For Zamzam: Arab slave trade and my Unpublished Letter to the Gulf News

Thanks to Zamzam and everyone reading Marian's Blog and sharing such thought-provoking feedback. Often I'm frustrated at finding relatively little first-person news and ideas, or even "first-person composite" news and ideas from African and African descendant women and women's groups - whether we are from Somalia, Colombia, Haiti, Sudan, or the diaspora of the displaced from New Orleans. We need more exchange between and from women's voices in our communities.

A comment from Zamzam asks me about addressing the Arab enslavement of Africans. So here's the text of an email I sent back in February to Ms. Sheeba Hasan (a woman) editor of Gulf News in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). As far as I know my letter has not been published. Thanks for asking.

February 2006

Dear Ms. Hasan:

I made my first trip through Dubai in 2004. I am writing to thank Gulf News for publishing news of France's recent decision to establish a national day recognising its role in the global trade in African people. I know firsthand that this decision results from French Parliament member Mme Christiane Taubira's work which resulted in the 10 May 2001 French law (the Taubira Law) declaring the slave trade a crime against humanity. In sincerity, I write to say that Africa, especially we Africa's scattered descendants, awaits the first actions of our Arab brothers and sisters to do the same.

Comments

[Zamzam]

Thank you Marian for writing to Gulf News… I doubt that your letter will be published, but at least they know that some of us have the courage to raise the issue. If the editor is an expat he/she would not even touch that subject. One can get their work visa revoked.

I agree with you on the need to communicate among us everywhere: to exchange ideas and stories so that we can be informed about what’s happening to our sisters in many parts of the world, & to be able to understand and even maybe give voice & support those of us who can’t (our sisters in Darfur come to mind).

One quick note, my grandmother used to tell me that “there is a kinship between us & the black people in Al-Basra” (Iraq), & I did’t understand it, until my teenage years & educated myself about how they got there.

Peace,

[uaridi]

I have always wondered if anyone would raise this issue. I come from East Africa and mostly learnt about Arab slave traders - especially those who colonised the eastern coast of Africa (Omani Arabs)

I hope there will be a positive reaction soon.

Take care