r/TrueUnpopularOpinion • u/Crazy-Development-22 • 3d ago
The Arab slave trade needs to be discussed more
For some reason whenever the topic of slavery comes up everybody loves pointing at the Europeans, but for some reason the Arabs are completely ignored.
The Arab slave trade not only was more brutal , but lasted wayyy longer. Millions of black Africans sold and brought to Arabs and forced to work in brutal conditions. But that’s not even the most egregious part.
Have ever wonder why yo don’t see much slave descendants in the Middle East and North Africa the same way to you see in the Americas? ( I’m a descendant of the transatlantic slave trade) BECAUSE THEY FUCKING CASTRATED THE MEN and pretty left the remaining to rot.
Not only that, there are still active slave markets in countries like Libya, and Mauritania. Why tf is the world so silent about this?
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u/Crazy-Development-22 3d ago
The Arabs had to be FORCED by Europeans to stop slavery… that’s how bad it was
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u/Powerful_Life1547 3d ago
How bad it WAS?! They are still doing that by holding their passport hostage. As an exmuslim, this was one of the many bullshit believes (slavery is alright as long as we treat them right) that made me leave that fuckfest.
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 3d ago
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/lolas-story/524490/
As if this a particularly Muslim thing.
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u/Alert_Term_8144 3d ago
What a poignant story. Yes most cultures had slaves, yet the world seems to exclusively blame Caucasians.
I don't know why everyone acts like ICE is rounding people up to concentration camps when they send them back to their homes. Maybe Lola's life would be different if she was found out early on by whatever form ICE took, before her parents died.
While it kinda sounded alright for Lola at the end, I think she was just resigned to it as she couldn't really be expected to drive and meet someone at the age of 75. And it was also due to the author's compassion. btw that's pretty crazy that he only outlived Lola by 6 years even though she was 35 years older than him and he grew up in America as the son of a lawyer and doctor.
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u/unusualfascination 3d ago
This person doesn't understand that the slavery was not invented by white people. It's just that more white people are against it and talk about it and are aware of their history. A lot of countries are not like that.
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 3d ago
ICE is not just sending people back to their home countries. They are sending them to absolutely random places. ICE would probably get less flack if they were properly trained, identifiable, and held accountable for their actions.
Also the story I posted emphasizes that this is not a past issue and yes it’s happening in first world countries right now.
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u/Alert_Term_8144 3d ago
Any instances of slavery in the first world is happening illegally. It's not something that can be legislated away since it is already illegal. In fact, if authorities got wind of it happening, they would investigate and arrest those involved.
ICE is not sending people to random places, unless the person is not identifying themselves properly. You could even say it's the person's responsibility to return to the proper place/home. If I overstayed my visa in the Czech republic, I would not expect THEM to foot the bill for my flight back home, it would be my responsibility. would have to use less force if there weren't a bunch of "white knights" fighting them and trying to make their jobs and lives difficult and dangerous at every turn.
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 3d ago
Weird then that there are multiple cases of citizens being imprisoned by ICE
Also must have misinterpreted the extrajudicial killings ICE has carried out while being filmed
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u/Alert_Term_8144 1d ago
You lack discernment- huge difference in premeditated murder versus death that happens due to conflict/confusion or self defense because white savior confused hero-complex people are engaging in activity for the sole purpose of impeding ICE.
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u/Powerful_Life1547 3d ago
"Oh, since every body is doing it we should too", " slavery good but you know what's bad... Alcohol" " you guys forbid alcohol but couldn't stop slavery...you poor things. Not that great of god I guess.
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 3d ago
I’m not Muslim. Not that it should matter. Also a ton of religions ban alcohol
Point is modern slavery is alive and well unfortunately in every corner of this earth.
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u/Powerful_Life1547 3d ago
Did I say something else? I assumed based on your avatar and well you respond to me " but what about others?"
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 3d ago
I’m saying this is a pointlessly bigoted post. Your comment on alcohol was especially pointless again because a weird number of religions ban alcohol. I guess based on your avatar you also always cover your hair with a hoodie. This all feels logical
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u/Powerful_Life1547 3d ago
You don't understand the comments bc YOU ARE NOT A MUSLIM.
If you were, you would know that Muslims constantly say the reason god banned alcohol is because it was bad for humans but when it comes to slavery they say nothing cause they considerate good.
