|
|
By: V Sundaram, IAS, Retd.
February 11, 2007
Views
expressed here are author’s own and not of this website. Full disclaimer
is at the bottom.
Feedback
History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies and
misfortunes of mankind - Edward Gibbon (1737-1794).
Today the world is almost free of slavery, and we pride ourselves on the
freedom of the peoples of the world. Yet, it is only just two centuries
ago that the "Slavery Emancipation Bill" was passed in the Houses of
Parliament in England in 1807 and the national conscience of England was
awakened to give the world the lead in abolishing slavery. The leader of
the agitation which pricked England into action, the man who stamped his
personality and his sincerity upon the anti-slave campaign was William
Wilberforce (1759-1833). Right from 1787, Wilberforce as a Member of
Parliament had started gathering evidence against the slave trade in
Africa. He was supported by William Pitt, the younger, who was Prime
Minister. A resolution to abolish the slave trade by gradual steps was
carried in the House of Commons on 2 April, 1792. In February, 1793,
Wilberforce introduced a motion to hasten the process of abolition of
slavery through the House of Lords. It was rejected by 61 votes to 53.
In 1804, Wilberforce made another heroic effort to end the slave trade and
the planters who profited greatly from the slave trade fought him tooth
and nail. He piloted the Bill through the House of Commons, but again the
House of Lords threw it out. Thanks to the public agitation led by
Wilberforce, at last the public opinion started swinging in favor of
abolition of slave trade. In 1807, Wilberforce's Bill was carried through
two readings in the House of Lords. It was referred to the Commons on 10
February, 1807. The debate took place in the House of Commons on 23
February, 1807 and Wilberforce was overcome by great emotion when 283
Members of the House of Commons voted for the motion for the abolition of
slavery with 16 Members voting against it. The Bill received the Royal
assent on March 25, 1807. Wilberforce became a national hero, deeply
respected by men of all shades of opinion.
This is the cover page of a book on the subject of Mutual Relation of
Masters and Slaves as taught in the Bible. A discourse preached in the
first Presbyterian Church, Augusta, Georgia, USA, published by Joseph R
Wilson, D D, Pastor, in 1861.
Now exactly 200 years after the brilliant triumph of Wilberforce in the
House of Commons in 1807, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in
England are to lead thousands of "pilgrims" carrying a giant cross through
London on 24 March, 2007 to repent for the Church of England's complicity
in the slave trade from the 15th century to the 19th century. This planned
"walk of witness" on 24 March will coincide with the bicentenary of the
abolition of the slave trade in 1807. It marks the latest stage in the
Church of England's repentance since February last year, when the General
Synod voted to apologies for its involvement in slavery. The solemnity of
the march will get enhanced with African drummers beating a sombre lament
- creating a pensive atmosphere for sombre reflection. The march will
culminate in a symbolic "release from the past", possibly in the form of a
replica slave auction notice being torn up or shackles being removed from
the cross.
Edward Gibbon, the great historian, summed up brilliantly when he wrote:
"History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies and
misfortunes of mankind". What is heartening to note is that a suitable
public atmosphere and public mood for appropriate public remorse and
repentance of the shameful past have already been created by the political
parties and the leading political leaders in England. Just about two
months ago Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his "deep sorrow" for
Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, although he stopped short
of a full apology. John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, is leading
the national commemorations. Organizations including English Heritage and
the National Trust have joined in, expressing regret that some of the
properties they own were built with slave money.
According to draft plans, churches across Britain are being encouraged to
bus up to 8,000 parishioners to London for the "act of public witness" on
24 March, 2007. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and John
Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, who grew up in Uganda will jointly signal
from a common platform the "beginning of a healing process". John Sentamu
has described how his forebears were among those enslaved. Many
enlightened public leaders in England today have compared the slave trade
to the Holocaust.
The march scheduled to take place on 24 March, 2007 will take two separate
routes through the capital, meeting at Kennington Park in south London for
an open-air church service. Williams and Sentamu are expected to march
alongside a group of black and white youths bearing the cross. Before
leaving Whitehall, the archbishops will take part in an act of reflection.
