Paul,

With the Muslim slave trade occurring over 14 centuries, and considering the 
ultra-low survival rate of slave transportation from East Africa to the 
Middle-East, the castration of most male slaves and murder of slaves' 
newborns, I'm wondering how slaves and their children were 'incorporated 
into society' in any meaningful number when slave-descendants are apparently 
scant in the Middle-East.  I won't be visiting the Middle-East and can't 
imagine how I would be able to see for myself how this was accomplished over 
such a long timespan.  Can you tell me what timeframe of the 14 centuries 
you are addressing and a little more detail as to how I could readily see 
this in today's light?  I must admit I was being facetious when I wrote the 
parenthetical remark while thinking of another's recent posting.  I do know 
that a few eunuchs who rose to high government or military positions were 
apparently highly respected.

Thanks for any help toward better understanding of the Muslim slave trade 
that existed alongside the Trans-Atlantic trade to the Americas including 
Virginia, and how they contrasted while having a common African origin.

Neil McDonald

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Heinegg" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 12:05 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Islamic Slavery (was Re: Slavery and immoral stance, 
etc.)


> Neil McDonald wrote, "While many children were born to slaves in the 
> Americas, and millions of their descendants are citizens in Brazil and the 
> USA to this day, very few descendants of the slaves that ended up in the 
> Middle East survive.  (Maybe they were just "incorporated into society," 
> huh??)"
>
> --------------
> I do not want to defend Muslim slavery since my reading of "Islam's Black 
> Slaves" totally disgusted me. And I disagree with the author of that book 
> calling what was wholesale rape "household slavery" and "concubinage," but 
> anyone who visits the Middle East can see for himself that their slaves 
> were incorporated into society.
>
> Saudi Arabia resisted emancipation as did the American South. The 
> difference is that no one forced Saudi to stop.
> Paul