also proved from reason for it is not unreasonable that just as
things which are captured in a just war pass into the power and ownership of
the victors, so persons captured in war pass into the ownership of the
captors. All theologians are unanimous on this."
"All servants not being Christians, imported into this colony by shipping,
shall be slaves for their lives."
Source: Official Act of the Colony of Virginia, 1670. Quoted in David Brion
Davis, The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture (Ithaca, NY: Cornell
University Press, 1966), p. 180.
41 | P a g e
their study, that had obtained a knowledge of what it did reveal on this
subject. Of late, their denunciation of slavery as a sin, is loud and long.
2d. That it was incorporated into the only National Constitution which
ever emanated from God.
3d. That its legality was recognized, and its relative duties regulated,
by Jesus Christ in his kingdom; and
... Now, my dear sir, if, from the evidence contained in the Bible to prove
slavery a lawful relation among God's people under every dispensation, the
assertion is still made, in the very face of this evidence, that slavery has
ever been the greatest sin-- everywhere, and under all circumstances-- can
you, or can any sane man bring himself to believe, that the mind capable of
such a decision, is not capable of trampling the Word of God under foot upon
any subject?"
42 | P a g e
"Jesus Christ recognized this (i.e. slavery) institution as one that was lawful
among men, and regulated its relative duties. ... I affirm then, first (and no
man denies) that Jesus Christ has not abolished slavery by a prohibitory
command; and second, I affirm, he has introduced no new moral principle
which can work its destruction."
"... The right of holding slaves is clearly established by the Holy Scriptures,
both by precept and example. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were
directed to purchase their bond-men and bond-maids of the Heathen
nations; except they were of the Canaanites, for these were to be destroyed.
And it is declared, that the persons purchased were to be their 'bond-men
forever'; and an 'inheritance for them and their children.' They were not to
go out free in the year of jubilee, as the Hebrews, who had been purchased,
were: the line being clearly drawn between them. ...
43 | P a g e
despise them, because they were brethren" in religion; "but the rather to do
them service, because they were faithful and beloved partakers of the
Christian benefit." Similar directions are given by him in other places, and
by other Apostles. And it gives great weight to the argument, that in this
place, Paul follows his directions concerning servants with a charge to
Timothy, as an Evangelist, to teach and exhort men to observe this doctrine.
Had the holding of slaves been a moral evil, it cannot be supposed, that the
inspired Apostles, who feared not the faces of men, and were ready to lay
down their lives in the cause of their God, would have tolerated it, for a
moment, in the Christian Church. If they had done so on a principle of
accommodation, in cases where the masters remained heathen, to avoid
offences and civil commotion; yet, surely, where both master and servant
were Christian, as in the case before us, they would have enforced the law
of Christ, and required, that the master should liberate his slave in the first
instance. But, instead of this, they let the relationship remain untouched, as
being lawful and right, and insist on the relative duties.
... If the holding of slaves is lawful, or according to the Scriptures; then this
Scriptural rule can be considered as requiring no more of the master, in
respect of justice (whatever it may do in point of generosity) than what he,
if a slave, could consistently, wish to be done to himself, while the
relationship between master and servant should still be continued."
44 | P a g e
"If we prove that domestic slavery is, in the general, a natural and
necessary institution, we remove the greatest stumbling block to belief in
the Bible; for whilst texts, detached and torn from their context, may be
found for any other purpose, none can be found that even militates against
slavery. The distorted and forced construction of certain passages, for this
purpose, by abolitionists, if employed as a common rule of construction,
would reduce the Bible to a mere allegory, to be interpreted to suit every
vicious taste and wicked purpose.
"We have a great lesson to teach the world with respect to the relation of
races: that certain races are permanently inferior in their capacities to
others, and that the African who is intrusted to our care can only reach the
amount of civilization and development of which he is capable--can only
contribute to the benefit of humanity in the position in which God has placed
him among us (i.e. that of a slave)."
"What right had you under the Constitution to declare war against a
'sovereign' state? To invade one for coercion? To blockade a port? To
declare slaves free? To suspend the writ of habeas corpus? To create the
state of West Virginia by the consent of two states, one of which was dead,
and the other one of which lived in Ohio? By what authority have you
appointed military governors in the 'sovereign' states of Virginia, Tennessee,
and Louisiana? Why trim the hedge and lie about it? We, too, are
revolutionists, and you are our executive. The Constitution sustained and
protected slavery. It was 'a league with death and a covenant with hell,' and
our flag 'a polluted rag'!
