Ignoring our own roll

Submitted by Brahima (United States), Dec 23, 2009 at 16:34

I've read this information before and other things like it from African and even European authors. What so consistently over-looked is the status of superiority that African civilizations held in relation to Arabs who, even during the height of the Khalifa, could never unify their various kingdoms and principalities. This author mentions Al-Jahiz, but fails to mention a common Aethiopian refrain from his book "We dominated Arabia all the way to Mecca, you Arabs have never dominated us."

The fact is, African states muslim or no, would exclusively be undone but other African states until the emergence of the European powers. Arab Muslims would never penetrate deeper than Lower Egypt and parts of North Africa which were then in political chaos. To the south Nubia would be the first state in the world to defeat invading Arab armies and would continue to be a contemporary rival for centuries until its defeat at the hands of Axum (Ethiopia).

So the question, that seems obvious yet goes unasked, remains: How on Earth did the Arabs set up such a pervasive and enduring slave market in the midst of massive superior African states without military reprisal or their cooperation?

I'm reminded by a song from the Jali (griot tradition of Mali) named Bani; which means "say no". This song was used by Jali to rally the population against the corrupt agendas of misguided leadership, even when this leadership were their own patrons. This song became most popular to protest the practice of African leaders selling African captives of war and political dissidents to Arab and European slavers.

"Whenever you point your finger, remember three fingers of the same hand point back at you." -My Mother

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