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| According to Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn, "The saddest and most painful reality of this situation is, that same slave trading is occurring today, still in the name of Islam. It is primarily happening in the countries of Mauritania, located in northwest Afrika, and Sudan, in northeast Afrika."<ref>http://www.africaspeaks.com/articles/070699.html</ref> | |||
| {{Unbalanced}} | |||
| Speaking of Sudan under modern Islamic rule and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the author Ronald Segal<ref>Author of "Islam's Black Slaves: The Other Black Diaspora," quoted by Suzy Hansen of Salon.com on 5 April 2001 - http://archive.salon.com/books/int/2001/04/05/segal/index.html</ref> describes that: <blockquote>"The resurgence of ] has a lot to do with slavery in both countries. Both describe themselves as Islamic states and pursue policies of Arab-Islamic ], but they are essentially exercises in the maintenance of control ... Also, it is partly a reaction to the power differentials in the world at large. Islam was a civilization that for hundreds of years was arguably the central civilization of the world and certainly dwarfed the cultures and powers of a West that is now unquestionably supreme. So there is a sense of humiliation. In such a situation you get a backlash ... a re-Islamization. There's nothing in the Koran that says someone can come along and free your slave."</blockquote> | |||
| '''Slavery in Africa''', as in some other regions of the world, continues today. This article discusses modern occurrences of ] on the African continent. See also ], ] and ] for further African related slavery topics. | |||
| ==Overview== | |||
| Slavery in ] was legally abolished by laws passed in 1905, 1961, and 1981, but it has never been criminalised,<ref>"The last law, in 1981, banned it but failed to criminalise it. However much it is denied, an ancient system of bondage, with slaves passed on from generation to generation, still plainly exists." ]</ref> and several ] organizations are reporting that the practice continues there. In ], slavery is a real and current phenomenon that is alive today. A Nigerien study has found that almost 8% of the population are slaves. Descent-based slavery, where generations of the same family are born into bondage, is traditionally practised by at least four of Niger’s eight ethnic groups. It is especially rife among the warlike ], in the wild deserts of north and west Niger, who roam near the borders with ] and ].<ref> By Hilary Andersson, BBC Africa Correspondent, Niger</ref> | |||
| ===Child Slave trade=== | |||
| The trading of children has been reported in modern ] and ].The children are kidnapped or purchased for $20 - $70 each by slavers in poorer states, such as Benin and Togo, and sold into slavery in sex dens or as unpaid domestic servants for $350.00 each in wealthier oil-rich states, such as Nigeria and Gabon. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| In parts of ], a family may be punished for an offense by having to turn over a virgin female to serve as a sex slave within the offended family.<ref></ref> In this instance, the woman does not gain the title of "wife". In parts of Ghana, ], and ], shrine slavery persists, despite being illegal in Ghana since 1998. In this system of slavery, sometimes called ] (in Ghana) or ] in Togo and Benin, or ritual servitude, young virgin girls are given as slaves in traditional shrines and are used sexually by the priests in addition to providing free labor for the shrine.<ref>, By Humphrey Hawksley in eastern Ghana, ], ]. BBC News</ref> | |||
| ==Ethiopia== | |||
| Mahider Bitew, Children's Rights and Protection expert at the Ministry of Women's Affairs, says that some isolated studies conducted in Diredawa, ], ] and three other towns of the country indicate that the problem of child trafficking is very serious. According to a 2003 study about one thousand children were trafficked via ] to countries of the ]. The majority of those children were girls, most of whom were forced to be sex workers after leaving the country. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has identified prostitution as the Worst Form of Child Labor.<ref name="Ethiopian Slave Systems">{{cite web|url=http://www.africanholocaust.net/news_ah/ethiopianslavetrade.html|publisher=|title="Ethiopian Slave Trade"|}}</ref> | |||
