The Bravest Man in Africa?

03/08/2019

Biram Dah Abeid, a prominent and fearless anti-slavery activist who has been jailed and tortured numerous times in his struggle to abolish slavery in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania announced his candidacy for their country's presidency.

"The problem is that Mauritania's Arabs sincerely believe that blacks are inferior and are born to be slaves. They believe that a black man, woman or child's place in life is to serve an Arab master, and it does not matter to them whether that black is a Christian, or fellow Muslim."

Another problem is that this slave-owning class believes it is doing nothing illegal. The Prophet Muhammed owned slaves and Islam's Sharia law justifies the practice. The eminent scholar of Islam, Bernard Lewis, wrote that "...the institution of slavery is not only recognized but is elaborately regulated by Sharia law."