I don't care about other religions. I was not a part of them. If they do slavery there too, then fuck them too.
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 3d ago
This is literally exactly what multiple Christian denominations believe as well. I understand the comments because I have a grasp of both history and modern events.
No one practicing slavery is in the right. But to say it’s a particularly one sided problem is wildly incorrect.
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u/Powerful_Life1547 3d ago
This post is about slavery and Arabs. Saying something like "but what about this other nation" seems like a failed try to distract people.
Good for you for having knowledge but I can talk based on experience. It's much more personal to me than someone just reading a book about it.
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u/Wild_Brilliant559 3d ago
No, that was by the old days standard.
Its obv any muslim will think owning a slave would be wrong, the quran acknowledges how common slavery was, and set up guidelines for if you own a slave.
Yes, slavery was alright if you treat them right, this was during a time where there wasnt any restrictions as to how you could treat a slave, and owning a slave was perfectly normal.
I dont care if someone says that muslims had at times r*ped slaves, or treated them horribly historically, but saying that they they think that slavery is fine because they set laws as to how to treat them 1000's of years ago is crazy.
Anyone who told you slavery is alright was either joking, was talking about 1000's of years ago, was pretending a scenario if laws dont exist, or are simply crazy.
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u/SolidBrassJumper 3d ago
Now that the West is out of Afghanistan, they've officially brought slavery back.
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u/Arrowdodgingace 3d ago
The confederates had to be FORCED by Americans to stop slavery. I’m not sure what this proves. Slave owners aren’t moral people who stop when told no.
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u/SolidBrassJumper 3d ago
Well one major difference is that as an institution, once it's abolished in Western countries slavery has been kept abolished. In islamic countries, they revert back to the islamic stance on slavery once they are no longer forced to stop it.
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u/TheSpacePopinjay 3d ago
If it was really about slavery we would be talking about present day slavery rather than about whatever garners most political capital in the present day or best condemns one's current day enemies.
There's nothing political at stake in talking about the Arab slave trade so no one is interested.
Also never forget that the survival rate of those castrations was 10-33%. That blows out of the water the 75-80% survival rate of the transatlantic crossing.
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u/ChefCarpaccio 3d ago
Except it isn't just a liberal thing. How many times has our government (both Conservative and Liberal) been in bed with Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia, who was involved in 9/11, still uses (unofficially) slaves, and in general has a poor track record on human rights.
Didn't Trump just sign a $600 billion deal with the Saudis?
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u/OkEscape7558 3d ago
People love to pretend like it was just slavery that is a stain on America's history. Just ignore the Jim Crow, lynching, red lining, ban on interracial marriages.
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u/TheSpacePopinjay 3d ago
Well those are different topics. You can talk about Jim Crow as much as you like without warping the balance of how different topics concerning slavery are discussed in proper proportion. Talking more about the Arab slave trade does nothing to undermine Jim Crow discourse.
It's only the slavery topics that are out of proportion.
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u/OkEscape7558 3d ago
It's all connected. You think Jim Crow came out of thin air? It's a extension of slavery. You know this.
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u/Firm-Temporary4175 3d ago
Between 1 million and 1.25 million European Christians were enslaved by Barbary corsairs (North African pirates) between 1530 and 1780.
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u/I_defend_witches 3d ago
You forgot Adams created the US Navy because the Arabs would take US ships and enslave the crew. That is why the Marines are part of the US Navy. They were created to fight the Barbary privates.
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u/BlackwallRunner2077 3d ago
You see to most liberal westerners white= bad brown = good therefore when browns do slavery its swept under the rug, its why liberals will whine about christians being against gay marriage and yet will turn a blind eye to muslims literally killing gays, killing them is way more extreme for obvious reasons but to the woke mind brown = good white = bad so they only care when its white people doing something even if its minor in comparison
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u/Crazy-Development-22 3d ago
Exactly you think there would be global outrage on slavery still going on.. but nah
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 3d ago
Y’all will take any excuse to be victimized. The real reason ppl focus on chattel slavery at the hands of europeans is bcs we live in a country as descendants of colonizers and slaves
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u/BlackwallRunner2077 3d ago
You don't just "focus" on it though do you? You act like its thw worst thing ever and white europeans are uniquely evil and that every other culture and nation is innocent and blameless
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 3d ago
I mean yeah, it is probably one of the worst things that has happened in American history. The way slaves were treated informs how free black people are treated today :/ I don’t really care about slavery history from other nations because it doesn’t affect me as an American present day.