| In ], children are trafficked into ], to provide cheap or unpaid labor and to work as domestic servants or beggars. The ages of these children are usually between 10 and 18 and their trafficking is from the country to urban centers and from cities to the country. Boys are often expected to work in activities such as herding cattle in rural areas and in the weaving industry in ], and other major towns. Girls are expected to take responsibilities for domestic chores, childcare and looking after the sick and to work as prostitutes.<ref name="Ethiopian Slave Systems">{{cite web|url=http://www.africanholocaust.net/news_ah/ethiopianslavetrade.html|publisher=|title="Ethiopian Slave Trade"|}}</ref> | |||
| ==Sudan== | ==Sudan== | ||
| ], author and escaped former Sudanese slave. At the age of seven, he was captured and enslaved during a raid in Southern Sudan. For ten years he was slave to a family that called him "abeed" (black slave). In that time he states that he was neglected and abused, given an Arab name and forced to perform Islamic prayers.<ref>http://www.speakingmatters.org/francis_bok.html</ref>(Courtesy Unitarian Universalist Association/Jeanette Leardi)]]{{main|Slavery in Sudan}} | |||
| {{TotallyDisputed-section}} | |||
| There has been a recrudescence of jihad slavery since 1983 in the Sudan.<ref>The ]. December 1999, Vol.6:Number 4. John Eibner, “My career redeeming slaves”</ref><ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17747 under 'Extent and Persistence', final para</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | Slavery in the Sudan predates Islam, but continued under Islamic rulers and has never completely died out in Sudan. According to ], slaves have been sold for $50 apiece. In 2001 ] reported the ] was under pressure from Congress, including conservative Christians concerned about religious oppression and slavery, to address issues involved in the Sudanese conflict.<ref>http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/04/us.sudan/index.html</ref> CNN has also quoted the ]'s allegations: "The government's support of slavery and its continued military action which has resulted in numerous deaths are due in part to the victims' ]." | ||
| ], author and former Sudanese slave.<ref> Speaking Matters</ref><br/><small>(Image courtesy Unitarian Universalist Association/Jeanette Leardi)</small>]]{{main|Slavery in Sudan}} | |||
| In the Sudan, Christian captives in the ongoing civil war are often enslaved, and female prisoners are often used sexually, with their Muslim captors claiming that Islamic law grants them permission.<ref>http://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/islamandslavery.html</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | Slavery in the |
||
| ⚫ | ==Chad== | ||
| Jok Madut Jok, professor of History at ], states that the abduction of women and children of the south by north is slavery by any definition. The government of Sudan insists that the whole matter is no more than the traditional tribal feuding over resources.<ref> Jok Madut Jok (2001), p.3</ref> | |||
| ] (Integrated Regional Information Networks) of the ] reports children being sold to Arab herdsmen in ]. As part of a new identity imposed on them the herdsman "...change their name, forbid them to speak in their native dialect, ban them from conversing with people from their own ] and make them adopt Islam as their religion."<ref> </ref> | |||
| Diplomatic spokesmen for the ] have denied that there is slavery in their country, and asserted that slave redemption programs are fraudulent attempts to make money. According to a June 2003 ] of the Embassy of Sudan in ], there are documented instances of people, who were not slaves, being gathered together and instructed to pretend they were being released from slavery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sudanembassy.org/default.asp?page=viewstory&id=179|title=Fraud and Bigotry: Attempts to Resurrect Claims of|accessdate=2006-10-07|date=]| publisher = Embassy of the Republic of Sudan}}</ref> | |||
| ==Mauritania== | ==Mauritania== | ||
| A system exists now by which Arab Muslims -- the bidanes -- own black slaves, the haratines.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=Islam_and_slavery&action=edit§ion=24</ref> Malouma Messoud, a former muslim slave has explained her enslavement to a religious leader:<blockquote>"We didn't learn this history in school; we simply grew up within this ] and lived it. Slaves believe that if they do not obey their masters, they will not go to paradise. They are raised in a social and religious system that everyday reinforces this idea.<ref>] News-letter 'SMIR talk exposes modern slavery' - Brendan Schreiber and Maria Andrawis, 5 December 2003]</ref>"</blockquote> | |||
| {{main|Slavery in Mauritania}} | |||
| A system exists now by which Arab -- the bidanes -- own African slaves, the haratines.<ref></ref> | |||
| In ], despite slave ownership having been made punishable by law in 1981, hereditary slavery continues.<ref |
