Half a million African slaves are at the heart of Mauritania's election

[bijou]

A year after she ran away from her master, Barakatu Mint Sayed prays that the election on July 18 will mark the beginning of the end of slavery in Mauritania.
Her nation is one of the last places on Earth where large numbers of humans are still kept as property.
 
And like thousands of other slaves and freed slaves across the Saharan country, her hopes are fixed on an inspirational candidate, a man born to slave parents who has sworn to put an end to the practice of "owning" humans if he is elected president.
That candidate is Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, a 66-year-old former civil servant with a strong resemblance to the film actor Morgan Freeman. Mr Boulkheir has vowed that in power he would punish slave owners and do everything he can to free their human property.
His prospects of winning power are growing by the day - and he is being hailed as Mauritania's brightest star by his supporters.
"He is the Obama of Mauritania," said Boubacar Messaoud, an architect and veteran anti-slavery campaigner in the northwest African desert state. "He is going to bring change, and he represents social justice and equality."
Officially, slavery has long been abolished in Mauritania, but the law has never been enforced and there are an estimated 600,000 slaves, almost one in five of the country's 3.2 million people, almost 150 years since the American civil war.
Change will come too late to heal Mrs Sayed's ruined life. But she knows that victory for Mr Boulkheir could transform the future for the daughter and grandchildren whom she had to leave behind in captivity when she finally summoned the courage to escape.
A black African of Mauritania's Haratine caste, she was born into slavery about 40 years ago - she is illiterate and has only a hazy idea of time - and grew up as the property of an Arabic-speaking Berber family, in an oasis town deep in the desert.
While her master's children went to school, she was cooking, cleaning and washing from dawn to dusk. She slept on the floor, and suffered beatings.
"Sometimes I was too tired by the end of the day to eat my food," Mrs Sayed said at her new home in the capital, Nouakchott, where she now works as a paid housekeeper. ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/ghana/5805113/Half-a-million-African-slaves-are-at-the-heart-of-Mauritanias-presidential-election.html

[thundley4]

"He is the Obama of Mauritania," said Boubacar Messaoud, an architect and veteran anti-slavery campaigner in the northwest African desert state. "He is going to bring change, and he represents social justice and equality."

I hope that their version of 0Bama works out better for them then ours has.  I'm saddened to say that I didn't know this was still going on in such a widespread manner in any country.

[bijou]

I hope that their version of 0Bama works out better for them then ours has.  I'm saddened to say that I didn't know this was still going on in such a widespread manner in any country.

It is still going on, though these days forced labour is more common than chattel slavery (ownership of people).  Here's a link to get you going if you are interested in finding out more. http://www.iabolish.org/slavery_today/primer/index.html

[thundley4]

It is still going on, though these days forced labour is more common than chattel slavery (ownership of people).  Here's a link to get you going if you are interested in finding out more. http://www.iabolish.org/slavery_today/primer/index.html

I guess there was quite a bit that I knew about, but had just forgotten, especially reading through some of the cases in each state in the US.  Many of those had been in the news, but seeing them all connected at one time makes more of an impact.

[Ptarmigan]

How about slave reparation in Mauritania? Those actual slaves.

[vesta111]

It is still going on, though these days forced labour is more common than chattel slavery (ownership of people).  Here's a link to get you going if you are interested in finding out more. http://www.iabolish.org/slavery_today/primer/index.html

What is the difference between slavery and chattle slavery .?

I am thinking here of indentured servants some of who came here early on as my ancestors.

Then there was the Company Store that owned people in the days long gone.

Today, about a year ago a wealthy couple who ran a million dollar business were found guilty of slavery--right here in the USA.  They paid the expenses of 2 Indonesian girls to come here and become house servants.   Soon as the woman got to their home the employer took away their passports.  They slept on the floor and their wages $ 10.00 a month cash, with food and board was sent to their relatives.

Beatings were common, both suffered severe penalty's for the smallest infraction of the rules.  Finally after 2-3 years one woman managed to get away after a beating and ran for a 7-11 where the police were called.

The trial was all over the papers and the defendants got years in prison despite their political associations and high priced lawyers.

One driving through a wealthy community can see undocumented gardeners, house keepers, Nanny's, cooks etc.  A well kept secret among the wealthy, they only get caught when they run for political office and the opposition does an in depth investigation on them.



