The Forgotten Origin of Slavery: Arab Muslim Involvement and the True Discussion of Reparations
As an Iranian-American Christian ex-Muslim, I have spent much of my life exploring the complexities of history, religion, and the legacies they leave behind. One of the most significant and contentious issues in American history is slavery—a topic that continues to spark debates, particularly around the subject of reparations. However, when discussing reparations for slavery, it is crucial to acknowledge a deeply overlooked aspect of this history: the pivotal role that Arab Muslims played in the transatlantic slave trade. Without the slaves sold to the West by Arab Muslims—slaves often captured or bought from Black Muslim traders who targeted Black Pagan and Christian communities—slavery in America as we know it might never have existed.
Arab Muslim Involvement in the Slave Trade
The Arab Muslim involvement in the slave trade predates European colonialism and was a driving force behind the proliferation of slavery in Africa. From the 7th century onward, Arab traders were deeply embedded in the African slave trade, capturing and buying slaves to be sold across the Islamic world and, later, to European traders. Historian Ronald Segal notes that as many as 18 million Africans were taken as slaves by Arab traders and transported across the Sahara, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean .
These Arab Muslim traders relied heavily on their Black Muslim counterparts, who often conducted raids on neighboring Pagan and Christian communities to capture slaves. This collaboration between Arab and Black Muslims laid the groundwork for a vast and profitable slave trade network that would later supply European merchants with human cargo destined for the Americas. The grim irony is that while the descendants of African slaves in America are seeking reparations from Western governments, the original architects of this trade—Arab Muslims—remain largely unacknowledged and unaccounted for.
The Hypocrisy of Ignoring Arab Muslim Responsibility
The current discourse on reparations often focuses solely on the role of Western nations, particularly the United States, in perpetuating slavery. This narrative, however, ignores the fact that the transatlantic slave trade was merely the final chapter in a much older story. Arab Muslims not only captured and traded millions of African slaves but also played a crucial role in facilitating the sale of these slaves to Europeans. Without this initial supply chain created by Arab Muslims, the transatlantic slave trade could not have reached the scale that it did.
This historical oversight represents a significant hypocrisy in the reparations debate. If reparations are to be discussed seriously, they must begin with the nations that initiated and profited from the sale of African slaves long before the first European ships arrived on the West African coast. Arab Muslim countries must be held accountable for their foundational role in this atrocity. Any discussion that omits this responsibility is incomplete and unjust.
Reparations: Starting with the True Perpetrators
Before the West is held solely responsible for the legacy of slavery, we must first address the culpability of Arab Muslim nations. Countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and others in the Middle East should be at the forefront of any reparations discussion, as their ancestors were instrumental in the capture, sale, and distribution of African slaves. These nations continue to enjoy vast wealth, much of it built on the foundations of this historical trade, and they bear a moral obligation to acknowledge and compensate for their role.
The focus on Western nations alone not only distorts the historical record but also fails to address the root of the problem. Reparations, if they are to be meaningful, must involve those who first set the wheels of this tragedy in motion. By ignoring the Arab Muslim role in the slave trade, we perpetuate a one-sided narrative that absolves a significant group of their responsibility.
Conclusion
The legacy of slavery in America is a painful and complex issue, but any discussion of reparations must begin with an honest assessment of the history. Arab Muslims played a critical role in the African slave trade, selling millions of slaves to European traders, and their involvement cannot be overlooked. If we are to seek reparations for the descendants of slaves, we must first hold accountable those who initiated this brutal trade—Arab Muslim nations. To ignore their responsibility is to ignore the true origins of the suffering that African slaves endured. Let us strive for a more complete and just understanding of history, one that recognizes all who played a part in this dark chapter.
References:
- Segal, Ronald. Islam's Black Slaves: The Other Black Diaspora. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001.
- Lewis, Bernard. Race and Slavery in the Middle East: An Historical Enquiry. Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Davis, Robert C. Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
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