45 | P a g e
The South is no more to blame for Negro slavery than the North. Our slaves
were stolen from Africa by Yankee skippers. When a slaver arrived at
Boston, your pious Puritan clergyman offered public prayer of thanks that 'A
gracious and overruling Providence had been pleased to bring to this land of
freedom another cargo of benighted heathen to enjoy the blessings of a
gospel dispensation."
http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Religion/slavery.htm
SLAVERY:
The Third Lateran Council of 1179 imposed slavery on those helping the
Saracens. The legitimacy of slavery was incorporated in the official Corpus
Iuris Canonici, based on the Decretum Gratiani, which became the official
law of the Church since Pope Gregory IX in 1226:
24. Cruel avarice has so seized the hearts of some that though they glory in
the name of Christians they provide the Saracens with arms and wood for
helmets, and become their equals or even their superiors in wickedness and
supply them with arms and necessaries to attack Christians. There are even
some who for gain act as captains or pilots in galleys or Saracen pirate
vessels. Therefore we declare that such persons should be cut off from the
communion of the church and be excommunicated for their wickedness, that
catholic princes and civil magistrates should confiscate their possessions,
and that if they are captured they should become the slaves of their captors.
We order that throughout the churches of maritime cities frequent and
solemn excommunication should be pronounced against them. Let those also
be under excommunication who dare to rob Romans or other Christians who
46 | P a g e
sail for trade or other honourable purposes. Let those also who in the vilest
avarice presume to rob shipwrecked Christians, whom by the rule of faith
they are bound to help, know that they are excommunicated unless they
return the stolen property.
However, even Ecumenical Councils contain matters that are not considered
infallible doctrine. Just as the law of celibacy for ministerial priests and
passed at the Second Lateran Council is a discipline, rather than a dogma,
so too, canon 24 of Lateran III is a disciplinary matter.
The point, however, is that an Ecumenical Council not only takes for granted
that slavery is acceptable, but imposed slavery as a punishment for sin. It is
important to note that if slavery is so bad as to be considered a punishment,
one cannot argue that the slavery supported by the magisterium was less
cruel than later slavery!
Instead, one must either accept infallibly that slavery is God's will, or
recognize that the magisterium does make errors when creating disciplines
or making judgments with ordinary authority rather than extraordinary
authority.
But maybe the conservatives think that three synods outweigh a single
Ecumenical Council due to number.
47 | P a g e
At lower levels of authority, the ordinary magisterium also supported slavery
in the following instances:
- The Synod of Melfi under Pope Urban II in 1089 imposed slavery on the
wives of priests.
Still not convinced the Church supported slavery? Consider the following
quotation from the Apostolic Constitution written by His Holiness, Pope
Nicholas V, on January 8, 1455 ("Apostolic Constitutions" carry more
authority than an "Apostolic Letter", and Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was issued
as an Apostolic Letter):
We (therefore) weighing all and singular the premises with due meditation,
and noting that since we had formerly by other letters of ours granted
among other things free and ample faculty to the aforesaid King Alfonso --
to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and
pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and
the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all
movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and
to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery,...
The full text can be read at this link: Papal support for slavery
48 | P a g e
Note, as well, that Pope Nicholas seems to congratulate Henry, infante of
Portugal, for "slaughtering" non-Christians and imposing forced conversions
on "negros" and other peoples!
As late as June 20, 1866, the Holy Office (now called the Sacred
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) issued a statement that said:
http://churchslavery.blogspot.com/
Old Testament
The first, and most obvious, thing to remember is that there is no specific
condemnation of slavery to be found anywhere in the Bible. At no point does
God express even mild disapproval of enslaving human beings, robbing them
of what freedom and independence they might have had. On the contrary,
God is depicted of both approving of and regulating slavery, ensuring that
the traffic and ownership of fellow human beings proceeds in an acceptable
manner. In many cases, the regulations display a horrible disregard for the
lives and dignity of enslaved individuals, hardly the sort of thing one would
expect from a loving God.
49 | P a g e
When a slave owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave
dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. But if the slave survives a
day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner's property.
(Exod. 21:20-21)<
As a side note, it should be observed that the King James Version of the
Bible presents the above verse in an altered form, replacing "slave" with
"servant" - thus gravely misleading Christians as to the intentions and
desires of their God. One more reason to reject fundamentalist claims that
the KJV is the only true and valid translation!
New Testament
The New Testament, unfortunately, is little better. Jesus never even comes
close to expressing disapproval of the enslaving of other human beings, and
many statements attributed to him reveal a tacit acceptance or even
approval of that inhuman institution. Throughout the Gospels we read
passages like:
50 | P a g e
A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master (Matt.
10:24)
Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge
of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the
proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when
he arrives. (Matt. 24:45-46)
The letters (rightly or wrongly) attributed to Paul are even worse, making it
clear that the existence of slavery is not only acceptable, but that slaves
themselves should not presume to take the idea of freedom and equality
preached by Jesus too far by attempting to escape their forced servitude.
Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of
all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be
blasphemed. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to
them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must
serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are
believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. Whoever teaches
otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited,
understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for
disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base
suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft
of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1Tim. 6:1-5)
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of
heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to
51 | P a g e
please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
(Eph. 6:5-6)
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only
those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit
to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If
you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if
you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval.