They will then walk past the Houses of Parliament, pause for remembrance
prayers at Victoria Tower Gardens, and proceed to Lambeth Bridge. From
this point, the marchers will fall silent - except for the African
drummers and a small group of singers.
History is nothing but philosophy teaching by example, and also by
warning; its two eyes are geography and chronology. It is not therefore
surprising that the route of the procession across the Thames has been
specially chosen to represent the Atlantic crossing made by more than 10
million Africans sent to the Americas between the 15th and early 19th
centuries. The climax of the service is going to be marked by the symbolic
"release from the past", followed by a "song of freedom". Worshippers will
be asked to sign a petition calling on the government to take action
against modern-day slavery, such as sex trafficking from Eastern Europe.
Right from its inception in the 15th century, the Atlantic slave trade had
the FULL SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH. Most of the theologians subscribed to the
view that "Blacks" were "NATURAL SLAVES". Some even argued that an African
transported to America changed "from a barbaric servitude to a human
servitude", and therefore he received a great favour even when he was
taken to America as a slave for life-long exploitation. One theologian
wrote as late as 1764: "The greatest misfortune we could bring to those
poor Africans would be to put a halt to this slave trade".
Recently I was moved to tears when I read a speech given by DOROTHY
RANDALL GRAY, an African-American speaker and writer at the World Congress
for the Preservation of Religious Diversity in New Delhi in November 2001.
I came across her speech in the "Avant Garde" and revolutionary book
brought out by the Vivekananda Kendra Patrika under the title "EXPRESSIONS
OF CHRISTIANITY WITH A FOCUS ON INDIA" which was released recently. I am
quoting a few extracts from her speech by way of illustration:
"I come to you this evening as a poet, writer and interfaith minister, but
it is my poet's heart that would like to speak first....I come to you this
evening as Dorothy Randall Gray, but in fact, I DON'T KNOW MY REAL FAMILY
NAME, THE NAME OF MY LINEAGE. That name was stolen from me 400 years ago
when my people were stolen out of Africa. They were sold into slavery in
America, "the land of the free and the home of the brave". My name was
taken from me when my ancestors were forbidden to utter its sound or pass
it on to their children. ...But when even the name is taken away, what do
I call myself?....But the decimation of our lives and families were not
enough for the slave owners. They wanted nothing less than the complete
destruction of the African religion and culture of our ancestors. Thus, we
were forbidden to speak our own language. Africans who came from the same
tribes or regions were separated from each other. They were placed among
other Africans who spoke entirely different tongues. And so, in order to
communicate at all, we were forced to use ENGLISH, THE LANGUAGE OF OUR
OPPRESSOR."
"Our sacred ceremonies were called "PAGAN RITUALS" and we were forbidden
to practice them. We were not allowed to do our dances or sing the songs
of our country. They took away our music and gave us their hymns. We were
forbidden to play drums so they gave us bibles and the promise of a
wonderful life in the next world. We were forbidden to honor our families.
At any time of the day or night the slave master could come into our
cabins, take away our mothers, daughters and sisters, and repeatedly force
them into sexual acts. Men who fought to defend their families were
considered trouble makers. They were beaten, sold away from their
families, then shipped to another Southern state, or to Jamaica or
Barbados. The ones who perpetrated this travesty are also the ancestors of
Americans who self-righteously tout "family values"...."
"...If I want to return to my roots, what soil do I bend down and kiss?
What customs and traditions can I pass on to my children? What national
anthem do I sing and what foods can I claim as my own? Who am I without a
Flag, without a Motherland or a Mother Tongue? My culture, my religion, my
ancestors, traditions, customs, stolen, suppressed, violated, vilified,
denied, destroyed - that is what I call "Terrorism"."
The impartiality of history is not that of the mirror, which merely
reflects objects but of the judge who sees, listens and decides.
"PROSELYTISM IS SLAVERY" - HELEN ELLERBE
The whole of England is excited about the proposed "Pardon of Guilt March"
to be undertaken by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on 24 March,
2007 in London city. They are going to publicly apologies for the cruel
and shameful role played by the Church in supporting and sustaining the
ugly phenomenon of slave trade between Africa and America and between
Africa and England from the 15th to the 19th century.
