S*xual Slavery and Racism went hand in hand in Iz!@mic Empires.

S*xual Slavery and Racism went hand in hand in Iz!@mic Empires. 

In this painting you can see the opulent court of an Ottoman Muzl!m Nobleman. The background setting of an open courtyard surrounded by a covered colonnade, replete with narrow and high arches and mosaic all over gives the feeling of a resplendent court in decadence. 

The Ottoman general is idling on his divan with a hooka. He is gazing intently at the non-Muzl!m sex slave produced in front of him. Trying to control the thoughts of having her can be clearly seen on his face. The slave trader, quite at ease, quite knowing that the Nobleman is sure to buy the non-Muzl!m slave girl, is relaxed and taking liberties of body language that otherwise would not take. Leaning close on him, he is trying to tell him, that though the price is high, the rewards of enjoying such a 'white cargo' are also high. 

The non-Muzl!m slave girl is stripped naked for the devout Muzl!m to see. Once again, unable to hide her body, she is trying to look away. Unable to hide her body, she looks away, hiding her shame. 

But a more curious spectacle unfolds when you see another slave in this painting. The black African slave who is 'unveiling' the non-Muzl!m slave girl is also in the service of the Muzl!m general. This African slave is virtually naked, with hardly a loin cloth. While the Muzl!ms in the frame wear complete robes, the African slave is kept almost naked. 

This painting also shows a quite neglected part of world history. Long before the American slave trade, the Arab Iz!@mic world was trading in non-Muzl!m slaves from Africa for a long time. These black slaves from Africa were castrated and then used to do menial back-breaking jobs. While in the USA the blacks were allowed to reproduce, in the Arab lands, they were castrated and thus did not even leave trace in the populations living there. Every generations millions of these black non-Muzl!ms would be captured for serving as slaves in the harems of the devout Muzl!ms and would do back breaking jobs. 

While the world castigates the West for engaging in racist slave trade from Africa, and rightly so, it forgets that the Arab Iz!@mic world was engaging in a far worse slavery for a longer time. 

More to come in this series. Stay tuned.

Artist: Ernest Normand