(1Pet. 2:18-29)
52 | P a g e
Early Christian History
How did the early Christians deal with the issue of slavery? There was
almost universal approval of slavery among church leaders. Christians
vigorously defended slavery (along with other forms of extreme social
stratification) as instituted by God and as being an integral part of the
natural order of men. At all points, their reasoning was clearly and easily
supported by the Bible passages quoted above.
The slave should be resigned to his lot, in obeying his master he is obeying
God... (Saint John Chrysostom)
Not even after serfdom disappeared and full-fledged slavery once again
reared its ugly head was it generally condemned by Christian leaders.
Edmund Gibson, Anglican Bishop in London, made it clear in the 18th
century that Christianity freed us from the slavery of sin, not from earthly
and physical slavery:
53 | P a g e
The Freedom which Christianity gives, is a Freedom from the Bondage of Sin
and Satan, and from the Dominion of Men's Lusts and Passions and
inordinate Desires; but as to their outward Condition, whatever that was
before, whether bond or free, their being baptized, and becoming Christians,
makes no manner of Change in it.
American Slavery
The first ship bearing slaves for America landed in 1619, beginning over two
centuries of human bondage on the American continent, bondage which
would eventually be called our "peculiar institution." This institution always
received theological support from various religious leaders, both in the pulpit
and in the classroom. For example, through the late 1700s, Reverend
William Graham was rector and principle instructor at the Liberty Hall
Academy, now Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Every
year, he lectured the senior graduating class on the value of slavery and
used the Bible in his defense of it. For Graham and the many like him,
Christianity was not a tool for changing politics or social policy, but instead
to bring the message of salvation to everyone, regardless of their status of
freedom. In this, they were certainly supported by biblical text.
54 | P a g e
Through teaching slaves the message of the Bible, they could be encouraged
to bear the earthly burden in exchange for heavenly rewards later on - and
they could be frightened into believing that disobedience to earthly masters
would be perceived by God as disobedience to Him. Ironically, enforced
illiteracy prevented slaves from reading the Bible themselves. This is ironic
because a similar situation existed in Europe during the Middle Ages, as
illiterate peasants and serfs were prevented from reading the Bible in their
own language - a situation which was instrumental in the Protestant
revolution. Now, Protestants were doing much the same thing African
slaves: using the authority of their Bible and the dogma of their religion to
repress a group of people without even allowing them to read the basis of
authority on their own.
As Northerners decried slavery and called for its abolition, southern political
and religious leaders found an easy ally for their pro-slavery cause in the
Bible and Christian history. In 1856 Reverend Thomas Stringfellow, a Baptist
minister from Culpepper County in Virginia, put the pro-slavery Christian
message succinctly in his "A Scriptural View of Slavery:"
...Jesus Christ recognized this institution as one that was lawful among men,
and regulated its relative duties... I affirm then, first (and no man denies)
that Jesus Christ has not abolished slavery by a prohibitory command; and
second, I affirm, he has introduced no new moral principle which can work
its destruction...
55 | P a g e
of slavery did not enjoy Biblical support, it nevertheless tacitly admitted that
the institution of slavery did, in principle, have divine sanction and approval
so long as conducted in an appropriate manner.
In the end, the North won on the question of slavery. Although the Southern
Baptist Convention was formed in an effort to preserve the Christian basis
for slavery before the start of the Civil War, they did not feel it necessary to
bother apologizing until June 1995. The reason was that even though the
question of slavery had been settled, the question of race still burned.
The later repression and discrimination against the freed black slaves
received as much biblical and Christian support as the earlier institution of
slavery itself. This discrimination and the choice to enslave blacks only was
made primarily on the basis of what has become known as the "sin of Ham"
or "the curse of Canaan." Occasionally there would also be defenses of the
inferiority of blacks by asserting that they bore the "mark of Cain."
We read in Genesis, chapter nine, that Noah's son Ham comes upon him
sleeping off a drinking binge and sees his father naked. Instead of covering
him, he runs and tells his brothers. Shem and Japheth, the "good" brothers,
return and cover their father. In retaliation for Ham's "sinful act" of seeing
his father nude, Noah puts a curse on his grandson (Ham's son) Canaan:
?Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers" (Gen 9:25).
Over time, this curse came to be interpreted that Ham was literally "burnt,"
and that all his descendants had black skin, marking them as slaves with a
convenient color-coded label for subservience. When and how this gained
56 | P a g e
widespread acceptance is questionable, but anti-slavery religious and
political leaders have worked to refute it for more than a century. Today,
biblical scholars note that the ancient Hebrew word "ham" does not have to
be translated as "burnt" or "black" - but there is unfortunately little
consensus on how the name and passage should be interpreted. Further
complicating matters is the position of some Afrocentrists that Ham,
although not actually cursed (despite what the Bible says!) was indeed
black, as were many other characters in the Bible. Once again, people end
up reading the passage as supporting their own racial assumptions.
