Where is the international outcry? Would caring for the slaves suffering today in Mauritania be “Islamophobic”? We constantly hear in the West that Islam forbids slavery, but reality is otherwise.
The Qur’an has Allah telling Muhammad that he has given him girls as sex slaves: “Prophet, We have made lawful to you the wives to whom you have granted dowries and the slave girls whom God has given you as booty.” (Qur’an 33:50)
Muhammad bought slaves: “Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) reported: There came a slave and pledged allegiance to Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) on migration; he (the Holy Prophet) did not know that he was a slave. Then there came his master and demanded him back, whereupon Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: Sell him to me. And he bought him for two black slaves, and he did not afterwards take allegiance from anyone until he had asked him whether he was a slave (or a free man).” (Muslim 3901)
Muhammad took female Infidel captives as slaves: “Narrated Anas: The Prophet offered the Fajr Prayer near Khaibar when it was still dark and then said, ‘Allahu-Akbar! Khaibar is destroyed, for whenever we approach a (hostile) nation (to fight), then evil will be the morning for those who have been warned.’ Then the inhabitants of Khaibar came out running on the roads. The Prophet had their warriors killed, their offspring and woman taken as captives. Safiya was amongst the captives. She first came in the share of Dahya Alkali but later on she belonged to the Prophet. The Prophet made her manumission as her ‘Mahr.’” (Bukhari 5.59.512) Mahr is bride price: Muhammad freed her and married her. But he didn’t do this to all his slaves:
Muhammad owned slaves: “Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Apostle was on a journey and he had a black slave called Anjasha, and he was driving the camels (very fast, and there were women riding on those camels). Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Waihaka (May Allah be merciful to you), O Anjasha! Drive slowly (the camels) with the glass vessels (women)!’” (Bukhari 8.73.182) There is no mention of Muhammad’s freeing Anjasha.
“Mauritania failing to tackle pervasive slavery, says African Union,” by Annie Kelly and Kate Hodal, Guardian, January 29, 2018:
The African Union has reprimanded Mauritania for failing to take action against widespread slavery within its borders and ordered the government to give financial compensation to two child slaves who were failed by its legal system.
The landmark ruling is the first time the AU has spoken out against the pervasive practice of hereditary slavery in Mauritania, which activists believe affects many thousands of people.
Despite passing slavery laws in 2007, and amending them in 2015, Mauritania has only prosecuted two cases of slavery. In 2011, after sustained regional and international pressure, the Mauritanian courts sentenced Ahmed Ould El Hassine to two years in jail and to pay 1.35m Mauritanian ouguiya (£2,700) to two brothers, Said and Yarg Ould Salem, who had been kept in slavery since birth.
After lawyers representing the brothers appealed to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), an AU body that was set up to protect child welfare across the region, the committee criticised the leniency of the sentence and said the Mauritanian government was creating a culture of impunity, allowing slavery to continue unfettered across the region.
Under Mauritanian law the minimum sentence for slavery crimes is five years. The convicted slave master is yet to be jailed, pending appeal, and according to anti-slavery campaigners other members of his family are yet to face prosecution.
In the ruling, the committee found the state to be in violation of its obligations to protect children’s rights under the African Children’s Charter, a legal framework that was set up to protect African children from discrimination, child labour and harmful cultural practices….
lebel says
” We constantly hear in the West that Islam forbids slavery, ”
This is wrong, like your religion Christianity and other religions like Judaism, it does not forbid slavery.
It does however view the freeing of slaves as a good thing to be encouraged.
StellaSaidSo says
Once again, lebel, you refer to ancient texts which carry no legal weight in the modern world.
It was CHRISTIANS who abolished slavery in the West. MUSLIMS practise slavery TO THIS DAY.
Clearly, Muslims pay no attention to the insipid and ABROGATED verse which encourages the freeing of slaves.
lebel says
That very well may be but I have not made that claim. I am saying that neither Christianity nor Judaism forbid slavery. I did not say that Islam forbade slavery, I said it didn’t. What is the problem? that in this case, Islam is not uniquely evil?
StellaSaidSo says
Yes, lebel, Islam is uniquely evil in that it has NOT abandoned the practice of slavery.
Salah says
“All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 7:12
mortimer says
The Ongoing Fight To Free Thousands Of African Slaves In Yemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVuQTiQNJOE
StellaSaidSo says
Some honest truth about 21stC Islamic slavery by former slave, Simon Deng:
https://gatestoneinstitute.org/2518united-nations-slavery#
gravenimage says
Yes–Simon Deng is a hero.
mortimer says
The Ongoing Fight To Free Thousands Of African Slaves In Yemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVuQTiQNJOE
Indiana Tom says
This is wrong, like your religion Christianity and other religions like Judaism, it does not forbid slavery.
