Greetings Ark I
Aya when I was speaking of Islamic rulers my generalisation was in terms of the number of people affected by this system as to a lesser scale. I know it doesn't make in any less brutal for those under this system of downpression. Its a dangerous claim to make I know and my statement came across as vague and incorrect and I was thinking of the early influences and comparing that to slavery. The Bantu in the East, the Soninke in the West co-existed with Muslims in 11th century, and to this point there were no violent clashes between Islam and Africans. (See I. Hbrek: General History of Africa vol. 3) But this period of co-existence did not last as Islamicrulers desired more control of Africans. At first Black Africans enslaved by Muslims were not forced to convert to Islam because then it would mean the slaveowners would have to treat them better as the principle of umma / humanity was practiced. But then holding onto one's ethnic belief became a mode of resistance and a way of protecting Africans wealth (as is the case in Mali among Mansa) the religion became enforced to strengthen their control over Black Africans. And this was what I was thinking of when I compared it to European systems - looking only at the populations affected, statistically and a very general look at systems of rule is why I said what I did. However I know the system of coloring was used in the religion to justify very harsh systems of enslavement of Black peoples and in Timbuktu, Zanzibar this continued for a very long time, way after European invasions and domination of Africa and even in this day of African independence cases of slavery on the small islands of Kenya and Tanzania are reported.
I hope that clears it up.
Blessed Love
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