A corollary to the inferiority of blacks has long been the superiority of white
Protestants - something which has not yet dissipated in America. Although
"Caucasians" are not to be found anywhere in the Bible, that hasn't stopped
members of Christian Identity groups from using the Bible to prove that they
are the true "chosen people" or "true Israelites." This may seem bizarre, but
it has long been popular among American Protestants to see themselves as
being "divinely appointed" to tame the American wilderness despite the
"demon Indians." Americans are supposed to be blessed with a special
destiny by God, and many read an American role in Armageddon in the book
of Revelations. I am ever amazed at the degree to which Christianity
encourages extreme egotism and inflated sense of self-importance or
personal destiny.
57 | P a g e
still sees itself in terms of defending true Christianity. Especially in the
earliest days, Klansmen openly recruited in churches (white and segregated,
of course), attracting members from all strata of society, including the
clergy.
Although Klan ceremonies have varied greatly, one common form will
include an American flag, a cross, and a Bible opened to Romans 12,
exhorting Christians to "godly conduct, godly nature." Also common is a
sword representing the war against all enemies of the Christian life an the
American "Christian Nation." Opening and closing prayers may often include
"The living Christ is a Klansman's criterion of character." The origin of a
burning cross is unclear - it may stem from the ancient Scottish tradition of
burning a cross on a hill to call together the clans, or it may be
representative of spreading the light of the True Cross in an effort to
promote Christian faith.
There are many Bible passages which directly sanction and regulate slavery.
Quoting from the KJV (except as noted) some of these passages are:
The Ten Commandments: Rabbi M.J. Raphall (circa 1861) justified human
slavery on the basis of the 10th commandment. It places slaves
"... under the same protection as any other species of lawful property...That
the Ten Commandments are the word of G-d, and as such, of the very
highest authority, is acknowledged by Christians as well as by Jews...How
dare you, in the face of the sanction and protection afforded to slave
property in the Ten Commandments--how dare you denounce slaveholding
as a sin? When you remember that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job--the men
with whom the Almighty conversed, with whose names he emphatically
connects his own most holy name, and to whom He vouchsafed to give the
character of 'perfect, upright, fearing G-d and eschewing evil' (Job 1:8)--that
58 | P a g e
all these men were slaveholders, does it not strike you that you are guilty of
something very little short of blasphemy?" 1
Exodus 20:17"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his
ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's."
Beating and Killing Slaves: Although an owner could beat a male or female
slave, she/he would have to avoid serious injury to eyes or teeth. The owner
would have to avoid beating the slave to death. But it was acceptable to
beat a slave so severely that it only disabled him or her for two days:
Exodus 21:20-21 "And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod,
and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if
he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money
[property]."
Exodus 21:26-27 "And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of
his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he
smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let
him go free for his tooth's sake."
Passages in Exodus state that female slaves who were sold into slavery by
their fathers would be slaves forever. A corresponding passage in Exodus
59 | P a g e
contradicts this; it required female slaves to be given their freedom after 6
years.
One could purchase a slave from a foreign nation or from foreigners living
with them. These slaves would remain in slavery forever, unless the owner
chooses to frees them An Israelite who was a slave could be freed by a
family member or by himself if he had the money. The cost of freeing a
slave was computed on the basis of the number of years to the next Jubilee
Year; this could be 1 to 50 years. Male Israelite slaves were automatically
freed during the Jubilee Year. Depending upon which verse was being
followed, female Israelite slaves might also have been freed at that time as
well. Foreign slaves were out of luck. Exodus 21:1-4: "If thou buy an
Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out
free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he
were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given
him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her
children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself."
Exodus 21:7: "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall
not go out as the menservants do."
Leviticus 25:44-46: "Your male and female slaves are to come from the
nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some
of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans
born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them
to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but
you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly." (NIV)
60 | P a g e
him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon with him
that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of
jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of
years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him."
61 | P a g e
before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath
done shall be forgiven him."
Deuteronomy 24:7: "If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the
children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that
thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you."
Exodus 22:3: "...he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he
shall be sold for his theft."
II Kings 4:1: "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of
the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou
knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take
unto him my two sons to be bondmen."
62 | P a g e
Enslaving Women Captives: In a foreign war, an Israelite could take any
woman as a slave-wife, even if it were against her will. He would put her
through what could be regarded as a period of ritual abuse. If he later
dislikes her, he can grant her freedom, but cannot sell her to another slave
owner. Deuteronomy 21:10-14: "When thou goest forth to war against
thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands,
and thou hast taken them captive, And seest among the captives a beautiful
woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her
head, and pare her nails; And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from
off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her
mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her [i.e. rape her
or engage in consensual sex], and be her husband, and she shall be thy
wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go
whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not
make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her."