In ], despite slave ownership having been made punishable by law in 1981, hereditary slavery continues.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4091579.stm</ref> Moreover, according to ]: <blockquote>"Not only has the government denied the existence of slavery and failed to respond to cases brought to its attention, it has hampered the activities of organisations which are working on the issue, including by refusing to grant them official recognition".<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4091579.stm</ref></blockquote> | ||
| By Pascale Harter. BBC News, Nouakchott. December 2004</ref> Moreover, according to ]: <blockquote>"Not only has the government denied the existence of slavery and failed to respond to cases brought to its attention, it has hampered the activities of organisations which are working on the issue, including by refusing to grant them official recognition".<ref name="BBC News"/></blockquote> | |||
| Imam El Hassan Ould Benyamin of |
Imam El Hassan Ould Benyamin of Tayarat in 1997 expressed his views about earlier proclamations ending slavery in his country as follows:<blockquote>" is contrary to the teachings of the fundamental text of Islamic law, the Quran ... amounts to the expropriation from muslims of their goods; goods that were acquired legally. The state, if it is Islamic, does not have the right to seize my house, my wife or my slave."<ref>Segal, p.206</ref></blockquote> | ||
| An estimated 90,000 |
An estimated 90,000 black Mauritanians remain essentially enslaved to Arab/Berber owners.<ref>http://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/islamandslavery.html</ref> | ||
| ==Niger== | ==Niger== | ||
| In Niger, slavery is a real and current phenomenon. A Nigerian study has found that almost 8% of the population are slaves. Slavery dates back for centuries in Niger and was finally criminalised in 2003, after five years of lobbying by ] and Nigerian human-rights group, Timidria. | |||
| ⚫ | Descent-based slavery, where generations of the same family are born into bondage, is traditionally practised by at least four of Niger’s eight ethnic groups. The slave masters are mostly from the |
||
| ⚫ | Descent-based slavery, where generations of the same family are born into bondage, is traditionally practised by at least four of Niger’s eight ethnic groups. The slave masters are mostly from the nomadic tribes — the ], ], ] and ].. It is especially rife among the warlike ], in the wild deserts of north and west Niger, who roam near the borders with Mali and Algeria. In the region of Say on the right bank of the river Niger, it is estimated that three-quarters of the population around 1904-1905 was composed of slaves. | ||
| ⚫ | Historically, the Tuareg swelled the ranks of their slaves during war raids into other peoples’ lands. War was then the main source of supply of slaves, although many were bought at slave markets, run mostly by indigenous peoples. |
||
| ⚫ | Historically, the Tuareg swelled the ranks of their slaves during war raids into other peoples’ lands. War was then the main source of supply of slaves, although many were bought at slave markets, run mostly by indigenous peoples. | ||
| ==Mali== | |||
| The Malian government denies that slavery exists, however, the slavery in Timbuktu is obvious. Slavery (sometimes called indentured servitude) still continues with some Tuaregs holding Bella people. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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| *] | *] | ||
| <references/> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY | |||
Revision as of 14:55, 8 July 2007
According to Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn, "The saddest and most painful reality of this situation is, that same slave trading is occurring today, still in the name of Islam. It is primarily happening in the countries of Mauritania, located in northwest Afrika, and Sudan, in northeast Afrika."
Speaking of Sudan under modern Islamic rule and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the author Ronald Segal describes that:
"The resurgence of fundamentalist Islam has a lot to do with slavery in both countries. Both describe themselves as Islamic states and pursue policies of Arab-Islamic religious law, but they are essentially exercises in the maintenance of control ... Also, it is partly a reaction to the power differentials in the world at large. Islam was a civilization that for hundreds of years was arguably the central civilization of the world and certainly dwarfed the cultures and powers of a West that is now unquestionably supreme. So there is a sense of humiliation. In such a situation you get a backlash ... a re-Islamization. There's nothing in the Koran that says someone can come along and free your slave."
Sudan
There has been a recrudescence of jihad slavery since 1983 in the Sudan.
