NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 4
th, 2012 at 11:27am:
Falah, again... Why slavery at all?
It is no accident that Islam only permits the taking of slaves through conquest, because conquest is a cornerstone of Islam.
Contrary to Abu's insistence that Islam helped reduce slavery, the practice was still common among Muslims long after they had been on the losing end of every battle they could remember. It was only foreign interference that finally ended the practice.
To understand slavery (and in particular sex slavery) in Islam, it must be put in the context of Muhammed's rape and pillage days. The strategy behind it is unthinkable today.
Where the west has the 'military-industrial' complex, Islam has the slavery - rape and pillage complex. Consider the implications for Muhammed's empire (and the utter hypocrisy of any Muslim who complains about Israel today):
Quote:1) It permits the complete displacement of conquered people.
Under Islam, you can also take the posessions (not that slaves have any need for them, as their every need is taken care of for them under Islam's 'slaves with dignity' policy). This leaves Muslims free to take the land as their own as well as the livestock, the houses etc without pesky locals getting upset about it. If the conquered locals behave they might be allowed to hang around and help till the soil, otherwise it's off to the other side of the empire to serve returning soldiers.
Quote:2) If you can't beat the paganism out of them, breed it out.
The defeated farmer and his wife are not shipped off together. The farmer goes one way, while the wife (and any unlucky daughters) get raped by Muslims. They grow to love their new masters through Islam. The children of these glorious unions may not be shunned, but have to be brought up as good Muslims to complete the cycle. This is also part of Islam's 'slaves with dignity' policy.
Quote:3) Slavery helps fuel the war machine.
Consider the plight of a young Islamic man. He lives in a society where men can have up to four wives. He has no chance of getting a wife himself before he is an old man. His father is not going to buy him one, as he spends his money supporting the two he already has and saving up for a third. There is of course nothing wrong with this situation - according to Abu most men do not deserve a wife.
Unless of course they go off and slaughter more pagans. Then he has a chance at not only a wife, but some serious property also. And if he gets killed, what is the loss? The army just sends a slave or two back to his father to help support the old man and his harem.
Quote:4) From slave to raper and pillager in 3 easy steps.
Abu likes to tell us about the slave who became the master.
If you thought the young Islamic man had it bad, consider the farmer from example 2. As Abu pointed out, as part of the 'slaves with dignity' policy, he has a choice of free military training. This is not so he can rescue his wife and daughters from the Muslims raping them. This is so he can go and kill some other pagans and take their wife or daughter, house, sheep and anything else they own.
Of course, it is his free chocie and not everyone chooses that. After all, someone has to stay behind and clean the toilets for the old man and his harem. This is also part of Islam's 'slaves with dignity' policy.
It all works very well, until you start losing the wars. Then it all falls in a heap and Muslims become their own worst enemy.