Deuteronomy 20:14" "But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle,
and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto
thyself"
Runaway Slaves: If a slave runs away from his owner and comes to you,
then you are not to return the slave to his owner. Rather, you are to let him
live in any town in your area. Deuteronomy 23:15-16: "Thou shalt not
deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto
thee: He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall
choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress
him."
63 | P a g e
money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh
for an everlasting covenant."
Genesis 17:27: "And all the men of his house, born in the house, and
bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him."
Priests as Slave Owners: God ordered Moses to wage war against the
Midianites, because the latter had attempted to convert the Israelites to
their religion. They Israelite soldiers killed every male Midianite, but initially
spared the lives of the women and children. Moses was angry at this act of
mercy, and in an act of near genocide, ordered that all of the women and
children be murdered in cold blood, allowing only 32,000 female virgins to
live. All of the booty, including the surviving girls and virgin women, was
then divided into two equal portions: one for the soldiers and the rest for the
people of Israel. 0.1% of the slaves from the first half and 2% of the slaves
from the second half were considered the Lord's share. i.e. they were to be
given to the priests. The priests ended up with 365 female virgins; one for
each day of the year. Numbers 31:28-47: "And levy a tribute unto the
LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred,
both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering
of the LORD.And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion
of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all
manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of
the tabernacle of the LORD."
Slaves Owning Slaves: Saul's slave Ziba owned 20 slaves of his own: 2
Samuel 9:10: "...Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants."
64 | P a g e
go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram
hearkened to the voice of Sarai."
Genesis 30:3-4: "And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and
she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she
gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her."
Genesis 30:9-10: "When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took
Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare
Jacob a son."
Slaves Given the weekly Sabbath off: Slaves were not required to work on
Saturday. Exodus 20:10: "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates:"
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_bibl1.htm
Neither Jesus nor St. Paul, nor any other Biblical figure is recorded as saying
anything in opposition to the institution of slavery. Slavery was very much a
part of life in Judea, Galilee, and in the rest of the Roman Empire during
New Testament times. The practice continued in England, Canada and the
rest of the English Empire until the early 19th century; it continued in the
U.S. until later in the 19th century.
65 | P a g e
"Receiving slavery as one of the conditions of society, the New Testament
nowhere interferes with or contradicts the slave code of Moses; it even
preserves a letter [to Philemon] written by one of the most eminent
Christian teachers [Paul] to a slave owner on sending back to him his
runaway slave." 1
"Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from
his master unto thee."
"He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall
choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress
him."
Rather than give the slave sanctuary, Paul returned him to his owner. Paul
seems to hint that he would like Pheliemon to give Onesimus his freedom,
but does not actually request it. See the Letter to Philemon in the Christian
Scriptures.
People in debt (and their children) were still being sold into slavery in the
first century CE:
66 | P a g e
Matthew 18:25: "But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded
him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment
to be made."
Mark 14:66: "And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of
the maids of the high priest:"
This would have been a marvelous opportunity for Jesus to condemn the
institution of slavery and its abuse of slaves. But he is not recorded of
having bothered to taken it:
Luke 12:45-48: "The lord [owner] of that servant will come in a day when
he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut
him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And
that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither
did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew
not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few
stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
67 | P a g e
One of the favorite passages of slave-owning Christians was St. Paul's
infamous instruction that slaves to obey their owners in the same way that
they obey Christ:
Other passages instructing slaves and slave owners in proper behavior are:
Colossians 4:1: "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and
equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."
1 Timothy 6:1-3 "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their
own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be
not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise
them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they
are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and
exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words,
even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is
according to godliness;"
In his defense, St. Paul incorrectly expected that Jesus would return in the
very near future. This might have demotivated him from speaking out
against slavery or other social evils in the Roman Empire. Also he regarded
slaves as persons of worth whom at least God considers of importance. St.
68 | P a g e
Paul mentioned that both slaves and free persons are sons of God, and thus
all part of the body of Christ and spiritually equal.
1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been
all made to drink into one Spirit."
Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Colossians 3:11: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in
all."
Paul apparently saw no evil in the concept of one person owning another as
a piece of property. In his Letter to Philemon, he had every opportunity to
discuss the immorality of slave-owning, but declined to do so.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_bibl2.htm
By Craig Keener
Islam has taken root in many urban centers of the United States today and
is spreading particularly among young urban African-American men
suspicious of White society's promises that have seemed out of their reach.
The current crisis did not begin overnight. Spawned by the church's neglect,
the movement continued to offer its warnings to an inattentive church until
reaching its present proportions.