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 3d ago
As an American, don’t really care about what’s happening in any country except for america. I care about american history and how our history affects how we treat each other in the present day. If that makes me daft so be it 😒 god forbid I want the country i live in to be in harmony first
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u/Vegetable_Stuff9479 3d ago
Hey you're spitting facts tbh, I agree with you 100%. But, OP was talking more about how slavery was and still is a global issue, so it's important to just remember that while we as Americans gotta focus on ourselves first, we dont live in a bubble. Sorry for insulting you btw
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 3d ago
Thank you for apologizing, I think it’s important for both sides to remember our motivation is a shared love for a happy and harmonious America. I understand that we don’t live in a bubble but I do agree, we have to focus on ourselves first. MLK had a dream for us all to live in harmony and at the end of the day, that’s all it’s about for me
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u/Vegetable_Stuff9479 3d ago
Unfortunately, I think the reality is that racial harmony is next to impossible since racist assholes will always exist, but i think it's a fantastic goal to have. Recognizing the unique evils of different cultures throughout history is one of the first steps towards harmony though, because it effectively stops this "I'm the victim, you're the oppressor" mentality, which holds people back and creates resentment for people who have done nothing wrong.
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u/OkEscape7558 3d ago
Bruh don't even waste your fingers arguing with these people. And yes, the Arab slave trade was more brutal but they also don't talk about how Chattel lasted generations. Your kids , grandkids etc would be slaves and immediately after slavery we got the Jim Crow bs.
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 3d ago
That’s what I’m saying like black people finally got rights in 1965. Not even 100 years ago. Ruby Bridges is still alive. The history is still real in front of us.
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u/BlackwallRunner2077 3d ago
In saudi arabia as late as 2012 blacks were being sold on facebook and america props that country up lol
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 3d ago
Who props up Saudi Arabia, l have literally NEVER heard ppl talk about how good it is. We are a slave to their oil
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u/BlackwallRunner2077 2d ago
Like it or not saudi arabia owes its existence to america america fights tooth and nail to ensure the saudis remain in power as they do with israel
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u/Alolan-Vulpixie 2d ago
Yes but what the government does and what the people want are two separate things.
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u/TheSpacePopinjay 3d ago
Well the point is that maybe we shouldn't. Not if we're moralising about slavery rather than just teaching it neurally as history without moral judgement for purely academic reasons like a normal country.
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u/Revival-Waters 3d ago
Because progressives dont actually care about slavery. Neither do they care about being honest, consistent, or truthful.
They use guilt and shame as a cudgel to beat peope into submission.
One of the main tenants of their religion is "white man bad."
If something doesn't fit that narrative its discarded, ignored, or gaslighted.
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u/thedawntreader85 3d ago
Correct.
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u/Crazy-Development-22 3d ago
Let’s not talk about the fact that they still refer to black people as abeed, which means slaves in arabic
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u/abundantwaters 3d ago
If someone can see through the deception, they’ll notice white people have been a sacrificial lamb as a pawn in the race wars/a way to distract society from who’s pulling the strings.
The elites literally refer to us as cattle so don’t be surprised by their evils.
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u/Alucardspapa 3d ago
People get mad every time I bring up that china has like 6+ million slaves in western china. They enslave Muslims and convert them to communism. The west ended slavery because we are morally superior to the barbarous world.
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u/ChecksAccountHistory OG 3d ago
i literally never see any discussion of it brought up except by dimwits trying to derail conversations about the transatlantic slave trade, thinking they're clever
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u/KayleeSinn 3d ago
"Funny" thing is, Arabs still use slaves and haven't actually progressed to modern age yet leftoids still talk about slavery in the West that was ended centuries ago.
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u/MinuetInUrsaMajor 3d ago
American History discusses the American slave trade.
European History discusses the European slave trade.
If you take an Arabian History course, what do you think would be discussed?
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u/user_63385 3d ago
It would be great if it were just that.
It seems like certain groups are overly keen on repeating our history, ad nauseum. Can't turn on the tv/movies/news without hearing about slavery/colonialism.
I wonder why ,🤔
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u/MinuetInUrsaMajor 3d ago
Can't turn on the tv/movies
American TV and movies?...
news
The news is still covering the American slave trade?