It does however view the freeing of slaves as a good thing to be encouraged.
About a third of the Mediterranean basin population were slaves in the 1st century.
1 Timothy 1:9-10 English Standard Version (ESV)
9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,[a] liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound[b] doctrine,
boakai ngombu says
IT:
IT, i agree, and lebel might enjoy this addition to your observation:
“… It does however view the freeing of slaves as a good thing to be encouraged….”
very instructive is the encouragement by the Apostle Paul to Philemon: “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me…” (speaking of Onesimus, a slave who went AWOL from his service to Philemon) [Philemon v17, ESV]
The Apostle urges Philemon to not only free Onesimus but also to restore him to proper recognition of his humanity and as an equal to himself (Paul).
gravenimage says
My God, what crap from the appalling lebel. It is the West that *abolished* slavery.
Under Islam, slavery is *increasing*–it was rife in the Islamic State, and in Sudan and Mauritania and even committed by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
If Islam *really* encouraged the freeing of slaves, slavery would have been abolished in Dar-al-Islam long since.
Instead, Islamic clerics affirm that Muslims can take slaves:
“Yes, boys, you CAN have sex slaves: Outrage as British Muslim cleric at mosque where Cardiff jihadis were radicalised tells teenagers that ‘captives’ are permissible under Islam in vile sermon”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3716280/Yes-boys-sex-slaves-Outrage-British-Muslim-cleric-mosque-Cardiff-jihadis-radicalised-tells-teenagers-captives-permissible-Islam.html
There are may other examples.
But why wouldn’t they? After all, the “Prophet” Muhammed enslaved his victims, traded in slaves, and kept slaves and sex slaves.
MFritz says
Why should they tackle something that’s inherent to their ideology?
lebel says
“Yes, lebel, Islam is uniquely evil in that it has NOT abandoned the practice of slavery.”
That very well may be but that’s not what I said. I said Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other religions do NOT forbid slavery. Thats the texts, sorry.
Are there Muslim countries where slavery is still practiced today? YES. but thats not what I was responding to. Is slavery abolished in all Muslim countries. YES also. But that’s not what I was responding to. You are arguing with a strawman here.
Westman says
Lebel,
Do you agree that it will be ultimately abolished in actuality, by force, if necessary, from the pockets where it exists; regardless of whether pockets of Islam or any other ideology disagree?
Instead of getting into past timeline details it might make more sense to realize the world is moving into a combined economic unit that will dictate such things as the end of slavery. The energy problem will ultimately be solved(if humanity doesn’t destroy itself, first) and the flow of wealth to the ME will subside.
Islam has shown itself unable to be sustained on its own earned wealth, where barren land is a significant problem and much time and energy are wasted praising Allah during the work day. Mauritania is surviving on iron ore, oil, and loans. Saudi Arabia can’t even produce its own food and its gleaming cities would certainly starve without petro-dollars. Conquest was Muhammmads solution to this problem.
However, that time is past – in a world able to destroy the future of the ME in an afternoon but doesn’t. Time is running out on slavery and jihad.
And if you think the US is your problem, imagine a world dictated by European socialists, banks, and global corporations.
lebel says
I think this is a topic that deserves more than a few sentences. For now I think that we have to assume that some governments are aware of the fragility of their economies and are taking steps. Then we also know that countries like the UAE have taken such steps. Muslim heads of states are rational individuals for the most part.
We have to understand that Muslim countries are part of global commerce and trade, they are partners with the US and other countries.
gravenimage says
The appalling lebel wrote:
I think this is a topic that deserves more than a few sentences.
…………………………..
Is anyone surprised that the repulsive lebel is so equivocal about *ending slavery*? They shouldn’t be, given his constant apologia for Islam here.
More:
For now I think that we have to assume that some governments are aware of the fragility of their economies and are taking steps.
…………………………..
The “fragility of their economies”? Clearly, lebel has no concept of ending slavery as a moral issue.
And enslaving people, far from being an economic boon, hideously retards economies wherever it is practiced.
More:
Then we also know that countries like the UAE have taken such steps.
…………………………..
