A Tale of Two Islands - Ignoring the Ongoing Slave Trade Today

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Obama's Disgraceful Silence on the Ongoing Slave Trade

During President Obama's recent visit to Africa, at US$100 million, described as "the most expensive presidential tour ever!", he visited Goree Island, across the bay from Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. There he was photographed at the slave fort's famous door of no return. Obama was quoted as saying: "this is a testament to when we are not vigilant in defence of human rights, what can happen!" Yet, while drawing attention to the slave trade that was outlawed over 200 years ago, he was silent on the much larger, ongoing, Arab slave trade that still plagues Africa.

Hypocrisy

Anti-slavery Societies calculate that over 27 million people are victims of slavery today. According to UNICEF, 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. Most trafficking victims are girls between 5 to 15 years of age. Many of the governments who enjoy Most Favoured Nation status with the United Sates are involved in this modern slave trade.

Slavery in Mauritania

In fact, Mauritania, bordering Senegal, has over half a million slaves amongst their county's population of just over 3 million. Samuel Cotton, the African American Author of Silent Terror, A Journey into Contemporary African Slavery, reports that Mauritanian Arabs and Berbers bring their black slaves with them to work in Dakar, even within sight of Goree Island! Yet Obama had not one word to say about this ongoing scandal.

Transparent Deception

For foreign consumption, and under external pressure, Mauritania has made some half-hearted legislative attempts to outlaw slavery, but these have been described as "woefully ineffective" and"blatantly insincere."

Slavery Tolerated But Anti-Slavery Activists Imprisoned

In 2011, four Mauritanian anti-slavery activists were sentenced to six months in jail for protesting the enslavement of a 10-year-old girl. No punishment was ever handed out to the slave owner and the slave girl disappeared.

Deafening Silence

President Obama hypocritically stated that his visit to Goree Island, a World Heritage Site, "gives me even greater motivation in terms of human rights around the world!" Africans find that statement hard to take seriously, considering that Obama had not a word to say about the ongoing 1,400 years Arab slave trade.

A Tale of Two Islands

Although Obama made a major point of visiting Goree Island and condemning the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, which ended over 2 centuries ago, he showed no interest in visiting Zanzibar, the most notorious slave island in history, on the East Coast of Africa.

Zero Interest in Zanzibar

Although Obama's second state visit in Africa was Tanzania, he never ventured near the island of Zanzibar, through which 20,000 African slaves were processed every year.

Cowardice

Perhaps he was concerned not to embarrass his Muslim friends, who are still involved in the slave trade today.

Embarrassing Facts in Stone Town

Also, a visit to Stone Town on Zanzibar would have been even more embarrassing as the former slaves, after having been liberated by the British Royal Navy, built a magnificent church over the old slave market, with the pulpit and altar by where the auction block and whipping post had stood.

Christ Church

The Anglican Cathedral, Christ Church, in Mkunazini Road, in the centre of the old town occupies the area where the largest slave market of Zanzibar used to be situated. The construction of the Cathedral was intended to celebrate the end of the Arab slave trade on Zanzibar. The altar and pulpit were designed to be in the exact place where the main whipping post and slave auction block had been. Construction on Christ Church began 1873, the year of the death of Missionary Explorer Dr. David Livingstone. The Cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1903. Inside the church there is a cross made from the wood of the tree under which Dr. David Livingstone's heart was buried in Chitambo, Northern Zambia.

Monumental

Near this church, a striking monument has been constructed above the 15 underground cells, where slaves in transit were incarcerated until their sale to their Arab masters. The monument in Stone Town consists of 5 stone figures in a pit, representing the captured slaves who appear to be rising out of the earth. The shackles around their necks and the chains between them testify to their plight. They look tired and sad, but strong.

Awkward Questions

Africans are asking why Barack Obama, an African American president, continues to be so supportive of radical Muslim regimes who are still engaged in slavery today? Why is he so silent about the largest and longest slave trade in history? One that has not yet come to an end.

Contrasts in Captivity

The comparisons and contrasts between Goree Island and Zanzibar Island are striking:

While the European involvement in the Trans Atlantic slave trade to the Americas, lasted for just over three centuries. The Arab involvement in the slave trade has lasted fourteen centuries, and in some parts of the Muslim world, is still continuing to this day.

While two out of three slaves shipped across the Atlantic were men, the proportions were reversed in the Islamic slave trade in East Africa, the Indian Ocean and across the Sahara. Two women for every man were enslaved by the Muslims.

Mortality Rates

While the mortality rate for slaves being transported across the Atlantic was as high as 10%, the percentage of slaves dying in transit in the trans-Sahara and East African slave trade, was between 80% and 90%.

Exploitation

While almost all the slaves shipped across the Atlantic were for agriculture work, most of the slaves destined for the Muslim Middle East were for sexual exploitation as concubines, in harems and for military service.

Descendants

While many children are born to slaves in America and millions of their descendants are citizens in Brazil, Jamaica, Haiti and the USA to this day, very few descendants of the slaves that ended up in the Middle East survived.

Slaughtered

While most slaves who went to the Americans could marry and have families, most of the male slaves destined for the Middle East slave bazaars were castrated, and most of the children born to the women were killed at birth. Either by drowning, or by having their throats slit, to maintain Arab numerical superiority.

