Slavery System Is Back

Handcuffs placed over a stack of hundred dollar bills

A new article argues that Islamic societies have been central to slavery for a millennium, accusing “the left” of rewriting history.

Story Highlights

Rod Thomson claims that Islamic societies played a major role in slavery for over a millennium.
He accuses left-leaning academics of downplaying Islamic slavery while focusing on Western slavery.
Thomson positions his argument within a broader culture-war narrative.
Historians agree on Islamic involvement but warn against selective historical claims.

Rod Thomson’s Argument

Rod Thomson, a conservative commentator, argues that Islamic societies and Muslim actors have been central to slavery and the slave trade for over a millennium, with a focus on Africa and the Mediterranean. He asserts that left-leaning academics, journalists, and activists downplay Islamic slavery while emphasizing the Atlantic slave trade, framing this as part of a larger culture-war narrative. In his view, this is an attempt to rewrite history to demonize the West and Christianity.

Thomson’s article fits within a media ecosystem that seeks to counter progressive narratives on colonialism and racism. By highlighting Islamic slavery, these outlets aim to relativize Western guilt over slavery and colonialism, positioning themselves as defenders of “real” history against alleged leftist revisionism. This approach leverages real scholarly work but repackages it in a manner aimed at contemporary Western audiences.

Historical Context of Islamic Slavery

Islamic societies did not create slavery; rather, Islamic law regulated an existing institution. Slavery was widespread long before the rise of Islam, and the Qur’an and Islamic jurisprudence permitted slavery but encouraged manumission. Historians note that the legal status and treatment of slaves in Islamic contexts often differed from New World chattel slavery. Slaves in Muslim societies sometimes held administrative, military, or domestic roles and could rise to high political status, although they remained unfree.

Key slaving systems involving Muslim actors include the trans-Saharan slave trade, which linked sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa and the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean and Red Sea trades. These systems persisted for over a millennium and involved significant participation by Islamic societies.

Contemporary Implications and Criticism

Critics of Thomson’s framing warn against selective historical claims that distort scholarship. Historians emphasize the importance of understanding all major slaving systems, including Islamic, African, and Atlantic slavery, to avoid weaponizing history for ideological battles. While Islamic slavery is less visible in Western curricula than Atlantic slavery, the claim of a coordinated effort to erase it is an overstatement.

Thomson’s argument risks fueling curriculum and culture-war conflicts by demanding more content on Islamic slavery, often as part of a pushback against anti-racism education. This adversarial framing can increase suspicion toward Muslims and harden stereotypes, impacting inter-communal relations. However, sustained attention to Islamic slavery could push for a more global, comparative history that includes diverse systems and their connections.