Slavery, Sudan and Others..!

Kathleen and Adam had invited me to a great challenging and energizing debate on Slavery in the Sudan. Kathleen had invited a controversial African American author, who is a Sudanese descendant, to contribute to her Radio Talk Show.
For the common good, I find it great to share with readers.

Firstly; I need to file my apology, as had unintentionally created confusion..! I had addressed the matter in four parallel streams: Slavery in the Sudan, Historical Slavery by Arabs, Slavery in Islam, and Slavery among non-Arabs.. I did not hi-light the demises.. I had dropped all allegations of Ms Boof, despite how she is a center-point for Kathleen’s interview..
Pls allow me to conclude it; so far:

a. Slavery in The Sudan:
1. Alike everywhere else Sudan had known slavery not only North/South, but also South/North and South/South; as an extended African traditions. Linguistic and anthropological hurdles make it uneasy job to discover, understand and report.

2. Sudan is a large country with more than 220 known tribes and ethnic groups, shallow administrative history and vast resources that had been crowned with crude oil. Ruling Sudan was always a British/Egyptian concern; not as Africa/Arab gate, but as North/South quest (Rich/Poor, Developed/Underdeveloped or Civilized/Indigenous Syndromes). http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2009/10/tribes-of-sudan.html )

3. Media had celebrated the particular North/South slavery, echoing international politics and trends; rather than the fair stand to address the global issue. Same applies elsewhere among all Sudanese and African tribes. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/12/nuba-what-does-it-mean-in-hieroglyphy.html )

4. There was no formal slavery in Sudan, as no paper had been historically issued to document a slave’s statuary. Slaves were either identified by their giving names, social rank or jobs. (My own grand grand father was named Abdelseed –Master’s Slave; which is a social affiliation to slavery, a religious affiliation to Sayed Al-Mirghani, a famous Sudanese Sufi or a typical folkloric affiliation to humility..!!)

5. Slavery in Sudan was usually unilateral, and never transferred to the children. This is usually is confused with the volunteer attachment to the Mastering families due to disorder syndromes, not as social or cultural stigmas.

6. Till date, particularly in Abyie area, nomadic Dinka and Messeriya are continuing their seasonal battles on water-rights; which is often resulted in enslavements, forced marriages and ethnically-mixed families. This will likely continue; despite the international efforts; which so-far failed to address the roots and solutions. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/search/label/Abyie )

7. In Abyie; thanks to global media; they had started to learn the terms of ethnic cleansing..! It is the only place where current forms of slavery are taking place. Both parties battle and enslave each other. This is where most anti-slavery in Sudan are referring.. Ironically, rapping is not included in their code.. so-far..!!

8. The complex geopolitics of Sudan had made it vulnerable to many as an attractive topic with challenging aggregates. Same applies to Prof. Mamdani; who had addressed many issues in wrong structure. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2009/12/prof-mamdani-on-darfur-sudan.html )

9. International officials had often showed great concerns for Darfur, rather than lost boys or slavery issues. This would tell how complex the issues are as well how sentimental the advocates. Despite all atrocities in Darfur, no slavery had been or currently practiced. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2009/09/cafe-darfur.html  )

10. The local intellectual debates on Sudan have no room for shallow contributions alike what Ms Boof has. Dr Deng is a fine scholar who had regretfully changed positions and views between 1970th and 2010th. He simply followed the in-house confusion, which expat professional Sudanese – like me, are free from. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2009/06/sudanese-passions.html  )

11. Dr Jok is a new name in the remote-Sudanese horizons, who would represent the new global trends of “Go-Getter” rather than the integral scientific foundations. Simply he mixes Historical theories with politics and common media trends. Should academics drive not be driven?

12. Bottom lines: Sudanese Slavery is not denied linguistically or historically yet need to be adequately addressed to establish a reliable progressive knowledge. It will continue to be a hot topic in the media with fear to turn into an intellectual entertainment (alike claims and counter claims on Palestine/Israel issues). Therefore, maybe your Radio-Show should host some voices from the other side as well. I had suggested to you some entrusted intellectuals who would add value.


b. Historical Slavery by Arabs:
1. Like all ancient communities, Arabs had known slavery as domestic supplement, as trading material and as political element. Till date, there is informal or indirect slavery which is no different from India, South East Asia or Central African countries. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/07/slavery-was-always-economic-practice.html  )

2. Slaves among Arabs were not color coded, as had come from all over the world. You may trace their DNA back to Caucus, Balkan, Persia, Iberia, Africa and very few from the Indian Subcontinent.