Trans Atlantic Victims

It is estimated that possibly as many as 11 million Africans were transported across the Atlantic (95% went to South and Central America, mainly to Portuguese, Spanish and French possessions.) Less than 5% of the slaves went to the United States.

140 Million Victims of the Islamic Slave Trade

However, at least 28 million Africans were enslaved by the Muslims. As at least 80% of those captured by the Muslim slave traders were calculated to have died before reaching the slave markets, it is believed that the death toll from the 14 centuries of Muslim slave raids into Africa could have been well over 112 million. When added to the number of those sold in the slave markets, the total number of African victims of the Trans-Sahara and East African slave trade would be significantly higher 140 million people.

Setting the Captives Free

While Christian Reformers spear-headed the anti-slavery abolitionists movements in North America, with great Britain mobilising a Navy, throughout the 19th century to intercept slave ships and set the captives free, there was no comparable opposition to slavery within the Muslim world. While Britain outlawed the slave trade in 1807, and the 8 main powers of Europe outlawed the slave trade in the Congress of Vienna, 1815, Saudi Arabia and Yemen only outlawed the slave trade in 1962, and Mauritanian in 1980.

Slavery in the Muslim World Today

However, Malcolm X, a convert to Islam, noted during his pilgrimage in 1968, that he saw black slaves being sold in Mecca. The ongoing slave trade in Mauritania is well documented. As is the slave trade in Sudan and other parts of the Muslim world.

Turning a Blind Eye

Apparently these inconvenient facts did not merit US president Barack Obama's attention, and rather than using his visit to Africa as an opportunity to draw attention to the ongoing slave trade he was satisfied with sermonising about the need to be vigilant in defence of human rights, on what ended over 200 years ago. But he remained shockingly silent on the hideous abuse of human rights taking place right now with countries with whom America has Most Favoured Nation Status.

Slavery – What You Have Never Been Told

Those who want to know the rest of the story, which apparently Obama, and much of the mass media and Hollywood, would prefer to ignore, Slavery, Terrorism and Islam – The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat exposes the shocking facts.

Lifting the Veil on Slavery

Slavery, Terrorism and Islam is a fascinating, well-illustrated and thoroughly documented response to the relentless anti-Christian propaganda that has been generated by Muslim and Marxist groups and by Hollywood filmmakers. As Karl Marx declared: "The first battle field is the re-writing of history!"

Exposing the Hidden Story

Slavery, Terrorism and Islam – The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat has already gone through three editions and five printings. With 300 pages and over 200 pictures, this edition is now three times the size of the first edition, which earned me a death threat Fatwa, from Muslim radicals. We have also produced a Muslim Evangelism Workshop MP3 with 20 lectures and helped produce the supplementary Islam Rising DVD series.

Social Media

You can also access Slavery – What You've Never Been Told as a PowerPoint through Slideshare on www.frontline.org.za. You can also listen to  Slavery - What You've Never Been Told on sermonaudio.com.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17

Privileges for Perverts

Instead of speaking out against the ongoing Islamic slave trade in Africa today, president Obama seemed to have given the highest priority to promoting his radical pro-abortion and pro-homosexual agenda. "He talks about gay rights, but gays have always had the same rights as anyone else. What Obama has really advanced is: privileges for perverts!" 

Bully Tactics

Pro-family advocates complained of the "arrogant and often bullying manner and insensitivity" of the US State Department against pro-life and pro-family administrations in Africa. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto slammed Obama's remarks declaring: "This country, the nation of Kenya, is a God-fearing nation!" Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya. An Anglican Bishop in Kenya declared: "People who have ruined their own country should not presume to come and lecture us on the way to go forward!" 

Promoting Perversion

In April, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) embarked on one of the most shocking abuses of US taxpayer Dollars. The US government announced that they would be spending $11 million to train homosexual activists in other countries. The Washington Blade, D.C.'s gay newspaper, praised the Obama administration for creating "an army of international lobbyists" for same sex "marriage", anti-discrimination laws and homosexual "rights" around the world. According to USAID the first phase of this programme is focused on developing nations that oppose homosexuality. 54 of the 55 countries in Africa oppose homosexuality.

A Bitter Disappointment

Many in Africa have described Obama's presidency as "a bitter disappointment" and his Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, as "the most cynical Orwellian meaningless gesture." 

Absolutely Nothing

Steve Friedman, the Director of Rhodes and Johannesburg Universities declared: "I don’t think that it is unkind to say that he has done absolutely nothing for this continent. In some respects, George W. Bush did more for Africa than Barack Obama… I cannot remember a US administration that has shown less interest in the continent that this one." 

Killing African Babies Through Abortion

One of the first official acts George W. Bush after being elected US president, was to defund Planned Parenthood's abortions overseas. One of Barack Obamas first acts as President was to re-fund Planned Parenthoods abortions in Africa. So, because of Barack Obama's pro-abortion policies, many hundreds-of-thousands of black babies have been killed in Africa, through abortion, with US taxpayers money.

"Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?" 2 Chronicles 19:2 

Dr. Peter Hammond
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.frontline.org.za

See also:
Slavery Today and the Battle Over History
The Scourge of Slavery
Understanding Islam – Evangelising Muslims
Obama Faces Opposition in Africa
Sudan Closes Down Schools, Confiscates Property and Expels Foreign Christians

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