69 | P a g e
Islam Takes Root in the African-American Community
In the 1930s, a white Turk named W. D. Fard began recruiting disciples for
his heterodox Islamic sect; his most prominent disciple, who took the name
Elijah Muhammad, claimed that Master Fard revealed that he was himself
God and made other claims that would outrage most orthodox Muslims.[1]
Elijah Muhammad declared that an evil genius, one Mr. Yacub, planned the
creation of the white race by breeding the lightest of his 59,999 black
followers on the island of Patmos, a process that produced a brown race
after 200 years, a red race after 200 more, a yellow race after 200 more,
and finally a race of "blonde, pale-skinned, cold-blue-eyed devils, savages,
nude and shameless."[2] Malcolm X became the leading spokesman for
Elijah Muhammad's cause until a rift between himself and Elijah Muhammad,
strengthened by revelations of Elijah's extramarital affairs, led Malcolm to
look elsewhere for truth.
Not only Malcolm, but Elijah Muhammad's own son, Warith D. Muhammad,
recognized the difference between the Nation of Islam and Sunni Islam, and
moved toward the latter position. Although traditional Islam lacked a
component of urban appeal that the Nation of Islam possessed - anti-white
sentiment and a myth to honor it - it provided more integrity and a larger
network of allies (and, perhaps of some relevance, financial support), and
still functioned as a protest against the racial insensitivities of most U.S.
churches. Louis Farrakhan led many of W.D. Muhammad's followers back to
the more original views of the Nation of Islam, yet more African-Americans
today probably seriously follow Sunni Islam, as represented by W. D.
70 | P a g e
Muhammad and the later Malcolm. Most adherents now hold to Islam out of
sincere conviction of its truth; dissatisfaction with other traditional religious
options, however, remains a major initial force in commending this religion
to inquirers.
Muslims have raised many objections to Christianity, for instance, the charge
of its collusion with Western imperialism in Africa. Yet Islamic expansionism
from the seventh century on was no less colonial than Western imperialism
came to be, and Western colonialism finds far less support in Jesus' teaching
than Islamic expansionism finds in the Quran. Ancient African kingdoms like
the mighty Medieval kingdom of Songhay (which had Islamic influence) were
destroyed by Muslim imperialists from the north.[3] Other African kingdoms
like Nubia and Ethiopia were forced to stand against Islamic armies for
centuries,[4] to defend the Christian minority in Egypt.[5] These were the
nearest Christian kingdoms that many Muslims experienced,[6] except for
the remnant of Christians in their own territories. North Africa was
predominantly Christian long before Muhammad's birth.
But one of the most prominent objections made by Black Muslims is that the
Christian West participated in slave trade. Although we may question how
genuine the Christianity of slave traders was, we cannot deny that professed
Christians participated in slave trade. What we can question is whether
Muslims are those best suited to raise this objection! Muhammad and his
earliest followers did not shrink from the practice of slavery (quite in
contrast to Jesus and the disciples);[7] but Muslim slavery, like most other
kinds of slavery, was originally not racially based. After the revolt of the
Mamelukes [white slaves] in Egypt, however, black slaves became the
preferred commodity.[8]
Arabs, Berbers, and Persians pioneered the long-distance slave trade,[9] and
the Spanish and Portuguese originally purchased Black African slaves from
71 | P a g e
Arab dealers.[10] The first Africans in the British colonies arrived before the
Mayflower, and were temporarily indentured servants like many White
colonists. In time, however, colonists found African servants easier to exploit
than European ones (the latter could appeal to authorities in Europe or,
escaping, blend into the local populations). Economic incentives also led to
African-American slavery and its racist ideological justification.[11] Whereas
Arabs introduced this exploitation, Europeans perfected it.[12] The Arabs
had no tortures comparable to the long journeys across the Atlantic with
slaves chained side by side for months in dark cargo holds. For every slave
brought to the so-called New World, more Africans were brutally murdered
in their capture or died en route multiplied millions of human beings raped,
butchered, or reduced to the status of animals.
In Defense of Christians
Some Black Christians, in fact, practiced a resistance more vibrant than that
of the Nation of Islam. Whatever else we may say of it, slave revolts were
led by such figures as Nat Turner, a Baptist preacher; Denmark Vesey, with
much A. M. E. support; Gabriel Prosser, envisioning himself as a new
Samson; and the White visionary John Brown.[16] The Black minister David
Walker called hypocritical White Christians "devils" in 1829, although (unlike
the original Nation of Islam) he allowed for exceptions.[17]
72 | P a g e
Islam provides no analogous abolitionist imperative. Just as Britain and
France were finally working to shut down the Atlantic slave trade, it was
picking up in East Africa, and most of the slaves were being sold to
kingdoms in Arabia and the Persian Gulf.[18] The Arabian peninsula in 1962
became the world's final region to officially abolish slavery,[19] yet even
afterward Saudi Arabia alone was estimated to contain a quarter of a million
slaves.[20] As many as 20 million Pakistanis (mainly Christians and lower-
caste Muslims) are now being held in bondage.[21] Arab Muslims in the
northern Sudan have been systematically starving the Black African
adherents of traditional African religions and Christians in the south;[22]
raids have also been taking slaves, a practice Sudan had once
abolished.[23] In the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Arab-Berber Muslims
from the north hold possibly over 100,000 Black African slaves from the
south;[24] "aside from the shantytowns and a strip of land along the
Senegal River, virtually all blacks are slaves and they are more than half the
population."[25]
Conclusion
73 | P a g e
reconciliation when examples of it are nowhere to be found in the inner
cities? Articles like this can provide an apologetic on paper, but the real
apologetic will be far more costly. Until North American Christians learn to
live the gospel of reconciliation they preach, paying any necessary price to
bridge the gaps historically formed by White racism, Islam will continue to
appear credible by contrast to a Christianity that is often indistinguishable
from the rest of North American culture.