I was reading an interesting pamphlet titled MUTUAL RELATION OF MASTERS
AND SLAVES AS TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE. A DISCOURSE PREACHED IN THE FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA on Sabbath morning on 6 January
1861. This pamphlet was written by a Pastor called Joseph R Wilson
(1835-1903), also known as Joseph Ruggles. He issued this pamphlet in
1861, the year in which the Civil war broke out between the Northern
States and the Southern States on the fundamental issue of continuance or
otherwise of the barbarous system of slavery which was prevalent on a
large scale in the Southern States. In this pamphlet he came out with
these radical ideas on human brotherhood;
1. Bible gives full spiritual, ethical and moral sanction for the
perpetuation of the noble system of slavery� the divine relationship
between Master and Servant (slave).
2. The system of Slavery will be hereditary and will continue in
perpetuity till the end of time.
3. The Slave should seek spiritual solace by cheerfully accepting the
divinely ordained position of a Slave under his Master. It will be
blasphemous for him to question either the moral authority or the
spiritual sanction of his Master to exercise total control over his life,
mind, heart and soul.
It will be clear from this example that the Church played a leading role
in supporting and sustaining the cause of slavery in the Southern States
in USA till the end of the Civil War in 1865.
It was against such savagely evil forces that Abraham Lincoln fought
during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Let us hear the inspiring
words of Abraham Lincoln in his Second Annual Message to Congress on 1
December, 1862; "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the
free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall
nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may
succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just a
way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must
forever bless."
In this context I cannot help referring to a candidly brilliant article by
Joey Hackl titled Slavery in the Bible (why Black people shouldn't be
Christians). In this article he says that Bible supports the system of
Slavery throughout the world. To quote his words: "Maybe it's just me, but
the following excerpts from the Bible don't sit well with me. They really
don't sit well with me! No wonder the slave trade was what it was (and
continues to be: roughly 12 per cent of America is Black, yet Blacks
occupy roughly 50 per cent of incarcerated America; institutionalized
slavery? I think so. The Bible appears to wholeheartedly support slavery."
Based on the article of Joey Hackl, I am citing below some references from
the Bible which openly advocate Slavery. "If a man beats his male or
female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be
punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or
two, since the slave is his property." (Exodus 21:20-21)
"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from
them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents
living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they
will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited
property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over
your fellow Israelites ruthlessly. (Leviticus 25:44-46)
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with
sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ." (Ephesians 6:5)I am
not taking these verses out of context. Even a casual reader can see the
underlying unity connecting these verses. What do they all say? A slave is
a slave is a slave forever. They are under the divine Yoke of Slavery. It
is a fact of history that Yokes were put on Slaves and animals only.
Against this background, Joey Hackl concludes with overflowing emotions:
"I guess it's easy for Christians who have never been slaves to ignore
these verses, or say that they are taken out of context, or that God
tolerated slavery in those days, but when you actually sit and consider
what slavery actually is, the pain, the suffering, the imprisonment, the
rape, the beatings, the punishment, the separation from family, etc. how
can you let these verses slip away?"
When Columbus discovered America, in the last quarter of the "8th century
he brought both African slaves and sugar cane to the New World. Within a
few years the monstrous demand for this crop would call for the blood,
bones and sweat of millions of slaves to keep it fed In this context the
moving words of Dorothy Randall Gray, whose forefathers were slaves from
Africa, become very relevant..
"In order to supply cheap labor to tend these fields, slave traders came
to our African villages, stole us from our homes, put us in shackles. They
threw men. women and children into the bowels of foul smelling ships and
packed us together like the fingers of a fist. We would lay there naked in
that darkened hold for weeks at a time on the treacherous journey from
Africa to America known as the "MIDDLE PASSAGE". Many of us perished
during the crossing. Those who died along the way were simply dumped
overboard like garbage. It is estimated that over 75 million Africans lost
their lives during the Middle Passage. WE CALL IT THE AFRICAN HOLOCAUST."
