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Seminar: Muslim Contribution To Abolishment of Slavery

To mark the 200th anniversary of the legal abolishment of the slave trade in Britain a seminar was organised in Bolton Central Library Lecture Theatre on the 26th March, to understand the implications & legacy of the slave trade, its relationship to poverty, and the positive unique role Muslims played in its abolishment.

The seminar highlighted the fact that slavery in various forms has been practised throughout human history which has led to vast human misery, suffering, injustice and poverty. Different societies and civilisations dealt with the inherited slavery problem using a variety of approaches, ranging from legalisation, immediate abolishment to phased elimination from society. The Islamic civilisation, although condemning all forms of intellectual, physical and spiritual slavery adopted the approach of phased elimination from society.

It was pointed that although the American/European nations enslaved almost an entire continent (approx 100 million people) leading to the largest mass transport of human beings in history (the 'African Holocaust'), however the Muslim civilisation adopted a different approach whereby they systematically raised the social status of slaves in Arabia until they became equal citizens within society and many became leading scholars and leaders. 

 
The panellists highlighted the lessons we needed to learn from the era of slavery, its link to the  cause of poverty in Africa and how we can prevent its re-emergence in new forms.

The speakers included scholars in the areas of religion, theology and history (Imam's Rashid Musa and Ramzan Qadri), socio-politics (Jahangir Mohammed) and Social Welfare (Farhat Abbas). 

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