I know that my Great-Great Grandmother, who was enslaved in South Carolina 
was a Muslim.

Anita


>From: Brent Tarter <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history         
>      <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Islam and Slavery in Virginia
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:12:35 -0400
>
>We know that some Muslims were enslaved and transported to Virginia but
>not how many or for certain when. My excellent friend Ed Bond, who has
>written the only useful book on seventeenth-century Virginia religious
>history, called my attention several years ago to this obscurely placed
>but interesting anecdote:
>
>
>John Clayton, The Defence of a Sermon, Preach'd upon the Receiving into
>the Communion of the Church of England, the Honourable Sir Terence
>Mac-Mahom, Baronet, and Christopher Dunn: Converts from the Church of
>Rome (Dublin, 1701), Preface.
>
>When sometime I was Minister of James City in Virginia . . .  I Baptiz'd
>also many Negroes, which had been there lamentably Neglected. But I got
>my Brother, who was a most Eminent Lawyer, to take off one grand
>Obstruction that had Obtain'd, Viz, a Notion, that Negroes being
>Baptiz'd were immediately Free. For their Masters would rather hazard
>their Salvation, trusting God Almighty with their Souls in the other
>World, than loose the Benefit of their Service in this; as they would
>often too profanely express it. But above, my Conversion of a Turk was
>most Remarkable, Sir William Berkley the Governour, and greatest Patriot
>that that poor Country ever knew, bought three Turkish Slaves, and being
>as good as great; after sometime he endeavoured to Convert them; and to
>encourage them, he offered them their Freedom, and to give each of them
>a Plantation, if they would be Christians, two of them embraced the
>Faith, but the third was Obstinate, when Sir William had laboured much,
>and tried all Methods, but in vain; pleas'd with the generous spirit of
>the Man, who told him; Worldly Advantage and Freedom, are the greatest
>Temptations this World affords, and therefore it is doubtless thy
>Conscience, and a noble Resolution, makes thee so steady to thy
>Principle, and no Man shall ever suffer under me for being Honest, and
>sincere. God give thee Grace, and his enlightning Spirit in his own due
>time, and in the mean season I'll give thee thy Freedom and a
>Plantation, as well as to the others; where this Man lived a Mahometan
>for many Years, till he was fourscore years Old; when it pleas'd God to
>work so effectually by my means, that I Converted him, and Baptiz'd him
>publickly, in the Church at James City, the Honourable Lady Berkley,
>Widow to Sir William, being God-mother, &c. he continued very devout,
>and came nigh 20 Miles to Church, generally every Sunday, as long as I
>continued in that Country.

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