Orientalism and Enslavement
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In the context of enslavement, orientalism may have been advantageous for Black Muslim enslaved people. GhaneaBassiri explains that the reason for the European voyages of discovery was to find new mercantile routes to prevent any contact with the rival Muslim empires. Muslims, Native Americans and Black Africans were important in shaping this 'new' part of the world as slaves and as independent actors. Most Muslims in the Americas arrived as victims of the slavery system from North and West Africa. African Muslims were also involved in the Atlantic slave trade in Africa during the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Europeans understood Africa as an uncivilized place where its natives lacked intellect. However, Black Muslims had a higher status: they were perceived as 'half-civilized.' Even though Islam was associated with debauchery, white Christians believed they could fully 'civilized' them. A lot of Black Muslims complied out of self-interest, hoping for better treatment and possible travel back to Africa. They emerged as the elite of African societies and saw themselves as such due to their own past as slaveholders. It is interesting how, even among enslaved people, there was a form of hierarchy.
Being labelled a 'Moor' had benefits. They were assets in relations between America and other nations in the Mediterranean trade and, therefore, had a different status than other slaves. Their "de-Islamization" allowed them to be considered more 'civilized' and improved their lives as slaves. White Anglo-Americans used them for commerce in Africa and to Christianize the continent. For example, Job Ben Salomon assisted the British in their commerce, got to go back home to Africa, and was freed.
African Muslims sometimes beat white Anglo-Americans at their own game by complying with their "de-Islamization," only to go back home and be freed. -
Excellent points, and realistic.
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Anna, your post effectively highlights how Orientalist perceptions of Islam influenced the experiences of Black Muslim enslaved people, creating unexpected hierarchies within the dehumanizing system of slavery. The idea that African Muslims were seen as "half-civilized," while other Africans were viewed as uncivilized, underscores the complexities of colonial attitudes toward religion and culture. This perception, despite Islam’s association with "debauchery," allowed some enslaved Muslims to gain relative advantages, such as improved treatment or opportunities for freedom. The example of Job Ben Salomon, who assisted British commerce and ultimately secured his freedom, exemplifies how some individuals strategically navigated these hierarchies to their benefit. This agency, even under extreme oppression, reveals the resilience and resourcefulness of African Muslims in leveraging their status to challenge their circumstances.
The concept of "de-Islamization" as both a tool of oppression and a strategy for survival adds another layer to this analysis. While white Anglo-Americans used it to strip enslaved Muslims of their identity and integrate them into Christian frameworks, many complied outwardly while maintaining their faith or using their roles to secure freedom. This mirrors strategies like taqiyya (check out my previous reply to shouzab in the "Out of Andalus" discussion post), showcasing how religious dissimulation served as a means of resistance. Additionally, the commodification of religion, where African Muslims were valued for their utility in trade and Christianization efforts, highlights the intersection of economic exploitation and cultural dehumanization. This nuanced discussion underscores how enslaved African Muslims used resilience and adaptability to navigate a brutal system, leaving a legacy of resistance within a profoundly oppressive context.