References
On slavery and the New Testament, see e.g., Craig S. Keener, Paul, Women
& Wives (Peabody, MA Hendrickson, 1992), pp. 184-224.
74 | P a g e
This is commonly noted, e.g., by Bennett, Mayflower, pp. 34-35.
See especially Bennett, Before Mayflower, pp. 29-37; cf. C. Eric Lincoln,
Race, Religion, and the Continuing American Dilemma (New York Hill &
Wang, 1984), p. 135.
Cf. e.g., The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed. (Chicago University of
Chicago, 1992), 12654; Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity
(Grand Rapids Eerdmans, 1977), p. 561 (cf. p. 556 "In the 1790s the
evangelical was marked out as much by a desire for the abolition of the
slave trade as by an interest in missions").
Cf. e.g., James Cone, For My People Black: Theology and the Black Church
(Maryknoll Orbis, 1984), pp. 123-25.
75 | P a g e
Robert William Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman, Time on the Cross: The
Economics of American Negro Slavery (Boston Little, Brown & Company,
1974), p. 13.
Tom Masland, Rod Nordland, Melinda Liu, and Joseph Contreras, "Slavery,"
Newsweek May 4, 1992, pp. 30-39, p. 37.
Cf. many reports, e.g., in Africa News, July 6-19, 1992, p. 16; Newsweek,
Oct. 12, 1992, p. 49; ESA Advocate, Oct. 1992, p. 6; World Press Review,
March 1989, pp. 28-29; June 1991, p. 36.
Bethwell Ogot, "The Muslim Trade," in the Daily Nation of Nairobi, Kenya,
responding to Ali Mazrui and citing substantial historical data (reprinted in
World Press Review, Aug. 1993, p. 23).
http://www.answering-islam.org/ReachOut/ckeener.html
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may
buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are round
about you.
76 | P a g e
You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you
and their families that are with you, who have been born in your
land; and they may be your property.
You may bequeath them to your sons after you, to inherit as a
possession forever, you may make slaves of them, but over your
brethren the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another,
with harshness. (Leviticus 25:44-46)
In Roman times the Jews often followed the Roman Army on its
conquests and enslaved enemy soldiers and civilians.
Portuguese Jews, who had developed their mastery of the slave trade off
the west coast of Africa on the island of Sao Thome where they employed up
77 | P a g e
to 3,000 black slaves. They arrived in Brazil in 1503 and by 1600 the bulk
of the slave trade and up to 100 plantations in Brazil, with some 10,000
black slaves, were in the hands of the Jews. In the mid 1600,s slave revolts
and war with Portugal caused many Jews to leave for the Caribbean,
Amsterdam and New Amsterdam (later New York).
Jews could buy slaves cheaper from their co-religionists (there was one
price for the Jew and one price for the other or goim) and then sell them to
the plantation owners at profits of up to 300% with interest of 3-4%
monthly. Slaves were also rented at exorbitant rates to non-Jews to the
extent that Adrian Lems, on June 13, 1643 wrote to his company that non-
Jewish planters could not prosper because the price and interest on slaves
was too high. According to Arnold Wiznitzer in “Jews in colonial Brazil “if it
happened that the date of such an auction fell on a Jewish holiday the
auction had to be postponed. This occurred on Friday, October 16th, 1644.”