The UAE has done little to reforn the appalling “Kafala” system, and they refuse to ratify the Convention on Domestic Workers:
“A Culture of Slavery: Domestic Workers in the United Arab Emirates”
http://hrbrief.org/2016/11/culture-slavery-domestic-workers-united-arab-emirates/
They only–nominally–officially ended slavery there in 1963. That is certainly within living memory. And this, recall, was only under pressure from the West.
Other Muslim nations are even worse, and many have not ended it at all.
More:
Muslim heads of states are rational individuals for the most part.
…………………………..
How is continueing to wink at slavery–or worse–“rational”? This is only true if you consider enslaving people to be rational. *Horrifying*.
More:
We have to understand that Muslim countries are part of global commerce and trade, they are partners with the US and other countries.
…………………………..
The implication that the United States or any other civlized nation wants slavery to continue is just sickening calumny. *Ugh*.
StellaSaidSo says
The strawman was yours, lebel, not mine. You raised it in response to the article. And I set fire to it.
lebel says
Looks like you “kicked my ass” all over the place again, well done. I guess your point is that Islam allows (or encourages) slavery and the other religions forbid it? I’m still groggy from the ass kicking so bear with me and explain to me where we disagree.
StellaSaidSo says
Islam does not merely ‘encourage’ slavery, lebel, it PRACTISES it.
Do you condemn the Islamic practice of slavery, lebel? Or do you think it is OK to buy and sell other human beings?
gravenimage says
lebel is here sneering at people who oppose slavery. Just repellent.
StellaSaidSo says
Nobody disputed the content of the texts, lebel. The point is that only ISLAM practises slavery in the 21stC. Which makes Islam UNIQUELY EVIL.
lebel says
Well I don’t agree that Islam is uniquely evil but I agree that there is at least an indirect link between Islam and the situation in Mauritania.
Slavery is practiced in many other parts of the world however, some Muslim, some not.
“The countries with the highest estimated prevalence of modern slavery by the proportion of their population are North Korea, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, India, and Qatar. ”
https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/findings/
StellaSaidSo says
Read this slowly, lebel, so that you take it in: Islam is the ONLY one of the three religions YOU mentioned which CONTINUES to practise slavery TODAY. Islam therefore, is UNIQUELY EVIL. Got it?
I note that you don’t include Sudan, Mali, Mauretania, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan on your list of countries which practise slavery.
Sun says
I lived several years in Islamic countries. Still, many middle class families in these countries have 2-3 ‘household maids’. Often times, the girls are as young as ten years old. They are sent by their own families, work up to 18 hours a day, 6-7 days a week and sleep usually on a straw mat on the kitchen floor – for pennies. Even in moderate Islamic countries nobody seems to be bothered by that, it belongs to the everyday life.
Eric jones says
In Morocco slaves are used to help with children and clean house. The same occurs in some West African countries. There are middle class immigrant families here in NYC from Morocco and West Africa that have brought their house slaves with them. The house slaves are disguised as relatives for immigration purposes. These people are middle age and can appear to be related. Who knows what else is coming into this country under chain immigration?
I state clearly that slavery is wrong! Jesus said that he “came to set the captive free”. Even to use an Islamic term, slavery is haram.
Eric
StellaSaidSo says
Indeed, what you describe is typical, Sun. Saudi Arabia, for example, ‘officially’ banned slavery in 1962, but the practice continues to flourish. Most modern slaves in Saudi Arabia are foreign workers lured there with promises of well-paying jobs in domestic service.
YouTube vid title: ‘The Secret Slaves of the Middle East’. Horrifying stuff.
mortimer says
Stella, in the 1990s someone reported an item in the FOR SALE column of a local paper (in Arabic): “Will swap a SLAVE for a nice, late model car.”
Carolyne says
I have visited a family in Turkey who had two sisters as household maids. They were both teenagers. I don’t know where they slept and I don’t know what they were paid. Every Friday their father would come to collect their wages. I was told the father needed the money to take another wife. I considered them to be slaves although they seemed to be well treated. This was in Istanbul and the girls were from some village nearby.
gravenimage says
The father was hiring out his daughters *so he could take another wife*? I wonder how they and their mother felt about that? Not that they had a say in the matter, of course.
gravenimage says
Absolutely, Sun.
gravenimage says
lebel wrote:
Is slavery abolished in all Muslim countries. YES also.
…………………………..
What *absolute crap*. How can the appalling lebel consider a country that enslaves *17%* of its people to have abolished slavery? This is just sick.