3. In Arabian Peninsula, Egypt and Levant slaves used to hold documents describing their IDs. This was an Ottoman administrative practice. Last formal slave was formally emancipated in the Arabian Gulf in 1972, as part of its political modernization.

4. Slavery for Arabs had no color code, unless related to the price tag. In many cases, color code would attribute the likelihood of how a slave is domestically entrusted or intimately preferred. The same had applied elsewhere since dawn of time.

5. Arabs had exceptionally allowed Slaves to marry, breed and partially earn in addition to the globally shared conditioned-emancipation. Slavery among Arabs was not widely transferable to children.

6. Wealthy Mamluk had encouraged slavery to build armies and work force, which was driven by prices rather than skills. The same was later exercised by Ottomans, and was widely reflected back in the dark-skin ghettos in most of Arab cities.

7. The silly allegations that Palestinians are currently buying slave is out of any context. The dark-skin Palestinians (descendents of Ottoman armies and/or slaves) have their own issues of integration to ethnically and culturally develop. Unity against Zionism consolidating the Palestinian society. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/08/african-palestinians.html  )

8. Today’s Arabs celebrate their cultural diversity; with growing trend to erase cultural and ethnic barriers among their peoples. It is an inevitable move to join global human rights landscape and mind-set. Generally, facts of geopolitics and socioeconomics would put Arabs at higher ranks than African, which would fuel the African sense of inequality. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/11/ethnic-seizure.html  )



c. Slavery in Islam:
1. Islam never encouraged nor condemned slavery. On the contrary, it encouraged emancipation of slaves, and been widely used in religious legislations and rulings. (http://adilsud.wordpress.com/slavery/  )

2. Slavery in Islam was never color-coded, as was addressed as typical and generic human status. Many of famous early Muslims were emancipated slaves from various ethnicities. http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2011/03/colorism.html )

3. Ottomans had used the non-condemnation of slavery to spread its trade and utilize the slaves for their expanded armies, economics and luxuries. Wherever Ottomans had their heavy boots, ghettos of slaves or ethnic disorders are formulated.

4. The controversy stills alive by the recent debates launched by Fundamentalists and Jihadists, who had stood still on some historical rulings that cannot be applied in Today’s world. No one is further enslaved if defeated in the battlefields..!

5. Most of religions are addressing a faithful utopia which is not there.. Therefore, many rulings, in most religions, are set as benchmarking rather than true conductions. Similarly, enslaving others or emancipating slaves is widely hypothetical.

6. There is no doubt that Islam suffers from its incompetent preachers. This is what had open the doors not only for its confrontation with the other, but also within.. Today, many calls are intensifying to establish a new Islamic code of Knowledge, which would enable correcting practices, contributing to development, and adding value to the globe. (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/07/league-of-islamic-knowledge.html  )



d. Slavery among non-Arabs:
1. The most horrific practice in today’s world is the traditional female-gifts to priests, particularly in the Western African villages. This practice is only supported by ancient traditions, deformed political systems and out-dated rulings. This is widely practiced despite of the religious affiliations.

2. Forced Marriages in Indian Subcontinent is the surviving form of hidden slavery, which is widely practiced in rural areas. The active NGOs in those countries are battling not only the traditional perceptions and concepts, but also syndromes and resulted disorders.

3. Sweat-Shops in Indochina are commonly known among the native of these countries; which mix criminal structure with economic one. It is usually protected by organized crime rather than social traditions. It is the backbone of Chinese and Asian Tiger’s mysterious economic boom. Regretfully, very few researches address these facts.

4. Recently, some Sudanese (1500 in total) had fled to Israel in their search to escape the deteriorated conditions back home. This had included Muslim, Christian, Darfureans and Dinks, yet mostly are unskilled labor. Many Eritrean and Ugandans had shared the same dangerous smuggling routes to Israel, who were all trapped by Israeli laws that do not recognize asylum seekers..! (http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/06/terrifying-way-to-die.html  )