78 | P a g e
might be chopped off; but to no purpose. At last, seeing no end to
his misery, he declared, "that though he had deserved death, he had
not expected to die so many deaths: however, (said he) you
Christians have missed your aim at last, and I now care not, were I
to remain thus one month longer." After which he sung two
extempore songs (with a clear voice) the subjects of which were, to
bid adieu to his living friends, and to acquaint his deceased relations
that in a very little time he should be with them, to enjoy their
company for ever in a better place. This done, he calmly entered into
conversation with some gentlemen concerning his trial; relating
every particular with uncommon tranquility - "But," said he abruptly,
"by the sun it must be eight o'clock; and by any longer discourse I
should be sorry to be the cause of your losing your breakfast." Then,
casting his eyes on a Jew, whose name was De Vries, "A-propos,
sir," said he, "won't you please to pay me the ten shillings you owe
me?" "For what to do?" - "To buy meat and drink, to be sure - don't
you perceive I am to be kept alive?" Which speech, on seeing the
Jew stare like a fool, this mangled wretch accompanied with a loud
and hearty laugh. Next, observing the soldier that stood sentinel
over him biting occasionally on a piece of dry bread, he asked him
"how it came to pass, that he, a white man, should have no meat to
eat along with it?" - "Because I am not so rich," answered the
soldier. "Then I will make you a present, sir," said the negro; "first,
pick my hand that was chopped off clean to the bones, next begin to
devour my body, till you are glutted; when you will have both bread
and meat, as best becomes you"; which piece of humor was followed
by a second laugh; and thus he continued, until I left him, which was
about three hours after the dreadful execution. Wonderful it is
indeed, that human nature should be able to endure so much
torture, which assuredly could only be supported by a mixture of
rage, contempt, pride, and the glory of braving his tormentors, from
whom he was so soon to escape.
The slaves of Surinam revolted between 1690 and 1772 and some 6,000,
known as Maroons, escaped into the jungle and waged a guerilla war for
over 70 years and were not defeated. Herbert Bloom in his book “The
Economic Activities of the Jews of Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th Centuries”
said the slave revolted against their plantations and slave masters
79 | P a g e
“especially those in Jewish hands”. The abolition of the slave trade in 1819
brought about the economic decline of the Jewish community.
"...That the Jews in this island are a very wealthy body, their gains
considerable, and acquired with great ease and indolence, and with
little risk, and their fortunes so disposed, that the usual methods of
laying taxes will not affect them; they are generally concerned in,
nay have almost entirely engrossed, the whole retail trade of this
island, furnish people with materials of luxury, tempt them to live
and dress above their circumstances, carry on a traffic with our
slaves greatly prejudicial to the planter and fair trader, encouraging
the negroes to steal commodities from their masters, which they sell
to or barter with the Jews, at inconsiderable and under values; and,
when by such means they have amassed great wealth, they layout
their money at interest, by which the public stock is no way
increased; and it must ever be against the interest and policy of
every country, to encourage the heaping up of such riches among
them: That it is in this light the Jews are taxed separately, and not
on account of religion or country, nor does the present tax exceed
what they have paid forty years ago, when their riches were not so
great as they are at present, and their numbers have been daily
increasing under a taxation of this sort ever since. . ."
The Jews were in the slave trade on the islands and in the communities
of Curacao, Martinique, Nevis, Saint Dominique, Saint Eustatius, Saint
Thomas, and others.
80 | P a g e
In Los Angeles in 1861 after Secessionists victory in the elections The
News accused the Jewish community of voting the Secessionist ticket and
was branded anti-Semitic by the Jews for its article. During the speculation
in gold papers such as The New York Tribune, Herald, Commercial, Patterson
Press, Missouri Republican Chicago Tribune and the Detroit Commercial
Advertiser noted that the great majority of those involved in the speculation
were of the Jewish race.
Estimates vary as to the number of slaves that died transiting to the New
World during the centuries of the slave trade. 6-12 million would probably
be low.
There were numerous Jewish slave ships that sailed the Atlantic and
Caribbean. Jews were heavily involved in slavery since its beginning.
Abigail
Active
Africa
Albany
Ann
Antigua
Betsy
Caracoa
Charlotte
81 | P a g e
Cleopatra
Crown
De Vrijheid
Eagle
Elizabeth
Fortunate
Four Sisters
George
Greyhound
Hannah
Hester
Hetty
Hiram
Hope
Juffr. Gerebrecht
Juf Gracia
Leghorn
Mary
Nancy
Nassau
Nina
Pinta
Prince George
82 | P a g e
Prudent Betty
Royal Charlotte
Sally
Santa Maria
Sherbo
Shiprah
Spry
Three Friends
Union
Young Chaterine
Young Adrian
Lydia
Barbadoes Factor
Charming Sally
Polly
Dolphin
Prince Orange
Charming Polly
Drake
Sea Flower
Phila
83 | P a g e
Parthenope
General Well
Defiance
Perfect
Confirmation
Diamond
Rising Sun
Lord Howe
Rabbit
General Webb
Charming Betsey
Two Sisters
New York
Dobirah
Gloucester
Delaware
Belle
Mars
Lark
David
Patrick
Abraham
le Parfait
84 | P a g e
l' Alliance
le Vainquerur
Jane
Nancy
Rebecca
Ann
Crown Gally
Postillion
Orleans
Dreadnought
Duke of Cumberland
Duke of York
Betsy
Pearl
King George
85 | P a g e