Kepha says
Ahhhh, the pride and dignity that Islam brings to the black race (whatever that is)! The true religion of brotherhood and equality that did not give up enslaving people until forced to at the point of the colonialist’s Maxim guns! Now that the colonialists are gone, dignity, enlightenment, and authenticity reign! sarc. Spit on the grave of Malcolm X
gravenimage says
+1
mortimer says
The manuals of Sharia law have HUGE CHAPTERS on slavery, because SLAVERY and the ISLAMIC SLAVE TRADE were a multi-million financial BONANZA to the Muslim world.
Is slavery still in effect in Islam? YES, YES, and YES. Islam is ETERNALLY TRUE, so slavery in Islam is ETERNALLY the RIGHT THING TO DO!
A Muslim who opposes SLAVERY is saying that Islam was never ‘PERFECT’ until slavery was stopped. That is just ABSURD.
gravenimage says
Yes, Mortimer–and the “perfect man” Muhammed enslaved his victims and kept slaves and sex slaves. And he is to be emulated for all time.
gravenimage says
Islamic Republic of Mauritania failing to tackle pervasive slavery
Despite passing slavery laws in 2007, and amending them in 2015, Mauritania has only prosecuted two cases of slavery.
…………………….
And yet, an estimated *17%* of those in Mauretania are enslaved.
It is not as though the authorities are unable to find cases of slaver; it is that they do not want to prosecute them.
RichardL says
lebel is making an important point, but some of us still confuse islam and Muslims and lebel forgets that Jesus clearly argued that slavery is evil. So, there are massive doctrinal differences and differences in practice today are even bigger.
gravenimage says
lebel is whitewashing savagery. That is an important point, but only so far as that the apologists for the barbarism of Islam do this regularly.
lebel says
My point once again –
Robert Spencer said that: “” We constantly hear in the West that Islam forbids slavery, ”
To which I replied: ” This is wrong, like your religion Christianity and other religions like Judaism, it does not forbid slavery.”
Jihadwatch collective response: “You clown, your religion is shit and it’s evil! Only Islam condones slavery! etc..
To which I replied: “that very well may be but my assertion was Islam does not forbid slavery and that most other religion”
Jihadwatch collective response: “EVIL!!! ISLAM is EVIL!!!”
so year, a rather typical exchange on jihadwatch
StellaSaidSo says
lebel,
If you bothered to read the article you would see that RS went on to say ‘but the reality is otherwise’. RS was NOT saying that Islam forbids slavery. He was disagreeing with those who say that it does. Your post in response to RS was pointless, and irrelevant to the issue at hand.
It is true that Islam is the only religion of the three that YOU mentioned which practises slavery today.
The fact that Islam in the 21stC is OK with slavery rather supports the claim that ‘Islam is evil’, n’est-ce pas?
Or are you OK with people buying and selling their fellow human beings? Yes or no?
And while we’re here, lebel, how about presenting that evidence you claimed to have of a ‘Jewish conspiracy’ against the viper Tariq Ramadan. We haven’t seen so much as a whisper of it yet.
lebel says
“I note that you don’t include Sudan, Mali, Mauretania, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan on your list of countries which practise slavery.”
I am quoting from a report and provided the link. These countries also have problems with slavery but have lower prevalence according to the methodology of the report. You can read the methodology and critique and let me know.
The main point where we disagree and this is a cross-cutting theme for us is that this is not exclusive to Muslim countries.
gravenimage says
Notice that after all his posting on this thread that lebel *still* has nothing critical to say about slavery.
lebel says
Thats because I fully support the enslavement of non-Muslims, gravenimage.
Wait, did I say that out loud?
My taqqiya is slipping. Nice work Gravenimage, you just “kicked my ass”
gravenimage says
lebel can sneer all he likes, but he has *never* said that he opposses slavery–not on this thread, and not elsewhere. We are just supposed to assume that he does–that it is simply ridiculous to think otherwise.
But the assumption that everyone opposes slavery in this day and age clearly is not the case–or it would not be rife in the Muslim world.
Notice that lebel has said nothing critical about slavery, even when prompted to do so.
And I have, of course, never said that I ‘kicked his *ss’–although he continues to spam this.
My responses have always been about exposing lebel’s ugliness.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
I operators have started blocking m’y comments again. why ?
gravenimage says
What is Ibrahim itace muhammed babbling about? He posts here all the time.
And note that he has affirmed that Muslims can enslave their victims in Jihad. He is particularly enthusiastic about using captives as sex slaves. *Ugh*.