 

[JohnnyReb]

What is the difference between slavery and chattle slavery .?

I am thinking here of indentured servants some of who came here early on as my ancestors.

Then there was the Company Store that owned people in the days long gone.

Today, about a year ago a wealthy couple who ran a million dollar business were found guilty of slavery--right here in the USA.  They paid the expenses of 2 Indonesian girls to come here and become house servants.   Soon as the woman got to their home the employer took away their passports.  They slept on the floor and their wages $ 10.00 a month cash, with food and board was sent to their relatives.

Beatings were common, both suffered severe penalty's for the smallest infraction of the rules.  Finally after 2-3 years one woman managed to get away after a beating and ran for a 7-11 where the police were called.

The trial was all over the papers and the defendants got years in prison despite their political associations and high priced lawyers.

One driving through a wealthy community can see undocumented gardeners, house keepers, Nanny's, cooks etc.  A well kept secret among the wealthy, they only get caught when they run for political office and the opposition does an in depth investigation on them.
 

You failed to mention the couple were Muslims..........you Islamaphobic or something?

[bijou]

What is the difference between slavery and chattle slavery .?

I am thinking here of indentured servants some of who came here early on as my ancestors.

Then there was the Company Store that owned people in the days long gone.

Today, about a year ago a wealthy couple who ran a million dollar business were found guilty of slavery--right here in the USA.  They paid the expenses of 2 Indonesian girls to come here and become house servants.   Soon as the woman got to their home the employer took away their passports.  They slept on the floor and their wages $ 10.00 a month cash, with food and board was sent to their relatives.

Beatings were common, both suffered severe penalty's for the smallest infraction of the rules.  Finally after 2-3 years one woman managed to get away after a beating and ran for a 7-11 where the police were called.

The trial was all over the papers and the defendants got years in prison despite their political associations and high priced lawyers.

One driving through a wealthy community can see undocumented gardeners, house keepers, Nanny's, cooks etc.  A well kept secret among the wealthy, they only get caught when they run for political office and the opposition does an in depth investigation on them.



 

Chattel slavery is what we usually think of as slavery, that is buying and selling people as goods. In the other forms of slavery there is usually a minimal wage paid, some people are forced into it and others (like the domestic servant cases mentioned) enter it believing they are to be employed but find they are trapped and unable to leave the situation.

[Chris_]

....

One driving through a wealthy community can see undocumented gardeners, house keepers, Nanny's, cooks etc.  A well kept secret among the wealthy, they only get caught when they run for political office and the opposition does an in depth investigation on them.

You don't have to visit a "wealthy community" to see illegal aliens working.  You can find that just about anywhere and it has nothing to do with the income average in a particular area.  It only makes the news when it's the eeeeeevil "rich" who get caught.

[vesta111]

You failed to mention the couple were Muslims..........you Islamaphobic or something?

Sorry Johnny, I did not think their religion had anything to do with the story. 
The servant woman also were Muslem I believe.

I don't see what your point is or how I have exhibited signs of being a Is lamaphobic idiot.

[NHSparky]

vesta--perhaps you should enlighten yourself as to how domestic "help" is recruited, paid, and treated in Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, et al...

[JohnnyReb]

vesta--perhaps you should enlighten yourself as to how domestic "help" is recruited, paid, and treated in Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, et al...

Phobia: An irrational persistant fear or dread.

The term Islamaphobic is applied to all us conservatives if we say anything negative about Islam or try to enlighten a liberal as to the tenants of the religion of peace. I have no fear of Islam, my gun and military, they comfort me.

I think the term Islamophobic is more apropos for liberals. They fear the religion of peace to point of stupidity. They wish to remain totally ignorant of Islam and contort or bend themselves and our way of life to the will of Allah in the name of diversity and multiculturalism.

[Chris_]

Phobia: An irrational persistant fear or dread.

The term Islamaphobic is applied to all us conservatives if we say anything negative about Islam or try to enlighten a liberal as to the tenants of the religion of peace. I have no fear of Islam, my gun and military, they comfort me.

I think the term Islamophobic is more apropos for liberals. They fear the religion of peace to point of stupidity. They wish to remain totally ignorant of Islam and contort or bend themselves and our way of life to the will of Allah in the name of diversity and multiculturalism.