WASHINGTON — Concerns are being expressed after audio has surfaced of a Muslim Georgetown University professor outlining that slavery and sex without consent is not always wrong as defined in Islamic culture.
Professor Jonathan Brown recently lectured at the International Institute of Islamic Thought, where he delivered a message on “Islam and the Problem of Slavery.” The lecture, which included a Q & A period, can be heard in full here. Q & A begins at approximately 51:00.
Brown stated in the discussion that what some might call slavery in Islam differs from what is recognized in the historical American context, because it was “rarely racialized” and “slaves had a huge regime of rights.” He said that some “slaves in numerous circumstances became the actual rulers or were used as the administrative elite.”
“I think if you took the Sharia understanding of slavery and even the general practice of slavery in Islamic civilization, I don’t think it’s comparable at all to plantation chattel slavery in the Americas. It’s just not comparable at all,” he asserted.
“In general, you don’t find the brutality that you see in American slavery. As far as I can tell, generally it is simply not very common. Slaves in Islamic civilization were mostly investments,” Brown later stated. “It was like buying a rental property. So, you would say, ‘Okay, slave. You’re a good carpenter. Go out and do work as a carpenter and every day you give me, like, 30 percent of your pay.'”
Brown explained to those gathered that he believes people should focus more on the conditions of the workers rather than nitpicking over whether someone is technically defined as a slave or not.
“If you’re Muslim, the prophet of God had slaves. He had slaves. There’s no denying that. Was he—are you more morally mature than the prophet of God? No, you’re not,” he said to one attendee who had asked a question about the matter.
http://christiannews.net/2017/02/14...erts-slavery-rape-is-not-always-morally-evil/
Professor Jonathan Brown recently lectured at the International Institute of Islamic Thought, where he delivered a message on “Islam and the Problem of Slavery.” The lecture, which included a Q & A period, can be heard in full here. Q & A begins at approximately 51:00.
Brown stated in the discussion that what some might call slavery in Islam differs from what is recognized in the historical American context, because it was “rarely racialized” and “slaves had a huge regime of rights.” He said that some “slaves in numerous circumstances became the actual rulers or were used as the administrative elite.”
“I think if you took the Sharia understanding of slavery and even the general practice of slavery in Islamic civilization, I don’t think it’s comparable at all to plantation chattel slavery in the Americas. It’s just not comparable at all,” he asserted.
“In general, you don’t find the brutality that you see in American slavery. As far as I can tell, generally it is simply not very common. Slaves in Islamic civilization were mostly investments,” Brown later stated. “It was like buying a rental property. So, you would say, ‘Okay, slave. You’re a good carpenter. Go out and do work as a carpenter and every day you give me, like, 30 percent of your pay.'”
Brown explained to those gathered that he believes people should focus more on the conditions of the workers rather than nitpicking over whether someone is technically defined as a slave or not.
“If you’re Muslim, the prophet of God had slaves. He had slaves. There’s no denying that. Was he—are you more morally mature than the prophet of God? No, you’re not,” he said to one attendee who had asked a question about the matter.
http://christiannews.net/2017/02/14...erts-slavery-rape-is-not-always-morally-evil/
