Welcome to This Edition of the Unbelief Brief
This week, in The Unbelief Brief, we examine a heartbreaking case of honor violence. In the UK, a man has been convicted under a law that increasingly resembles a de-facto blasphemy law, raising concerns about free speech. In EXMNA Insights we dive into a critical yet often overlooked discussion: the deep historical ties between Islam and the transatlantic slave trade.
The Unbelief Brief
An apparent honor killing has claimed the life of a 14-year-old Muslim-American girl. The perpetrator was the girl’s father, Anwar ul-Haq who reportedly stated “he found his daughter's posts [on TikTok and social media] ‘objectionable.’” According to police, the girl’s family “had an objection to her dressing, lifestyle and social gathering.” Anwar ul-Haq’s brother-in-law was also arrested in connection with the case. The murder took place shortly after the family moved from the US back to Pakistan, though they had been living in America for 25 years. This tragedy is yet another example of the type of violence that modesty culture perpetuates..
Meanwhile, in the UK, an alarming application of a law against “racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment or alarm” has taken place, where it appears it is being utilized as a de-facto blasphemy law. A Manchester man has pleaded guilty to charges under this law after burning a Qur’an. The clear breach of free speech principles aside, this case is especially disturbing since the man said the act was intended as a statement of solidarity following the recent murder of Salwan Momika, who was himself at the center of a Qur’an-burning investigation in Sweden. Following this injustice, it’s well past time for the UK to reconsider this law, not least of all because of its vagueness and subjectivity: punishing someone for hurting your religion’s feelings is not compatible with a secular or free society. Such language lends itself easily to abuse, since practically any criticism of any religion will be construed as “alarm” by the especially sensitive.
Finally, a recent article from Negar Mojtahedi at Iran International explores the long-term strategies the Islamic Republic of Iran plans on using to maintain legitimacy. The regime is focusing its propagandistic efforts on appealing to Generation Alpha, acknowledging that it has already lost Generation Z and working within the constraints of that reality. You can read the illuminating piece here.
EXMNA Insights
Islam and the Role of Muslims in the North Atlantic Slave Trade: A Critical Examination
While much of the discourse on slavery in the transatlantic world focuses on European colonial powers, the role of Islam and Muslim societies in the trade and exploitation of enslaved Africans remains largely under-examined. The North Atlantic slave trade was deeply interconnected with pre-existing Islamic slave networks, which had already flourished for over a millennium. The trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean slave trades, in which Muslim slave traders facilitated the capture and sale of African slaves to European powers, with many enslaved individuals first passing through Islamic-controlled regions before being sold into the Americas.
Islamic doctrine itself institutionalized slavery rather than abolishing it, as some modern Muslim apologists claim. While Islamic law regulated the treatment of slaves similar to other ancient civilizations, it never sought to eradicate the practice. The Quran explicitly permits slavery (Quran 16:75, 23:5-6), and Sahih hadith reinforce the ownership and subjugation of slaves. Muhammad himself owned and traded many slaves and Sahih Bukhari 3901 describes how Muhammad purchased one Arab slave with two black slaves.
Muslim monarchies relied extensively on enslaved Africans, from the Abbasid Caliphate's use of East African Zanj laborers to the Ottoman Empire’s employment of black eunuchs in their harems and palaces. The Zanj Rebellion (869-883 CE) was a direct result of the brutal treatment of African slaves in southern Iraq, contradicting any claim that Islam sought to abolish slavery. Similarly, the Barbary slave trade (16th-19th centuries) saw Muslim corsairs enslaving Europeans and Africans alike. Even in modern times, Saudi Arabia only formally abolished slavery in 1962, while nations like Mauritania continued the practice into the 21st century.
The argument that Islam simply provided guidelines for the humane treatment of slaves rather than outlawing the institution outright is facetious at best, and downright dishonest at worst. An omniscient, omnipotent deity would have no reason to accommodate such a vicious practice, especially when Islam claims to be the final and complete revelation. Instead, Islam's rules on slavery only entrenched a system of dehumanization, one that served the economic and political interests of Muslim elites. The idea that Islamic slavery was somehow benign or progressive is refuted by historical evidence showing systemic exploitation, castration of male slaves, and concubinage of enslaved women.
The persistence of slavery within Muslim societies throughout history raises an unavoidable theological and ethical question: Why would a truly just and merciful god permit, regulate, and even sanctify such an evil institution rather than abolishing it outright? The absence of a definitive condemnation of slavery in Islamic doctrine reflects a glaring moral deficiency—one that continues to cast doubt on the claim that Islam is a universal faith of justice and equality. If slavery is among the most reprehensible conditions imposed upon human beings, then any divine law that permits it is fundamentally flawed and undeserving of reverence.
Until next week,
The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America
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