The Slave Trade You've Never Heard Of | Arab Slave Trade

In 1842CE, the British Consul General in Morocco wrote a letter to the Sultan to ask him if he had taken any measures to stop slavery or at least, slave trade. The sultan replied that he will not do anything about it because it has been the norm since the time of the sons of Adam and no sects of Islam are against it. Hence, he will not permit anything the Qur’an forbids and will not make unlawful anything that the Qur’an has allowed. In the Sultan’s reply, we see the simplest justification or at least, excuse, for almost 1300 years of slavery in the Islamic world.

This video is part of a bigger collaboration between various YouTube History channels on the topic of Africa. Don’t forget to watch the video before this one by Stefan Milo on the Swahili Culture.

Sources: The Legacy of Arab-Islam In Africa by Azumah John Alembillah & Race and Slavery in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis

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[AlMuqaddimahYT]

Due to the rigorous efforts of Somalis on this channel and my Facebook and my Instagram and my Discord, I have to clarify that my source does not state (neither do I, in the video) that it was ethnic Somalis who were enslaved in large volume. There are various ethnic groups in Somalia and it might have been meant towards another group, specifically, Somali Bantus. My apologies for the confusion.

[ridgleyriver-jedd]

This particular subject is not taught in schools, just the transatlantic European salvery. This is just as important.

[kbtitan]

Truth doesn't care about your feelings.

History is History.

[TheGhostbuster]

As an Arab myself, this is a topic we must discuss and come to terms with. Sugarcoating or suppressing the parts of our history that we don't like will not help advance as a civilization and people. Yes it is a shameful part of our history, but we can either run from it or learn from it.

[TetrahedronIX]

The knowledge and value this video provides is unprecedented. Thanks!

[yolakin]

Modern slavery still exits today. Unfortunately this is ignored by too many nations.

[dharshana]

given this history, blacks in the US converting to islam as a token protest to US's history of slavery is kind of funny

[najkavlado]

As a Somali im embarrased to see Somalis defending what arabs did saying that it never happened its very shamefull

[readinggirl]

In college, a Saudi Arabian classmate told me the Arabs actually started the African slave trade. I was shocked because I was only taught about the European slave traders and owners.

Thank you for this lesson.

[michaelruatfelaralte]

Its high time people learn that Slavery was global and no nation or race is free from indulging in it. And learning history like this makes us learn what we want for our future

[pendael]

Still today Arabs have app for buying and selling housemaids

[whisperingwhiskerss]

As an East African I needed to hear this.

[addavid]

In Uganda we a taught that Arabs started slave trade at the coast of East Africa till they reached the interior but Internet mostly talk about the European slave trade

[hmdhm]

Thank you for bringing up this topic. As a Muslim, I am appalled by the way Muslim preachers condemn the transatlantic slave trade and completely forfeit the similarity atrocious Arab slave trade. Even more appalling was the attitude of Muslim scholars in the past 2 centuries against the abolition, claiming slavery is a God sanctioned institution. We need to stand up and acknowledge our past wrongdoings to protect our future.

[joelGi]

As an Ethiopian we have always known this and resisted as much as we can.

[Boug]

I’m from Morocco and unfortunately non of this is being taught in schools. Unfortunately cities like Marrakech, Fez and Essaouira were big slave markets. The derogatory term in Tamazight for a black person is Assouki (“of the market”) and that term is still used today.

[Mettabeshay]

I keep coming back to this video cuz there is so much work and information put into it. fantastic job

[Hmmmmmm]

Finally someone is telling about the Arab slave trade, i'm from South Sudan so i definitely know about this it's a shame that African Muslims mostly don't feel confrontable with HISTORY because of who did it.

[mysteriousdude]

Their where many more that died from being castrated too. In Tanzania we are still finding bones of slaves at the beaches of some costal towns like bagamoyo.

[Greg_Deep]

This why I cringe when an Arab calls me brother