Slavery in the Sudan predates Islam, but continued under Islamic rulers and has never completely died out in Sudan. According to CBS news, slaves have been sold for $50 apiece. In 2001 CNN reported the Bush administration was under pressure from Congress, including conservative Christians concerned about religious oppression and slavery, to address issues involved in the Sudanese conflict. CNN has also quoted the U.S. State Department's allegations: "The government's support of slavery and its continued military action which has resulted in numerous deaths are due in part to the victims' religious beliefs."
In the Sudan, Christian captives in the ongoing civil war are often enslaved, and female prisoners are often used sexually, with their Muslim captors claiming that Islamic law grants them permission.
Chad
IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports children being sold to Arab herdsmen in Chad. As part of a new identity imposed on them the herdsman "...change their name, forbid them to speak in their native dialect, ban them from conversing with people from their own ethnic group and make them adopt Islam as their religion."
Mauritania
A system exists now by which Arab Muslims -- the bidanes -- own black slaves, the haratines. Malouma Messoud, a former muslim slave has explained her enslavement to a religious leader:
"We didn't learn this history in school; we simply grew up within this social hierarchy and lived it. Slaves believe that if they do not obey their masters, they will not go to paradise. They are raised in a social and religious system that everyday reinforces this idea."
In the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, despite slave ownership having been made punishable by law in 1981, hereditary slavery continues. Moreover, according to Amnesty International:
"Not only has the government denied the existence of slavery and failed to respond to cases brought to its attention, it has hampered the activities of organisations which are working on the issue, including by refusing to grant them official recognition".
Imam El Hassan Ould Benyamin of Tayarat in 1997 expressed his views about earlier proclamations ending slavery in his country as follows:
" is contrary to the teachings of the fundamental text of Islamic law, the Quran ... amounts to the expropriation from muslims of their goods; goods that were acquired legally. The state, if it is Islamic, does not have the right to seize my house, my wife or my slave."
An estimated 90,000 black Mauritanians remain essentially enslaved to Arab/Berber owners.
Niger
In Niger, slavery is a real and current phenomenon. A Nigerian study has found that almost 8% of the population are slaves. Slavery dates back for centuries in Niger and was finally criminalised in 2003, after five years of lobbying by Anti-Slavery International and Nigerian human-rights group, Timidria.
Descent-based slavery, where generations of the same family are born into bondage, is traditionally practised by at least four of Niger’s eight ethnic groups. The slave masters are mostly from the nomadic tribes — the Tuareg, Fulani, Toubou and Arabs.. It is especially rife among the warlike Tuareg, in the wild deserts of north and west Niger, who roam near the borders with Mali and Algeria. In the region of Say on the right bank of the river Niger, it is estimated that three-quarters of the population around 1904-1905 was composed of slaves.
Historically, the Tuareg swelled the ranks of their slaves during war raids into other peoples’ lands. War was then the main source of supply of slaves, although many were bought at slave markets, run mostly by indigenous peoples.
Mali
The Malian government denies that slavery exists, however, the slavery in Timbuktu is obvious. Slavery (sometimes called indentured servitude) still continues with some Tuaregs holding Bella people.
See also
- http://www.africaspeaks.com/articles/070699.html
- Author of "Islam's Black Slaves: The Other Black Diaspora," quoted by Suzy Hansen of Salon.com on 5 April 2001 - http://archive.salon.com/books/int/2001/04/05/segal/index.html
- http://www.speakingmatters.org/francis_bok.html
- The Middle East Quarterly. December 1999, Vol.6:Number 4. John Eibner, “My career redeeming slaves”
- http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17747 under 'Extent and Persistence', final para
- http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/04/us.sudan/index.html
- http://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/islamandslavery.html
- IRIN Africa: CHAD: Children sold into slavery for the price of a calf
- http://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=Islam_and_slavery&action=edit§ion=24
- The John Hopkins News-letter 'SMIR talk exposes modern slavery' - Brendan Schreiber and Maria Andrawis, 5 December 2003
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4091579.stm
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4091579.stm
- Segal, p.206
- http://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/islamandslavery.html