In the context of the terrible history of Slave Trade in Africa, the name
of Alex Haley (1921-1992) also comes to my mind. In 1976 Haley published
his world famous book called Roots: The Saga of an American Family. It is
a novel based loosely on his family's history, starting with the story of
Kunta Kinte, kidnapped in Gambia in 1767 to be sold as a slave in the
United States. This work involved ten years of research, intercontinental
travel and writing. Haley went to the village of Jufureh in Gambia where
Kunta Kinte grew up, which was still in existence, and listened to a
tribal historian tell the story of Kinte's capture. Haley also traced the
records of the ship, The Lord Ligonier, which he said carried his ancestor
to America.
The most emotional moment of Haley's life was reached on 29 September,
1967, when he stood at the site in Annapolis, Maryland in USA where his
ancestor Kunta Kinte had arrived 200 years before in 1767. Roots was
eventually published in 37 languages, won the Pulitzer Prize and went on
to become a popular television miniseries in 1977. The book and film were
both successful, reaching a record-breaking 130 million viewers when it
was serialized on television. Roots clearly brought out the fact that
African Americans have a long history and that not all of that history is
lost, as many believed. Its popularity sparked a new wave of increased
public interest in genealogy as well. This book of Haley has moved
thousands of people to tears in all parts of the world and to sublime
feelings too deep for tears. It has been hailed as a document of great
worth true to the truth of the human heart. James Baldwin paid his tribute
to Alex Haley in these words: "Alex Haley is taking us back through time
to the village of his ancestors is an act of faith and courage, but this
book Roots is also an act of love, and it is this which makes it
haunting... It suggests with great power how each of us can't but be the
vehicle of the history which produced us."
The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation's Mission is to spread Alex Haley's
vision of a world that celebrates ethnic diversity while honoring
humankind's common, universal experiences. Through educational and
cultural programs, public forums and research, the Foundation is dedicated
to stimulating greater interest in African-American culture, history, art,
archaeology, anthropology, and genealogy, and to encouraging people of all
ethnic backgrounds to search for their own "roots."
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York should take the initiative to
create a new Foundation like that of Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation in
USA. The British Government should solidly support this lofty and noble
cause. All the Churches in the US should also follow suit in this matter
and the American Government should come forward to extend its full
assistance to all the Churches to achieve this objective. Every Church in
India and abroad should clearly understand that every form of proselytism
is a violent form of enslavement of the mind, body and soul of the pagans
and heathens. God in heaven did not give the divine right either to the
CHURCH or the MOSQUE to decide and declare who is a PAGAN.
This dark side of Christian history can help us to understand the severing
of our connection with the sacred. It can teach us of the most insidious
and damaging slavery of all: the control of people through dictating,
regulating and containing their spirituality. Only then, can we begin to
feel not only the scars, but the very alienation itself.
V Sundaram, IAS, Retd.
Send your views to author
Do you wish to reach our readers?
submit
your guest column
Copyright and Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and not of this
website. The author is solely responsible for the contents of this
article. This website does not represent or endorse the accuracy,
completeness or reliability of any opinion, statement, appeal, advice or
any other information in the article. Our readers are free to forward this
page URL to anyone. This column may NOT be transmitted or distributed by
others in any manner whatsoever (other than forwarding or web listing page
URL) without the prior permission from
us and the author. |
Previous articles by:
V Sundaram, IAS, Retd.
"M K Hussen" of Tamilnadu
UPA bonanza for Hindus in minority (!)
Gandhi, Moulana of Muslim appeasement
"Shall India die? spirituality will be extinct"
Criminal Union Cabinet Ministers
A National Program For Organized Looting
Tamil barbarous language, Tamilians barb..
Rejoinder to puerile purveyors of hate
Timeless universality
A panoply of orchestrated fraud
Swami"s wake-up call to Hindus
Story of Vivekananda Rock and the Cross
A beam of light amidst the encircling gloom
Menacing Neo-Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam) in U P
A Congress convict Vs the Indian constitution
All articles by:
V Sundaram, IAS, Retd. |