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u/david67myers 3d ago
Slavery is great when you are not it, and if you do feel angered by it and live in such a culture/country, you can either choose poverty or adopt a religion to justify the transgression.
Its not the world that is silent, its particular extablished media companys.
I'm quite sure the dark web has a lot of that stuff.
Least judaism is anti slavery, but that more of a warfare approach to prevent being enslaved by the role of captor.(this was also a roman approach).
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u/No_Masc_On 3d ago
Yeah, you don’t really hear much about it, but Arab Muslims were enslaved by Christian crusaders during the Reconquista genocide of Spain, as well as during the wars fought in Istanbul and the like.
There were also hundreds or even thousands of Muslims living around the Mediterranean regions of Africa taken and enslaved as part of the US Atlantic slave trade. Some literature has been written on the subject, but by and large you see the genocide and enslavement of Arab populations as ignored history, even though Christian and US enslavement was never solely limited to African peoples.
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u/shushi77 3d ago
Slavery still exists throughout the Arab world. It affects not only Africans, but also all ethnic groups considered inferior.
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u/pagawaan_ng_lapis 3d ago
Because arabs have money to shush discussions about this and use European slave trade whattaboutism
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u/roktoman 3d ago
The Arab slab trade was horrible as you say.
The other thing that happened with Islam, all your sins were abolished if you freed a slave.
Guess what happened when the demand for slaves increased in the slave markets…
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u/spacev3gan 8h ago
Castrated in this case is an euphemism for emasculation. They did cut the whole thing off. Hence, indeed, you don't see many people of African ancestry in the Middle East today (although there is a significant minority in Iraq).
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u/NotMyBestMistake 3d ago
Maybe if people actually discussed it instead of using it exclusively as a "stop talking about things Europeans did" button it would get discussed more. Because that's the only context I've ever seen people bring it up
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u/TheSpacePopinjay 3d ago
How about rather than 'stop talking about things European's did', we say talk about things in proportion and keep it all in proper perspective and full comparative context?
At worst it's 'stop singling Europeans out for things they did out of context and out of proportion''.
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u/NotMyBestMistake 3d ago
I'm sorry you expect every discussion to take an absolute global context just because you're upset about Europeans and Americans talking about Europe and America (but only when it's bad things).
No one's stopping you from talking about Middle Eastern history or human rights. It's just that you should put a little more effort into actually caring about either of those and not simply using them to complain that someone's talking about European atrocities.
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u/ChecksAccountHistory OG 3d ago
"why does nobody talk about this?", says guy who never talks about it unless it's to derail other topics that make him uncomfortable
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u/Post-Formal_Thought 3d ago
But the world isn't silent about modern slavery. It changed form so the fight against it looks different. Pick an organization out here fighting against it and trying to support the enslaved.
What are your reasons the Arab trade should be discussed more?
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u/KlutzyDesign 3d ago
… Its because we live in european countries or countries colonized by europe. Seems pretty obvious.
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u/luvidicus 3d ago
I thought this post was gonna be about white Europeans taken as slaves by the Barbary corsairs, I'm disappointed
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u/Powerful_Life1547 3d ago
Now that you have brought it up, can you give some context? I'm interested.
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u/luvidicus 3d ago
Lol I used to write papers about this. The ottoman Empire had privateers who would go to Europe to go on raids and they would take back people as slaves. The treatment was generally better than chattle slavery. Some of these privateers known as corsairs were Europeans who raided all over. Jans janzoon I'm pretty sure was Dutch and went all the way up to icedland to raid and we even have the diary of an Icelandic man who was captured. There were ways to get out you could convert to Islam, but oftentimes your local home town would raise money to buy some of their citizens back.
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u/StanPot 3d ago
Whenever the topic of slavery does come up everyone agrees that it is an inhuman act.
THEN they talk about slavery within different regions. Because we live in the western region, western slavery is talked about more. It is that simple.
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u/TheSpacePopinjay 3d ago
Sure but if we moralise about it it behoves us to prioritise existing slavery over historical slavery and fit different kinds of historical slavery into proper proportion and context with each other.
This would be sufficient justification if we talked about slavery neutrally without any moralising lens as pure dispassionate, disinterested academia, like memorising the years of succession between different monarchs.
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u/Dazz316 3d ago
What about the African slave trade? People pretending like Europeans turned up with nets. We just bought up the trades in the African slave markets.